Every accessibility project starts with the same foundational requirement: a comprehensive WCAG audit that identifies all conformance issues. Without this audit-based foundation, you’re tracking incomplete data and working toward an unclear target.
| Foundation Element | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| WCAG Audit | Provides comprehensive issue identification through screen reader testing, keyboard testing, and other manual evaluation methods. Automated scan used as a review |
| Audit-Based Platform | Enables accurate progress tracking toward full WCAG conformance instead of monitoring limited scan-detected issues |
| Structured Workflow | Organizes remediation efforts with clear status tracking, team assignments, and validation processes |
| Documentation | Creates compliance records showing progress, validated fixes, and conformance status for ADA and EAA requirements |
Table of Contents
Why Audit Services Form the Foundation
Accessibility audits provide complete WCAG evaluation through multiple testing methodologies. Auditors conduct screen reader testing with JAWS and VoiceOver, perform keyboard testing across all functionality, inspect code for proper implementation, and evaluate visual presentation against contrast requirements.
This comprehensive evaluation identifies 100% of WCAG success criteria issues. The audit report documents each accessibility issue with specific location information, applicable code, affected users, and recommended fixes. This data becomes the foundation for all subsequent project work.
Automated scans flag only 13% of WCAG 2.2 AA success criteria reliably. The remaining 87% require manual evaluation methods that scans cannot perform. Organizations building projects on scan results track incomplete data and cannot verify actual WCAG conformance.
Platform Requirements for Managing Audit Data
The audit report needs a platform that extracts and organizes all issue data. Accessibility Tracker accepts audit reports in Excel spreadsheet format and automatically maps columns to extract issue details, WCAG criteria, locations, and recommendations.
Once uploaded, the audit report becomes dynamic. Team members can update issue status from not started through in progress, completed, and validated. The platform tracks which developer is assigned to each issue and maintains comment logs documenting discussions and implementation notes.
This workflow transforms a static spreadsheet into an organized project management system. Everyone works from the same data source instead of emailing different spreadsheet versions or coordinating through multiple communication channels.
Tracking Progress Toward WCAG Conformance
Audit-based platforms show actual conformance progress. When your team marks an issue as validated, that success criterion moves closer to full conformance. The dashboard displays how many issues remain for each WCAG level and which criteria still need work.
Scan-based platforms show progress against flagged issues only. A platform might report 80% completion while 87% of actual WCAG issues remain unaddressed. This creates false confidence and compliance risk for organizations working toward ADA or European Accessibility Act requirements.
The Tracker platform provides analytics showing issue distribution by WCAG criteria, priority levels based on user impact or legal risk, and completion percentages that reflect true conformance status. Project managers can generate progress reports documenting validated fixes and remaining work.
Workflow Integration for Remediation
The platform needs workflow tools that support how teams actually fix accessibility issues. Developers need to view issue details, access AI guidance for fixes, mark items complete, and request validation without leaving the dashboard.
Tracker AI provides five tools pre-loaded with audit data. Developers can get plain English explanations of technical requirements, view code examples for fixes, explore alternative approaches, understand WCAG standards, or ask custom questions specific to their implementation.
This integrated workflow eliminates the delay of scheduling consultant hours or crafting prompts for ChatGPT. The AI already knows the issue context from the audit report and provides immediate guidance based on that specific accessibility problem.
Validation and Compliance Documentation
External validators need access to mark fixes as validated directly in the platform. The comment log maintains all discussions about implementation approaches, testing results, and validation confirmation. This creates an audit trail showing which issues were addressed, when validation occurred, and who performed the review.
For ADA compliance or EAA conformance, organizations need documentation proving accessibility work was completed. The platform generates reports showing validated fixes, completion timelines, and current conformance status. These reports demonstrate ongoing accessibility efforts and provide evidence for compliance requirements.
Service providers working through the platform can assign issues to clients, validate completed work, and maintain professional documentation of all remediation activities. The centralized dashboard replaces email threads and scattered communication records.
