Relates to
An accessibility audit assesses compliance against international accessibility standards, such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 and 2.1 . Accessibility audits evaluate how usable components are for disabled users and provide remediations and solutions for any violations. To find out more about why accessibility is important, visit our insight, “Web accessibility: what is it and why is it so important?”.
How we can help
Review of key templates and components against the 38 WCAG 2.0 AA standards
Review of key templates and components against the 50 WCAG 2.1 AA standards (these include the 38 WCAG 2.0 Level AA standards)
Comparison to how your site ranks compared to other Salsa customer websites
Deliverables
Detailed report
Executive summary
Compliance score using the Salsa scoring system
Tabular list of all standards, their definitions, pass/fail remediation, details for failure, remediation steps, user impact and recommended next steps
Screenshots will be included for each violation that requires a more detailed explanation
Executive report
1-2 short video clips of complex accessibility violations
Guide on writing accessible content for the web
Top 3 usability issues found on the site (usability and accessibility often overlap, since a more usable interface and experience lends itself to a more accessible site)
Accessibility statement to link to from your footer. The accessibility statement will include:
Commitment to making and keeping the site accessible
Standards that your site or platform is meeting (e.g. WCAG 2.0 AA) and references to any applicable laws or regulations, such as the 1992 Digital Discrimination Act (DDA)
Contact information in case users have questions or comments
List of known issues that are being addressed
Process used to ensure the site is accessible and will remain accessible (this section includes specific tools)
Key assumptions
Complexity of engagement is dependent on standards chosen, number of templates, reusable components, media, colours used in design, and whether the audit is done as part of a build or after development is complete
Documents such as Word, Excel, and PDF will not be evaluated as part of testing
Content will only be evaluated on the pages that are being tested. Content will not be accessed throughout the entire site.
Approach
30-minute intake and review with Accessibility Consultant and Engagement Manager
Accessibility testing using automated testing tool, keyboard and visual review, colour contrast analyser and screen reader performed by Accessibility Consultant and Frontend Developer
30-minute virtual presentation of executive report by Accessibility Consultant
One-hour virtual presentation of detailed report by Accessibility Consultant
Why Salsa recommends following WCAG 2.1 AA
Australian mandates that all websites meet WCAG 2.0 AA standards. However, by meeting WCAG 2.1 AA standards your site will be meeting standards that provide greater accessibility and inclusion around mobile/responsive design, cognitive, motor and dexterity disabilities. As WCAG 2.2 is currently in draft status for release, it’s becoming imperative that we evaluate our sites against the most updated guidelines to provide an inclusive environment.
A breakdown of the various levels, and associated examples, of the WCAG standards is below:
| User impact | Time-based media example | Readable example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level A | Involves the smallest amount of implementation effort and has the lowest impact on the presentation and business logic on your site. | Captions are available for pre-recorded, synchronised media. | The language of the page can be programmatically determined. |
| Level AA | Has a high impact for users and makes a higher impact on the system’s presentation and business logic than Level A (most businesses choose to focus on Level AA). | Live captions are available for synchronised media. | The language of certain pages or paragraphs, if different from the language of the page, can be programmatically determined. Exceptions are made for common phrases. |
| Level AAA | These changes are usually for very specific user populations and can be very difficult to adhere to. | Sign language interpretation is available for pre-recorded audio content. | There is a mechanism, such as a definition or link to an online dictionary, that identifies unusual words such as idioms or jargon. |