ADA Website Audit Process
An ADA website audit evaluates your site against Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA to identify issues that could create legal risk under ADA Title III or limit access for people with disabilities. The process combines several evaluation methods, each designed to catch what the others miss.
| Key Point | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Evaluation Standard | WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the referenced conformance standard for ADA website accessibility. |
| Automated Scans | Scans check HTML, CSS, and ARIA attributes but only flag approximately 25% of issues. |
| Human Evaluation | Screen reader testing, keyboard testing, visual inspection, and code review cover the remaining 75%. |
| Deliverable | A report listing each issue by location, WCAG criterion, severity, and remediation guidance. |
How Does an ADA Website Audit Process Begin?
Before evaluation starts, the auditor defines the scope. This means identifying which pages and user flows will be reviewed, including forms, checkout processes, login screens, and dynamic content like modals or menus.
Scope decisions directly affect cost and timeline. A ten-page marketing site requires far less evaluation time than a 200-page e-commerce application with authenticated workflows.
Automated Scans as a Starting Point
Most audits begin with an automated scan. The scan loads each page and checks against WCAG success criteria by evaluating the underlying HTML, CSS, and ARIA markup.
Scans are fast and useful for catching structural issues like missing form labels or incorrect heading order. They flag approximately 25% of accessibility issues. The other 75% requires human evaluation because it involves context, logic, and user experience that code analysis cannot assess.
Screen Reader Testing
An auditor uses screen readers such as NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver to move through the site the way a blind or low-vision user would. This evaluation identifies issues with reading order, link announcements, form interactions, and dynamic content updates that scans cannot detect.
Screen reader testing typically covers Chrome and Safari to address the most common browser and assistive technology pairings.
Keyboard Testing
Every interactive element on the site must be operable using a keyboard alone. The auditor tabs through navigation, forms, buttons, and custom components to verify that focus is visible, logical, and never trapped.
Keyboard access issues are among the most common findings in an ADA website audit. Dropdown menus, modal dialogs, and custom widgets frequently lack proper keyboard support.
Visual Inspection and Code Review
The auditor visually inspects the interface at 200% and 400% browser zoom to verify that content reflows without losing information or functionality. This step also checks that meaningful images have appropriate text alternatives and that text spacing adjustments do not break the layout.
Code inspection goes deeper. The auditor reviews the source to verify ARIA roles, states, and properties are applied correctly, especially on custom components where native HTML semantics may be missing.
What Does the Audit Report Include?
The final deliverable is a detailed report. Each issue the audit identifies is documented with its page location, the WCAG criterion it relates to, a severity or user impact rating, and specific remediation steps.
This report becomes the roadmap for remediation work. Issues are typically prioritized by how much they affect real users and how much legal risk they represent.
How an ADA Website Audit Fits into Ongoing Conformance
A single audit captures the state of your site at one point in time. New content, design changes, and code deployments can introduce new issues after the audit is complete. Organizations that treat an audit as the starting point of an ongoing accessibility program, rather than a one-time event, maintain stronger ADA Title III risk reduction over time.
Recurring scans and periodic re-evaluation keep accessibility from drifting as the site evolves.