Web Accessibility Audit: Your Essential Guide to WCAG 2.2 Compliance and Inclusive Digital Products

A web accessibility audit is the foundational, structured review of your website, web application, or digital document to ensure it is fully usable by everyone, including the 1.3 billion people globally who live with a disability.

This process involves a deep, technical, and human check to measure how closely your product adheres to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Level AA, the main global standard for digital accessibility and the key baseline for legal compliance worldwide.

The goal is twofold:

1. Compliance: To find and fix barriers that expose your organization to legal risk under acts like the European Accessibility Act (EAA) or Section 508 in the U.S.

2. Inclusivity and Better UX: To ensure every user has an equal, functional experience, which inherently improves overall usability and, as a side benefit, SEO.

A Sobering Fact: According to the WebAIM Million Report, over 94% of the world's top homepages fail to meet basic WCAG standards. This stark reality underscores why a proactive, expert-led accessibility audit is an absolute necessity.

Every successful WCAG audit starts with a crystal-clear plan. Defining the scope keeps the process focused, efficient, and the results immediately actionable.

Define these elements before you begin your project:

• Scope: Are we reviewing the entire site, a core flow (like checkout or registration), or a specific web application?

• Compliance Level: WCAG 2.2 Level AA is the typical industry goal, but this must be confirmed based on your legal and market obligations.

• Depth: We determine the mix between high-efficiency automated testing and essential, comprehensive manual testing.

• Tools and Methods: We select the specific testing tools and assistive technologies (Screen Readers, Zoom) to use for reliable results.

A complete web accessibility audit requires leveraging both technology and human expertise.

Automated Tools

Automation helps us efficiently flag technical problems and check large volumes of code. While helpful, these tools typically cover only 30–40% of WCAG issues.

Popular options include:

• Axe DevTools

• WAVE

• Lighthouse

• Accessibility Insights

These tools quickly spot common errors like missing alt text, low contrast, or incorrect heading markup.

Manual Testing

Manual checks are crucial for verifying real-world usability and the human experience. This testing accounts for the remaining 60–70% of issues and includes:

• Keyboard-Only Navigation: Confirming that all interactive elements are reachable and functional without a mouse.

• Screen Reader Testing: In-depth use with tools like NVDA, VoiceOver, or JAWS to verify spoken content and navigation.

• Color Contrast: Checks that go beyond automation to verify non-text elements and interface components.

• ARIA Landmarks: Validation of appropriate form labeling and the use of ARIA roles for proper structure and usability.

Assistive Technology Testing Details

Our screen reader testing covers:

• Desktop: Windows (NVDA, Chrome/Firefox), macOS (VoiceOver, Safari)

• Mobile: iOS (VoiceOver), Android (TalkBack)

Reference Standards

Our accessibility audits are anchored by these essential international and regional guidelines:

• WCAG 2.2 Level AA (Global Benchmark)

• Section 508 (U.S.)

• EN 301 549 (EU)

• European Accessibility Act (EAA) (Effective in 2025).

At UKAD, our specialists follow a rigorous, proven process to deliver a comprehensive WCAG 2.2 audit.

An investment in a high-quality web accessibility audit offers returns far beyond simple compliance:

• Inclusivity: Fulfills the moral obligation to grant equal access to all users.

• Compliance: Mitigates the risk of costly lawsuits by meeting WCAG, Section 508, and EAA requirements.

• Better UX and SEO: Accessibility techniques, like proper heading structure and semantic HTML, improve both the user experience and search visibility.

• Future-Proofing: Prevents expensive, major rework by addressing accessibility issues early in the development cycle.

Accessibility is good design and responsible engineering that benefits every single user and builds long-term trust in your brand.

At UKAD, we combine technical expertise with a human approach to accessibility. Our QA specialists carry out thorough WCAG 2.2 audits, guide your remediation efforts, and help your teams build sustainable monitoring practices.

We test your digital products with a powerful combination of automated tools and real assistive technologies, ensuring you get practical, actionable results ready for your development team.

Request your Web Accessibility Audit today and start building a truly inclusive digital product.