Every two weeks or so a client will write us back and ask us, are your audits manual?
Apparently our prices are so competitive, we’re besting other digital accessibility company quotes by hundreds, if not thousands of dollars and it’s causing prospective clients to think we’re selling scans as audits.
Not a chance. We only sell fully manual accessibility audits. This is worth repeating in bold: we only, 100% manually audit our clients’ digital assets. No exceptions.
This means a human technical accessibility expert is thoroughly evaluating your website or other digital asset to ensure that we find and report on all WCAG 2.1 AA (or 2.2 AA) issues.
If you’d like to get a quote for your audit, go ahead and email us with your digital asset. To learn more about how we 100% manually audit your digital asset, continue reading.
Table of Contents
What is an Accessibility Audit?
An accessibility audit is a formal, comprehensive evaluation of a website’s accessibility conducted by one or more technical accessibility experts. During a manual audit, these experts systematically grade your website or other digital asset against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), looking for any instances of non-conformance.
Implicit in the word audit is manual. This means human expertise and real work are being used to thoroughly and meticulously evaluate your digital asset.
Here’s what our audits are not:
- No scans
- No automated testing
- No artificial intelligence (AI)
- No software
- No solutions
Manual vs. Automated
Let’s set the record straight on manual audits (real audits) vs. automated scans.
- Scans: Automated tools that run through code looking for specific issues based on pre-programmed rules
- Audits: Comprehensive manual evaluations performed by technical accessibility experts
The marketplace is filled with companies selling “automated audits” or “automated testing” – but this is simply marketing language. If it’s automated, it’s a scan. If it’s an audit, it’s manual.
If anybody suggests any different or implies that you can combine “automated testing” and manual testing (i.e, screen reader testing), do not choose them as your accessibility audit company.
Limitations of Scans
While scans can be helpful, they are extremely limited in what they can detect:
- Scans can only flag or partially flag approximately 25% of WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria
- Scans cannot evaluate the actual experience of users with disabilities
- Scans are prone to false negatives (missing real issues) and false positives (flagging things that aren’t actually issues)
- Scans cannot evaluate content for meaningful alternatives or proper structure
Note: Don’t waste your money on premium scans. Free options like WAVE or AXE will give you the same results as paid versions for single pages.
Audit Methodologies
A proper manual audit employs multiple methodologies, including:
- Screen reader testing: Evaluating how content is presented to blind and visually impaired users
- Keyboard testing: Ensuring all functionality is available without using a mouse
- Visual inspection: Reviewing visual aspects like color contrast and visual focus indicators
- Code inspection: Examining the underlying HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
- Automated scans: Used only as a secondary check to ensure comprehensive coverage
These are the primary methodologies we use to meticulously evaluate your website or other digital asset.
Each of these methodologies is essential to find different types of accessibility issues. For example, keyboard testing will uncover issues with keyboard traps (2.1.2) or focus order (2.4.3), while screen reader testing will help identify issues with text alternatives (1.1.1) or name, role, value (4.1.2).
Why Manual Matters
Why does the distinction between manual and automated matter so much? Because what you’re paying for determines what you get:
- With a scan: You get an immediate but very limited report showing only the most obvious technical issues. And remember, this is free at any local scannery down the street (this is why you see so many “ADA compliance checkers”)
- With a manual audit: You get a comprehensive evaluation that finds all accessibility issues, including those that require human judgment
If you’re seeking genuine WCAG conformance or trying to reduce lawsuit risk, a manual audit is the only option. And there is no shortchanging the process with a “quick audit”. If it’s a quick audit, it isn’t an audit.
Our Process
When we conduct an audit, here’s what happens:
- We define environments (browsers, operating systems, screen readers)
- We establish the WCAG version (typically 2.1 AA or 2.2 AA)
- We determine the scope (which pages or screens will be evaluated)
- We conduct the comprehensive manual evaluation
- We compile findings into a detailed report
Our audit reports include specific details about each issue:
- Location and steps to reproduce
- Associated WCAG success criterion
- Screenshots or code snippets
- Recommendations for remediation
Value Proposition
So while other digital accessibility companies are waving signs that you can “run an audit” or to try their new AI audit software, we keep offering the same, tried and true, good ol’ fashion 100% manual audits that clients want and need.
Our accessibility audits typically start at $2,500 for most websites, with each page’s ranging from $150 – $350 and very simple pages ranging from $0 – $100.
Next Steps
If you’re ready to get a genuine, manual accessibility audit for your website or digital asset:
- Contact us for a quick quote
- We’ll assess your website and provide a detailed proposal
- If everything is approved by you, we’ll sign an agreement and get to work
- You’ll receive a detailed audit report within 2-3 weeks
- We can also provide remediation support if needed
Ready to get started with a legitimate, fully manual audit?
We’d love to help, just send us a message and we’ll be right back with you.
