Your website could be excluding 20% of potential customers without you knowing it. The State of Web Accessibility research report showed that 88% of websites failing to meet basic accessibility standards.
Conducting an accessibility audit doesn’t require enterprise-level budgets. This guide walks you through the complete process.
Why Accessibility Audits Matter for Your Bottom Line
It is estimated that there are 54 million people in the United States that are disabled. Worldwide estimates are in the trillions.
Small businesses often view accessibility as a compliance checkbox. That’s missing the bigger picture.
When UK retailer Tesco invested £35,000 in accessibility improvements, they saw a staggering £13 million increase in sales—a 37,000% ROI. The improvements also benefited mobile users with slower connections, proving that accessible design creates better experiences for everyone.
The alternative carries steep costs. Settlement amounts for ADA website compliance law suit settlement amounts can range from $5,000 to $20,000, though legal fees often push total costs beyond $40,000.
Small businesses and freelancers, don’t have that kind money to spare. That money is better invested proactively in accessibility.
“When you incent, people optimize for reward. When you inspire, people optimize for purpose.”
– Michael Norton
Understanding WCAG 2.2: Your Accessibility Framework
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) serve as the international standard for digital accessibility. As of October 2023, WCAG 2.2 introduced nine new success criteria that must be included in comprehensive audits.
For 2025, there are new key factors to audit.
WCAG 2.2’s new requirements specifically address mobile accessibility, cognitive disabilities, and low vision users. Key additions include:
- Focus Appearance: Focus indicators must have 3:1 contrast minimum to help keyboard users navigate
- Target Size: Interactive elements need 24×24 pixel minimum size for easier tapping
- Redundant Entry: Users shouldn’t re-enter information in the same process
- Accessible Authentication: No cognitive function tests required for login
These updates reflect how people actually use websites today. Mobile devices, voice controls, and diverse assistive technologies require more thoughtful design than WCAG 2.1 addressed.
“Maintaining conformance with the most recent version of WCAG demonstrates that your organization remains up to date on digital accessibility best practices, underscoring your commitment to inclusion.”
Level Access
Step-by-Step Accessibility Audit Process
Step 1: Define Your Audit Scope
Start by identifying which pages to audit.
For small business websites, prioritize high-traffic pages and critical user journeys. This typically includes your homepage, main navigation, contact forms, product/service pages, checkout process, and login areas.
Document your target WCAG level. For most small businesses, Level AA represents the appropriate goal.
Step 2: Run Automated Scans
Automated tools detect approximately 40% of accessibility issues. While incomplete, they provide an efficient starting point.
Free accessibility testing tools include:
- The WAVE Accessibility Checker by (WebAIM): Highlights issues directly on your page with visual indicators
- The axe DevTools Chrome Extension: provides detailed violation reports
- AudioEye Free Accessibility Compliance Checker: Identifies 30 WCAG violations
Run scans on your priority pages. The most common automated issues detected include missing alt text on images, missing form field labels, and insufficient color contrast.
Document all errors but recognize automated tools miss keyboard navigation problems, screen reader compatibility, and content structure issues.
Step 3: Conduct Manual Testing
Manual testing uncovers the 60% of issues automated tools miss. This step requires the most time but provides the most valuable insights.
Keyboard Navigation Testing:
- Unplug your mouse.
- Navigate your entire website using only the Tab key, Enter, and arrow keys.
- Every interactive element should be reachable. The tab order should follow a logical sequence.
- Focus indicators must be clearly visible. You should never get trapped on any element.
Screen Reader Testing:
Download NVDA (Windows) or use VoiceOver (Mac).
- Navigate your site while listening to how content is announced.
- All images should have descriptive alt text.
- Headings should create a logical structure.
- Forms should have proper labels.
- ARIA attributes should provide context where needed.
Color Contrast Evaluation:
Text must meet 4.5:1 contrast ratio for normal text and 3:1 for large text. Use free contrast checkers to verify all text combinations. Don’t rely solely on color to convey information.
Mobile Accessibility:
- Test on actual mobile devices.
- Verify all touch targets meet the 24×24 pixel minimum.
- Content should be responsive down to 320px width.
- Zoom functionality should work to 400% without horizontal scrolling.
Forms and Error Messages:
All form fields need visible labels. Error messages must be clear and helpful. Users shouldn’t need to re-enter information already provided.
Step 4: Prioritize Issues by Severity
Not all accessibility barriers carry equal weight. Categorize issues into three priority levels:
Critical (Immediate Fix): Complete blockers preventing users from accessing content or completing tasks. Examples include missing form labels, keyboard traps, or images without alt text on key product pages.
High Priority (Fix within 30 days): Significant barriers that severely impact user experience. Examples include insufficient color contrast, missing skip navigation links, or unclear error messages.
Medium Priority (Fix within 90 days): Issues that impact some users but don’t completely block access. Examples include minor heading structure problems or non-critical missing ARIA labels.
This prioritization helps small businesses with limited budgets focus resources where they’ll have the greatest impact.
Step 5: Create Your Remediation Plan
Document each issue with its location, WCAG success criterion violated, and recommended fix. Assign ownership to specific team members. Set realistic timelines based on your priority levels.
For small businesses and freelancers, addressing the top three most-claimed accessibility issues provides the best risk reduction:
- Missing alternative text for images
- Missing form field labels
- Lack of keyboard navigability
Even if you can’t achieve full WCAG conformance immediately, fixing these common issues significantly reduces lawsuit risk and improves user experience for customers with disabilities.
Implement, Test, and Monitor
Make the fixes your plan identified. After implementation, retest using both automated tools and manual methods to verify issues are resolved.
Accessibility isn’t one-and-done.
New content and site updates can introduce new barriers. Schedule quarterly automated scans and annual comprehensive audits to maintain accessibility.
Building Long-Term Accessibility Success
The most effective approach integrates accessibility into your design and development process from the start. Train your team on basic WCAG principles. Include accessibility requirements in project briefs. Test with real users who rely on assistive technologies when possible.
Creating a culture of accessibility ensures your website becomes—and stays—accessible. This approach not only helps you avoid legal issues but also opens your business to millions of potential customers with disabilities.
If you want to add an accessibility auditor to your team, or are interested in a one time audit. Reach out to Tas!
Tas The Artist 
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