Many of our clients are interested in documentation of their efforts. We frequently receive requests for certification, conformance statements, and/or VPAT/ACRs.
But sometimes clients want to have a record of their accessibility progress and efforts. There can be several reasons for this.
When Documentation is Needed
- Demonstrates an active policy of accessibility: Showing proof of a genuine policy of accessibility can be necessary when attempting to get a website accessibility lawsuit dismissed.
- Settlement agreement compliance: When clients reach out to us after having reached a settlement agreement, oftentimes the terms of the agreement include monthly reports of accessibility progress or maintenance.
- Good faith compliance: Sometimes laws or regulations will allow leniency if covered entities can show good faith efforts. Documentation would be instrumental in proving good faith efforts.
- Corporate policy: Other times clients may need to follow internal requirements and show they have met certain markers or milestones. This often results from an organizational accessibility policy.
- Project reporting: Relatedly, it may be a project manager who needs documentation to ensure accountability and real progress on an accessibility project.
Our Accessibility Tracker software makes it easy to upload your accessibility audits and track and monitor progress. One particularly great feature is you’ll have a record of your progress.
Real Results, Not Scan Results
Unlike many accessibility tools that rely solely on automated scan results, Accessibility Tracker offers documentation based on your complete accessibility audits. This difference is game-changing because:
- Automated scans typically only detect about 25% of WCAG 2.1 AA issues
- Scan-based reports give a skewed, fundamentally incomplete picture of accessibility status
- Many crucial accessibility issues require manual testing (keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, etc.)
Accessibility Tracker houses documentation from comprehensive manual audits that include screen reader testing, keyboard testing, visual inspection, and code inspection – giving you a complete picture of your accessibility status and a real percentage score that accurately reflects your progress.
Real Monthly Progress Reports
The monthly reports generated by Accessibility Tracker provide evidence of your accessibility efforts. Each report includes:
- Total accessibility issues identified through manual audits
- Issues successfully remediated and validated
- Issues currently in progress
- Remaining issues prioritized by risk or impact
- Timeline of continuous improvement efforts
These reports become vital components of your compliance documentation, creating a clear record of your organization’s commitment to accessibility that can be presented to courts, regulators, plaintiffs’ lawyers, project managers, executives, and others.
Detailed Records For Legal Reasons
When it comes to litigation and compliance, the details count. It’s one thing to show that you’ve engaged with a digital accessibility company or have an audit report, it’s quite another to have time-stamped documented proof of your accessibility work.
Accessibility Tracker provides you:
- Date-stamped records of when specific WCAG success criteria were addressed
- Third-party expert validation confirmations
- Evidence that high-risk issues were prioritized first
- Timeline showing continuous improvement
- Proof of systematic approach to accessibility
This documentation demonstrates that your organization has taken accessibility seriously and made reasonable efforts to accommodate people with disabilities.
Tracker’s systematic documentation maintains a complete history of all activity, creating a robust record that can satisfy even the most stringent settlement requirements.
Tracking Validation and Accountability
Accessibility Tracker’s validation workflow creates a documented chain of accountability:
- Your development team marks an issue as fixed
- Your accessibility auditor receives a notification
- The auditor reviews the fix and confirms it as properly remediated or provides specific feedback
- The system documents this entire process with timestamps and user accountability
This creates an auditable trail of remediation efforts that demonstrates both the work performed and its successful completion—critical evidence for legal or compliance purposes.
Summary
Proper documentation is not merely an administrative task—it’s a critical component of your compliance strategy. By using Accessibility Tracker, you not only make the remediation process easier, you create a comprehensive record of your organization’s accessibility efforts based on real, manual audits rather than limited automated scans.
For organizations facing legal requirements or working through remediation plans, Accessibility Tracker offers protection far exceeding its cost. It doesn’t just track your progress—it creates the evidence you need to demonstrate compliance, document good faith efforts, and protect your organization from legal problems.
With automatic monthly reports, validation documentation, and progress tracking, Accessibility Tracker provides the record-keeping foundation necessary for demonstrating your commitment to accessibility and compliance.
Contact us to learn more about how Accessibility Tracker can help you.
