Manual accessibility audit
We test what scanners can't see.
An accessibility specialist works through your site's key journeys with a keyboard and screen readers, the way disabled people actually use it, and writes up every barrier against WCAG 2.2 AA with a recommended fix.
Price
From $1,500 per site
Scope
Up to 5 key journeys
Typical turnaround
7–10 business days
Standard
WCAG 2.2 A and AA
Why an audit
A scan sees the code. An audit sees the experience.
Automated testing finds roughly 30–57% of WCAG issues. The rest depend on judgement: whether something makes sense, works in order, and can be completed without a mouse.
A scan checks
- Is there alt text on this image?
- Does this field have a label?
- Is this text's contrast high enough?
- Is the ARIA valid?
An audit asks
- Does the alt text actually describe the image?
- Can someone complete checkout using only a keyboard?
- Does the error message say how to fix the error?
- Does the menu announce itself when it opens?
How we test
Four kinds of testing, on every journey.
Keyboard only
Focus order, visible focus, keyboard traps, skip links, and whether every control can be reached and used without a mouse.
Screen readers
Headings, landmarks, names and announcements: whether the page makes sense heard rather than seen, and whether dynamic content is announced.
Zoom and reflow
Text at 200%, page zoom at 400%, a 320px-wide viewport and increased text spacing, with nothing lost or overlapping.
Content and visual review
Accurate alt text, clear link text, helpful errors and instructions, captions and transcripts, and colour that isn't the only signal.
Screen readers and browsers
Tested with the combinations people actually use.
Screen readers behave differently in different browsers, so we test them as pairs.
NVDA
with Chrome · Windows
The most widely used free screen reader on desktop.
VoiceOver
with Safari · macOS
Built into every Mac.
VoiceOver
with Safari · iOS
The most common screen reader on mobile.
TalkBack
with Chrome · Android
When the site's audience is largely mobile.
Need JAWS or a specific browser for a procurement requirement? Ask in your quote request.
How it works
You pick the journeys. We test them end to end.
A journey is a task someone comes to the site to do: buy something, book an appointment, sign up, find a page, get in touch. The base price covers up to 5.
01 You
Choose the journeys
We help you pick the ones that matter most, usually checkout, booking and key forms.
02 Us
Fixed quote
Within 2 business days, with the journeys, scope and timeline written down.
03 Us
We test
Keyboard, screen readers, zoom and content review, on live or staging.
04 Us
Written report
Every barrier mapped to WCAG, with steps to reproduce and a fix.
05 You
Fix and re-test
Fix it yourself or with our fix service. A re-test can be added to the quote.
The report
Every finding, written so a developer can fix it.
- A summary of where each journey stands
- Each barrier mapped to its WCAG 2.2 success criterion
- Severity, who it affects, and steps to reproduce
- A recommended fix for each one
- The tools, browsers and screen readers used
- Your agency's branding, if you're reselling it
What an audit is, and isn't
An audit is documented evidence of how the tested journeys perform against WCAG 2.2 AA on the day they were tested. It covers what scanning can't.
It isn't a compliance certificate or legal advice, and it covers the journeys in scope, not every page. Sites change, so pair it with scheduled scanning.
Questions
About the manual audit
Talk to a lawyer first. An audit gives them evidence of where the site actually stands and what needs fixing, which is usually what they need next. Pick "Demand letter or lawsuit" in the quote form and we'll prioritise it.
Yes, and it's the cheapest time to do it. We can test on a staging site, so barriers are fixed before anyone hits them.
We quote the extra journeys at a fixed price. Large sites with many similar pages usually don't need every page tested: one journey covers every page built from the same templates.
A VPAT, or Accessibility Conformance Report, is only credible with manual testing behind it, so it starts with an audit. Mention it in your quote request and we'll scope it with the audit.
Any website a browser can load, on any platform.
Tell us the journeys that matter. Get a fixed price in 2 business days.
No obligation. If you're not sure which journeys to pick, say so and we'll suggest them.