Nearly every digital asset your organization produces or maintains can be audited for accessibility. Websites, web applications, mobile apps, desktop software, PDFs, and multimedia content are all candidates for a (manual) accessibility evaluation against WCAG 2.1 AA or WCAG 2.2 AA. The specific scope depends on the asset type, its complexity, and the conformance standard you need to meet.
Understanding which digital assets qualify for an audit helps you plan your accessibility project, set a realistic budget, and prioritize the properties that carry the most legal or user-facing risk.
| Asset Type | Audit Notes |
|---|---|
| Informational Website | Most common audit type. Scope is based on the number of unique page templates. |
| Web Application | More complex due to interactive components, dynamic content, and user workflows. |
| Mobile App (iOS/Android) | Evaluated against WCAG criteria adapted for mobile environments and native controls. |
| Desktop Software | Less common but increasingly requested, especially for procurement and Section 508 conformance. |
| Documents (PDF, Word, etc.) | Evaluated for proper structure, reading order, and assistive technology compatibility. |
| Multimedia (Video/Audio) | Reviewed for captions, transcripts, audio descriptions, and accessible media players. |
Websites: The Most Common Audit Target
Standard informational websites make up the largest share of accessibility audits. These include corporate sites, marketing sites, ecommerce stores, government portals, and educational pages.
Audit scope for a website is typically determined by the number of unique templates or page types rather than total page count. A 500-page site might only have 12 distinct templates, and those templates form the evaluation sample. The auditor reviews each template for WCAG conformance and documents every issue identified.
Shopify stores, WordPress sites, and other CMS-based properties all fall into this category. Accessible.org evaluates websites across every major platform.
Web Applications and SaaS Products
Web apps are more involved than informational websites. They contain interactive elements like dashboards, form workflows, drag-and-drop interfaces, data tables, and real-time notifications. Each of these components introduces accessibility considerations that static pages do not.
For SaaS products, an audit often feeds directly into an ACR (Accessibility Conformance Report), which procurement teams request. The auditor evaluates representative screens and user flows, documenting how the application performs against WCAG 2.1 AA or WCAG 2.2 AA criteria.
Because web apps tend to have more complex interactions, they typically cost more to audit than a standard website of comparable size.
Can Mobile Apps Be Audited for Accessibility?
Yes. Both iOS and Android native apps can be evaluated for WCAG conformance. The auditor uses assistive technologies native to each operating system: VoiceOver on iOS, TalkBack on Android.
Mobile app audits cover screen-by-screen evaluation of navigation, touch targets, gesture controls, focus order, and content readability. The same WCAG criteria apply, though some map differently to mobile environments. For example, orientation requirements and pointer gesture criteria are especially relevant on mobile.
Organizations that maintain both a website and a mobile app often need separate audits for each. The interfaces, codebases, and interaction patterns differ enough that one audit cannot cover both.
Desktop Software and Installed Applications
Desktop applications are less frequently audited than web properties, but demand is growing. Government agencies and large enterprises increasingly require Section 508 conformance or EN 301 549 conformance for procured software.
Auditing desktop software involves evaluating keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, color contrast, and how the application communicates state changes to assistive technology. The VPAT template includes an edition specifically for software, and the completed ACR documents conformance across applicable criteria.
Documents: PDFs, Word Files, and Presentations
Digital documents are a frequently overlooked category. PDFs published on a website fall under the same accessibility requirements as the site itself. Under ADA Title II, state and local government web content explicitly includes documents posted online.
An accessible document needs proper heading structure, tagged content, a logical reading order, alternative text for images, and compatibility with screen readers. A common issue is PDFs generated from scanned images, which contain no actual text structure and are completely inaccessible.
Document remediation is often a separate workstream from website remediation, but both feed into the same compliance goal.
Multimedia Content
Video and audio content carry their own set of WCAG requirements. Pre-recorded video needs synchronized captions and, for some conformance levels, audio descriptions. Pre-recorded audio needs transcripts. Live video needs real-time captions.
The media player itself also matters. If the player cannot be operated by keyboard or does not expose controls to assistive technology, it creates accessibility issues regardless of the media content inside it.
Accessible.org audits evaluate both the content and the player when multimedia is within scope.
How Scope Is Determined Across Asset Types
Audit scope varies by asset type. For websites, it is driven by unique page templates. For web apps and mobile apps, it maps to screens and user flows. For documents, it depends on volume and format variety. For multimedia, it depends on the number of media assets and their formats.
A well-scoped audit covers enough of the asset to identify patterns of issues across the full product. The auditor selects a representative sample and evaluates it thoroughly against the chosen WCAG standard. This is why a thorough accessibility audit from a qualified provider is the only way to determine true WCAG conformance.
Automated scans can flag some issues on websites and web apps, but they only detect approximately 25% of issues. Scans cannot evaluate mobile apps, desktop software, or document accessibility in any meaningful way.
What About Emerging Digital Assets?
Kiosks, digital signage, virtual reality environments, and IoT interfaces are beginning to appear in accessibility conversations. The EN 301 549 standard already addresses some of these through its ICT (Information and Communications Technology) scope.
For most organizations today, though, the priority remains websites, web apps, mobile apps, and documents. These are the assets most likely to trigger legal risk under ADA compliance requirements and the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
Do I need a separate audit for each digital asset?
Generally, yes. Each asset type has different interaction patterns, codebases, and technical requirements. A website audit does not cover your mobile app, and a mobile app audit does not cover your PDFs. Some providers can bundle multiple assets into a single project with coordinated pricing, but each asset is evaluated independently.
Which digital asset should I audit first?
Start with the asset that has the highest user traffic or the greatest legal exposure. For most organizations, that is the primary website. If you sell a SaaS product and procurement teams are requesting a VPAT, your web app or software audit may take priority so you can produce an ACR.
Can one audit cover both my website and my mobile app?
No. These are separate evaluations. The environments, assistive technologies, and interaction models differ. An auditor uses different tools and techniques for each. Plan for two distinct audit scopes and timelines.
Every digital property your audience interacts with is a candidate for an accessibility audit. The right starting point depends on where your users are and where your risk is highest.
Contact Accessible.org to scope an audit for any type of digital asset.