Prioritization for Efficient Remediation
Teams need clear guidance on which issues to address first. The Tracker platform provides two prioritization formulas based on different objectives.
The risk factor formula prioritizes issues most frequently cited in ADA website litigation. Organizations concerned with lawsuit risk can sort their audit report by this score and address the highest legal exposure issues first.
The user impact formula calculates which issues create the most significant barriers for users with disabilities. This weighted scoring considers whether issues completely block access, how many users are affected, and whether workarounds exist. Teams focused on serving users with disabilities can prioritize by this measure.
Integration with Compliance Requirements
Different regulations require different documentation approaches. ADA Title II entities need to demonstrate conformance progress. Organizations preparing for European Accessibility Act deadlines must track work toward full WCAG conformance.
The audit-based platform supports these varying requirements by tracking actual conformance status rather than scan scores. Progress reports can document which WCAG success criteria have been validated and which require additional work. This maps directly to compliance requirements rather than creating artificial metrics.
VPAT generation features extract conformance status from the current audit data. As teams validate more issues, the VPAT reflects improved conformance levels. This connects remediation work directly to procurement documentation without manual transfer of data.
Scaling Across Multiple Projects
Organizations managing accessibility for multiple websites, applications, or digital products need platforms that handle portfolio-level tracking. The Tracker platform allows separate projects for each digital asset while providing dashboard views across all properties.
Portfolio analytics show which WCAG criteria appear most frequently across projects, where teams consistently struggle, and how overall conformance progresses. This information helps organizations identify systemic issues in development processes or areas where additional training would improve outcomes.
Each project maintains its own audit data, team assignments, and progress tracking. Developers can filter to see only their assigned issues across all projects or focus on work for specific applications.
Foundation Determines Success
Projects built on incomplete data produce incomplete results. Organizations using scan-based platforms work through flagged issues while missing the majority of WCAG requirements. The foundation determines whether teams can reach actual conformance or only address a fraction of accessibility issues.
Audit services provide the complete data foundation. Audit-based platforms organize that data into actionable workflow. Integrated tools like Tracker AI accelerate remediation. Status tracking and validation create compliance documentation. This combination forms the service and platform foundation that accessibility projects require.
Without proper foundation, teams cannot track true progress toward WCAG conformance. With audit-based tools supporting comprehensive workflow, organizations can efficiently move from audit completion through full conformance achievement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do accessibility projects need audit services instead of automated scans?
Automated scans reliably flag only 13% of WCAG 2.2 AA success criteria. The remaining 87% require manual evaluation through screen reader testing, keyboard testing, and expert review. Projects built on scan results track incomplete data and cannot verify actual WCAG conformance. Comprehensive audits provide the complete issue identification that projects require.
What makes a platform audit-based versus scan-based?
Audit-based platforms accept comprehensive audit reports and extract all issue data for tracking. Scan-based platforms generate their own automated scans and base all analytics on those limited results. The distinction determines whether your progress tracking reflects actual WCAG conformance or only addresses the small percentage of issues that scans detect.
How does workflow integration improve remediation efficiency?
Integrated workflow keeps all project work in one location. Developers view issues, access AI guidance, mark completion, and request validation without switching between tools or communication channels. This eliminates coordination overhead and focuses team effort on fixing issues rather than managing project logistics.
Can audit-based platforms support ADA and European Accessibility Act compliance?
Audit-based platforms track progress toward full WCAG conformance, which forms the technical foundation for both ADA and EAA requirements. The platform generates documentation showing validated fixes, completion timelines, and current conformance status. This evidence demonstrates ongoing compliance efforts and provides records for regulatory requirements.
Why does prioritization matter for accessibility projects?
WCAG conformance requires addressing all success criteria, but teams benefit from strategic sequencing. Prioritization by legal risk addresses issues most frequently cited in lawsuits first. Prioritization by user impact fixes the most significant barriers early. Both approaches help teams deliver meaningful improvements while working toward complete conformance.
