What a website accessibility audit actually is
An ADA compliance audit is a complete, evidence-based evaluation of your website against WCAG 2.1 Level AA — the conformance standard U.S. courts, the DOJ, and federal procurement under Section 508 all rely on. It tells you, in plain language, exactly which barriers block people with disabilities from using your site, how serious each one is, and what it takes to fix it.
A real audit is not a button you press. It pairs automated scanning with manual testing by a human using assistive technology — the only way to catch the issues that put small businesses in legal crosshairs. Curbcut runs this audit so you start remediation with a precise map instead of a guess.
What we test (and how)
We evaluate your site against all four POUR principles — Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust — across conformance levels A and AA. The work happens in two layers.
Automated testing
Automated tools catch the machine-detectable errors fast and at scale. We run industry-standard engines including:
- axe-core for rule-based WCAG violations
- WAVE for visual structure and contrast issues
- Lighthouse for an accessibility baseline and performance context
Automated scans are valuable, but they only reliably detect roughly 30–40% of WCAG success criteria. A green scanner score does not mean a compliant site — and it never means a defensible one.
Manual testing
This is where audits earn their keep. Our experts test the experience the way real users do:
- Screen readers — we verify your pages with NVDA, JAWS, and VoiceOver to confirm content is announced in a logical order
- Keyboard navigation — every interactive element must be reachable and operable without a mouse, with a visible focus indicator
- Alt text — images convey meaning, not filenames; decorative images are correctly hidden
- Color contrast — text meets the 4.5:1 (and 3:1 for large text) AA thresholds
- ARIA labels and roles — custom widgets expose correct names, roles, and states to assistive technology
- Forms, headings, and landmarks — error messages, labels, and document structure work for everyone
This combination — automated breadth plus manual depth — is what separates a credible audit from an overlay scan. If you want the full reasoning, see automated vs manual accessibility testing.
What you get: the deliverables
You walk away with documentation you can act on, hand to a developer, or show an attorney.
| Deliverable | What it includes |
|---|---|
| Findings report | Every issue mapped to its WCAG 2.1 success criterion, with severity, location, screenshots, and code references |
| Remediation roadmap | Prioritized fix list — critical legal-exposure items first, quick wins flagged |
| VPAT / Conformance Report | An optional VPAT documenting your conformance status for procurement or legal use |
| Live walkthrough | A call where we explain the findings in plain English and answer questions |
The report is written for business owners, not just developers — so you understand why each barrier matters and what the risk is.
Audit vs. overlay scan: don’t confuse the two
Overlay vendors offer a “free scan” that produces an automated error count and then sells you a JavaScript widget. That widget does not remediate your code, and courts have repeatedly ruled that overlays do not establish ADA compliance — many businesses with an overlay installed have still been sued. A scanner alone misses keyboard traps, illogical screen-reader order, mislabeled forms, and broken custom widgets — the exact issues serial plaintiffs cite.
A genuine audit finds those issues so they can actually be fixed. Compare the two approaches directly in overlay vs. manual remediation.
Our audit process and timeline
- Scope & kickoff — we identify representative page templates and key user flows (checkout, contact, login).
- Automated pass — axe, WAVE, and Lighthouse across the selected pages.
- Manual pass — screen-reader, keyboard, and assistive-technology testing by hand.
- Report & roadmap — prioritized findings delivered, with a walkthrough call.
- Optional remediation — we fix the findings in your real code; an audit alone is a diagnosis, not a cure.
Most small-business sites move from kickoff to report in one to two weeks. Larger or e-commerce sites take longer. You get a firm timeline before any work begins.
Why this matters legally
The ADA Title III duty to be accessible extends to the websites of businesses open to the public, and thousands of web-accessibility lawsuits and demand letters are filed in the U.S. every year — overwhelmingly against small and mid-sized companies. A documented audit, paired with active remediation, is strong evidence of good-faith effort.
To be clear: an audit is a technical and risk-management tool, not legal advice. If you’ve received a demand letter or are facing a lawsuit, consult a qualified attorney about your specific situation.
What an audit costs
Pricing depends on the number of unique page templates, the complexity of your interactions, and whether you need a VPAT. A focused small-business audit is far cheaper than a single lawsuit defense. See the full breakdown on our ADA compliance cost page.
Start with a free scan
Not ready for a full audit yet? Begin with a free accessibility scan to see where you stand at a high level. When you’re ready to find — and fix — every barrier for good, a complete ADA compliance audit is the right first step. Authoritative standards from the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative and guidance from WebAIM underpin everything we test.