website accessibility faqS
About Web Accessibility
What exactly is web accessibility?
Web accessibility means that websites are designed and built so people with disabilities can use them. This includes people who are blind or have low vision and use screen readers, people who can't use a mouse and navigate by keyboard, people with hearing loss who need captions on video content, and people with cognitive disabilities who benefit from clear structure and plain language.
What is WCAG and why does it matter?
WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines — the internationally recognized technical standard for web accessibility, published by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the benchmark that the U.S. Department of Justice uses for ADA website compliance.
Is my website required to be accessible?
It depends on your organization type. State and local government websites are now subject to a clear federal mandate under ADA Title II, with a 2024 DOJ final rule requiring WCAG 2.1 AA conformance. For businesses and nonprofits, Title III of the ADA has been applied to websites through federal court decisions. Rather than waiting for a requirement to become a problem, most organizations find it practical to address accessibility proactively.
My website is small — do I still need to worry about this?
Website accessibility requirements aren't tied to site size. A five-page business website can have just as many accessibility failures as a large e-commerce site. The issues we find on small sites are often straightforward to fix, which means the cost and effort of an audit and remediation are well proportioned to the site's scale.
About the Audit
What does an audit actually look for?
An audit evaluates your website against the WCAG 2.1 Level AA success criteria using both automated tools and structured manual evaluation. In practical terms, this covers whether images have descriptive alternative text, whether forms are properly labeled, whether color contrast meets minimum ratios, whether the site can be navigated by keyboard, whether videos have captions, whether the heading structure conveys meaning rather than just style, and whether the page makes sense when navigated linearly by a screen reader user.
Why a free audit may not be telling you the whole story, and isn’t my website scan using WAVE enough?
You may have seen offers for free website accessibility audits, or used browser extensions like WAVE or Google Lighthouse to get a quick read on your site. These tools are genuinely useful — we use both of them in every professional audit — but a scan from a single browser extension is not an audit.
Automated tools, used alone, identify somewhere between 30 and 57% of accessibility issues, depending on the tool and ruleset. The remaining issues require human judgment: navigating the site by keyboard, testing with a screen reader, evaluating whether alternative text is actually descriptive rather than just present, reviewing how the page reads in logical order, and dozens of other checks that no browser extension can perform. Additionally, depending on the tool, one may or may not find errors, and the other will. That’s why it’s important to approach the audit from different aspects using a variety of tools.
A free audit based on a single automated scan will give you a partial picture — typically the easier-to-detect failures — while leaving the more consequential issues undiscovered. If the goal is to understand your actual exposure and demonstrate a good-faith effort toward compliance, a partial picture isn't enough.
Our audits use four professional tools in combination, followed by Axe DevTools Pro's Intelligent Guided Tests and thorough hands-on manual evaluation. The difference isn't a matter of price — it's a matter of what actually gets found.
How many pages do you audit?
We review a representative sample, depending on the size of your website, selected to reflect the range of content types and functionality on your site. Most websites are built from a small number of templates, so issues tend to repeat across similar pages. Auditing representative examples is an efficient and professionally recognized approach.
Will I understand the report?
Yes. We write audit reports for the people who will use them — not just for developers. Every issue is described in plain language, with an explanation of who it affects, why it matters, and what needs to be done about it. Technical details and WCAG references are included, but they won't be the first thing you see.
Do automated tools catch everything?
No — and this is why professional audits combine automated scanning with structured manual testing. Automated tools identify somewhere between 30 and 57% of accessibility issues, depending on the tool and ruleset. The rest require human judgment. Our process uses four automated tools followed by Axe DevTools Pro's Intelligent Guided Tests (IGT) — a structured evaluation that walks the auditor through checks automated rules can't make — plus hands-on manual testing, including keyboard navigation, screen reader evaluation, and more.
How long does an audit take?
For most small to mid-sized websites, the audit and report are completed within 5–7 business days. Complex sites or those with custom functionality may take longer.
About Remediation
What's the difference between the Audit Only and Audit + Remediation options?
The Audit Only option gives you a complete report of what needs to be fixed — the right choice if you have a developer or web team who will handle implementation. The Audit + Remediation Guidance option means we provide detailed fix-by-fix guidance and work directly with your developer or team through the remediation process. For clients on Squarespace 7.0, Squarespace 7.1, or Duda, we can often implement fixes directly, given our platform expertise. Either way, every engagement includes a draft web accessibility statement for your site.
Can I fix things myself after getting the audit report?
Absolutely. Many clients handle straightforward fixes themselves or with their web team and come back to us for issues that require more technical expertise. The report is written to be actionable by any competent developer, and we're available to answer questions as you work through it.
Does remediation guarantee 100% conformance?
No — and you should be skeptical of anyone who promises that. WCAG conformance involves judgment calls, and websites change over time as content is added or updated. What we can assure you of is a thorough, professional effort to identify and address the issues present at the time of the audit. We recommend an annual review to catch new issues that may have been introduced since the last audit.
About Working Together
Do you work with clients throughout the United States?
Yes. While we're based in the Midwest and have strong relationships with local and regional clients, we conduct accessibility audits remotely and work with clients nationwide. And with our Midwestern location, our audit costs are typically much lower than in larger metropolitan areas.
I already have a web designer. Can you just do the audit?
Yes. Many clients already have a web developer or designer and simply need someone with specialized accessibility expertise to identify issues. We provide the audit report and can coordinate with your developer on implementation if helpful.
What if I just want to ask a question first?
That's exactly what we're here for. Accessibility can feel complicated, and it helps to talk through your specific situation before committing to anything. Contact us, and we'll give you a straight answer.