Accessibility Toolkit - Auditing and Accreditation

Accessibility audits are not just a compliance checkbox; they are essential for ensuring that your digital content is accessible to everyone, enhancing user experience, and reinforcing your commitment to inclusivity. At User Vision, we understand that a thorough accessibility audit is more than a formality—it's a strategic investment that can elevate your brand, foster loyalty, and showcases your commitment to inclusivity. Our Accessibility Accreditation programme signals that your organisation is committed to delivering accessible products and services. Many companies are eager to demonstrate their commitment to accessibility as part of their Corporate and Social Responsibility and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion initiatives and our accessibility accreditation serves this purpose perfectly.

Our Approach to Accessibility Auditing

At User Vision, we offer a comprehensive accessibility audit process designed to ensure that your digital platforms are fully accessible and inclusive. Our approach is rooted in over 20 years of experience, consistently refined to meet the latest accessibility standards and regulations, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.2, released in October 2023. By aligning with these guidelines, we ensure that your digital assets meet the necessary criteria for accessibility, ensuring the widest possible audience can engage and use your digital products and services, including those with disabilities. We apply a rigorous three-stage audit process that covers:

1. Automated accessibility review: We start with an automated review using tools such as WAVE and Accessibility Insights. This step helps us identify code issues, broken links, and compliance with HTML and CSS standards. While automated tools can't capture every accessibility issue, they are invaluable for detecting code-level patterns and recurring problems across your site.
2. Manual accessibility review: Our expert consultants then conduct a manual review based on the latest WCAG 2.2 guidelines, covering different compliance levels A, AA, AAA, ensuring a thorough assessment of aspects that automated tools might miss. This process involves detailed examination of your website's content, structure, and design to identify areas that could pose accessibility challenges.
3. Assistive technology testing: To provide a holistic audit, our accessibility experts use a variety of assistive technologies to test how your content interacts with these tools to ensure the platform is compatible with commonly used assistive technologies. This step ensures that your digital platform is not only technically compliant but also practically usable by individuals who rely on screen readers, magnifiers, and other assistive devices. This real-world testing, conducted in our state-of-the-art lab, adds an additional layer of assurance that your website functions as intended for all users.

Our detailed accessibility audits give you a clear roadmap of the priority areas for improvements that can significantly improve the accessibility of your site.

(We can also gather further insights from directly working with your users and listening to their experiences and feedback. We regularly do this by conducting usability testing with disabled users to gather empirical evidence of the barriers they may encounter using websites and other digital platforms.)

What can an Accessibility Accreditation do for you?

Our Accessibility Accreditation Programme is more than just earning a certification—it’s a powerful statement of your commitment to inclusivity and social responsibility. This accreditation demonstrates that your digital platforms have been rigorously evaluated and complies international standards and legislation. It assures your customers, partners, and stakeholders that you prioritise inclusivity, which in turn enhances your brand's reputation and builds loyalty among a broader audience.

Compliance with accessibility standards such as WCAG 2.2, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 (PSBAR), the European Accessibility Act (EAA), and Section 508 not only protects your organisation from legal risks but also aligns you with modern values of diversity and inclusion. Offering an inclusive digital experience can significantly broaden your market reach, giving you a competitive edge in an increasingly diverse and conscientious marketplace.

What next?

Web Accessibility Audits and Accreditation are powerful tools in ensuring your digital products and services reach the widest possible audience. To learn more about how User Vision’s accessibility services can help you, contact us today at 0131 225 0850 or drop us an email with your enquiry.