Accessibility audit FAQ


What is an accessibility audit

As its name suggests, an accessibility audit is an in-depth examination of your website to flag up any accessibility or usability issues that may affect specific user groups. For example, you may have chosen a colour scheme that's difficult for colour-blind people to see, or perhaps you're providing audio content without a textual transcript that people with hearing difficulties can read.

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Why do I need one?

It makes good business sense

If a user group is unable to use your site, you're losing their business. Disabled people, the group most likely to be affected by issues on your website, make up around 20% of the UK's population and have about 50 billion pounds to spend. If they can't spend it on your website, they'll go elsewhere.

It improves usability

Improving accessibility more often than not has a positive knock-on effect on your site's usability. So you're actually making it easier and more enjoyable for all your visitors to use.

It's a legal requirement

UK Law says that anyone promoting or selling goods or services must do so in a way that's accessible to as many people as reasonably possible.

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How much will it cost?

Since no two websites are the same, we'll need more information about your website and requirements before we can give you a price. Typically, a website audit costs between £1,500 and £3,000, depending on the site's complexity.

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When should I have one?

For new websites, ideally you should:

    Ensure that accessibility is part of your developer's deliverables
  • spread the audit across the project lifecycle, so that the developer can rectify any issues at no extra development cost to you

Existing websites should be audited periodically, we suggest once a year. Even if your template stays essentially the same, it's still worth checking that content is being rendered accessibly.

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Aren't there automated tests?

Yes, there are a plethora of automated testing tools out there, some of them a very useful starting point. But none of them is a substitute for having your site tested by a human using access technology.

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