A platform should make your accessibility compliance project much easier. You want more so why not get more?
Let’s insist upon 10 features every platform should have.
Hint: the number 1 feature is everything: your platform needs to be audit-based so you can track full WCAG conformance.
Table of Contents
1. Audit Report Upload Capability
Your compliance platform must accept actual accessibility audit reports in spreadsheet format. This is the foundation of accurate tracking. When you upload your audit from Accessible.org or another provider, the platform extracts every issue, recommendation, and technical detail.
The platform maps your spreadsheet columns automatically. If your audit has different column headers, you can map them within the dashboard. This means any audit report works with the platform, regardless of format.
Without audit upload capability, you’re stuck manually updating spreadsheets or working from scan results. Manual tracking takes hours and introduces errors. Scan-based platforms only check for a limited fraction of WCAG issues.
2. Issue Prioritization Formulas
Every accessibility project starts with the same question: which issues should we fix first? A compliance platform needs built-in prioritization formulas that answer this question instantly.
The Tracker platform offers two formulas. The risk factor formula uses lawsuit data to identify issues most commonly claimed in ADA website litigation. The user impact formula uses a weighted scoring system to identify issues creating the most barriers for users with disabilities.
These formulas eliminate guesswork. Instead of generic severity labels like “critical” or “severe,” you get precise scores for each issue. You can sort your entire audit in seconds based on your compliance objective.
3. AI Assistance
Your team needs immediate answers when working through remediation. A compliance platform should have AI tools built directly into each issue, pre-loaded with your audit data.
The Tracker AI provides five tools for every issue. Simplify and Explain converts technical WCAG language into plain English. Detailed Technical Answer provides code examples. Alternative Approaches shows different remediation methods. WCAG Standards explains the requirement. Custom Analysis answers specific questions.
These tools eliminate the back-and-forth of copying issue details into ChatGPT or waiting for technical support. Your developers get answers instantly, within the workflow, without leaving the dashboard.
4. Team Assignment and Workflow
Accessibility projects involve multiple team members with different skills. Your platform needs clear assignment capabilities so work flows to the right people.
In the Tracker platform, you assign issues to specific team members. Developers handle code issues. Designers fix color contrast. Content editors remediate missing captions. Each person filters to see only their assigned issues.
This parallel workflow replaces the inefficiency of one person working through issues sequentially. Your team works simultaneously, each focusing on their expertise area.
5. Status Tracking and Validation
Every issue needs clear status tracking from identification through validation. A compliance platform must track whether issues are not started, in progress, completed, validated, on hold, or discarded.
The Tracker platform separates completion from validation. Your team marks issues as completed after implementing fixes. Auditors then validate the fixes are correct. This two-step process ensures quality.
Without proper status tracking, issues get lost. Teams duplicate work. Projects stall because no one knows what’s actually finished versus what still needs attention.
6. Real Progress Monitoring
Your compliance score must reflect actual WCAG conformance, not scan results. A platform needs analytics based on comprehensive audit data.
The Tracker dashboard shows completion percentages based on all issues in your audit report. You see how many issues are fixed, validated, or remaining. Monthly progress reports document your compliance efforts.
This monitoring gives you accurate metrics for compliance deadlines. When leadership asks about progress, you have real data based on actual accessibility evaluation, not automated scan scores.
7. Multi-Project Management
Organizations managing multiple digital assets need centralized oversight. Your platform should track accessibility across websites, mobile apps, and web applications simultaneously.
The Tracker platform provides project-level and portfolio-level views. You can see 74 issues on your main website, 156 on your mobile app, and 89 on your web application. The dashboard aggregates progress across all projects.
This capability becomes essential when facing compliance deadlines like the European Accessibility Act (EAA). You need to know which assets require the most attention and allocate resources accordingly.
8. Comment and Documentation Features
Every issue generates questions, clarifications, and implementation notes. Your platform needs persistent comment logs attached to each issue.
In the Tracker platform, all discussion stays with the issue. No hunting through email threads or chat messages. New team members can review the complete history. Validation feedback appears in context.
This documentation creates an audit trail for compliance. Settlement agreements and regulatory requirements often mandate progress documentation. Your platform becomes the compliance record.
9. Built for WCAG Standards
Your platform must align with WCAG 2.1 AA or WCAG 2.2 AA requirements. This means tracking issues against specific success criteria, not generic accessibility categories.
The Tracker platform organizes issues by WCAG success criterion. You can filter by specific requirements like 1.1.1 Non-text Content or 2.1.1 Keyboard. This alignment helps you understand which WCAG areas need the most attention.
Platforms that don’t reference WCAG success criteria won’t help you reach conformance. You need to know exactly which requirements are met and which still need work.
10. Accessibility for Project Teams
Your compliance platform should be accessible to all team members, including those with disabilities. This means the platform itself follows WCAG requirements.
The Tracker platform interface works with screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other assistive technologies. Team members with disabilities can fully participate in the remediation workflow.
A platform promoting accessibility should demonstrate it. Your tools should model the standards you’re working to meet.
Beyond Individual Features
These features work together to create an effective compliance workflow. Audit upload provides accurate data. Prioritization formulas guide your efforts. AI tools accelerate remediation. Team assignment enables parallel work. Status tracking maintains accountability.
The Tracker platform combines all these features because they’re all necessary. Missing any one creates friction that slows your project. When a platform has all ten, your path to WCAG conformance becomes clear and manageable.
Remember that scan-based platforms can’t provide accurate compliance tracking. They work from incomplete data that misses most WCAG requirements. Only audit-based platforms give you the foundation for real conformance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I need an audit-based platform instead of a scan-based one?
Scans only flag about 25% of WCAG success criteria for review. An audit evaluates 100% of requirements through screen reader testing, keyboard testing, and manual evaluation. Tracking scan results means you’re monitoring a fraction of your actual accessibility issues. The Tracker platform works from comprehensive audit reports so your analytics and progress reflect real WCAG conformance.
How does AI integration in the platform differ from using ChatGPT separately?
The Tracker AI comes pre-loaded with your specific audit data. You don’t copy and paste issue details or write prompts. Click “Analyze with AI” and select from five pre-configured tools. Each tool already understands your issue context, WCAG requirements, and applicable code. This saves minutes per issue compared to external AI tools.
Can the platform handle audits from any provider?
Yes. The Tracker platform accepts audit reports in spreadsheet format from any provider. When you upload, you map column headers if they differ from the default. The platform extracts all issue data, recommendations, and technical details regardless of the audit format.
What if we’re working on multiple websites and a mobile app?
The Tracker platform manages unlimited projects. Create separate projects for each digital asset. The dashboard shows individual project progress and aggregates data across all projects. You can see which assets need the most attention and track portfolio-wide compliance progress.
How long does it take to set up the platform for our team?
Setup takes minutes. Upload your audit spreadsheet, map any non-standard columns, and invite team members. Unlike general project management software that requires extensive configuration, the Tracker platform is purpose-built for accessibility projects. Your team can start working on issues immediately.
