Website Accessibility Audit Guide
Accessibility isn't optional—it's essential. Over 1 billion people worldwide have disabilities, and many websites fail basic WCAG requirements. Here's how to audit any website for accessibility issues and learn from accessible designs.
Why Accessibility Matters
- 👥1B+ Users — Over 15% of the global population has a disability
- ⚖️Legal Requirements — ADA, Section 508, and EU directives mandate accessibility
- 🔍SEO Benefits — Semantic HTML and alt text improve search rankings
- 💰Better UX for Everyone — Accessible design improves experience for all users
Understanding WCAG Levels
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define three conformance levels:
Level A
Minimum requirements. Must-have for any website.
Level AA
Standard for most sites. Legal requirement in many countries.
Level AAA
Highest level. Best for specialized accessibility needs.
Key Accessibility Checks
Color Contrast
Text must have sufficient contrast against backgrounds.
- • Normal text: 4.5:1 minimum (AA)
- • Large text (18px+): 3:1 minimum (AA)
- • Enhanced: 7:1 / 4.5:1 (AAA)
Alt Text for Images
All meaningful images must have descriptive alt attributes. Decorative images should have empty alt="".
ARIA Labels
Interactive elements need aria-label, aria-labelledby, or aria-describedby for screen readers.
Semantic HTML
Use proper elements: <nav>, <main>, <header>, <footer>, <article>, heading hierarchy.
Keyboard Navigation
All interactive elements must be accessible via Tab key. Focus states must be visible.
Automated Accessibility Auditing
BrandSpy includes built-in accessibility auditing that checks:
Accessibility Scoring (0-100)
BrandSpy calculates an overall accessibility score with letter grades:
| Grade | Score | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| A | 90-100 | Excellent accessibility |
| B | 80-89 | Good, minor issues |
| C | 70-79 | Needs improvement |
| D | 60-69 | Significant issues |
| F | <60 | Failing, major problems |
Sample Accessibility Audit
Accessibility Audit: example.com
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Overall Score: 78/100 (Grade: C)
✅ Passing
├─ Skip link present
├─ Semantic navigation
├─ Proper heading hierarchy (h1 → h2 → h3)
├─ 23 ARIA labels detected
└─ Landmark regions defined
⚠️ Warnings
├─ 3 images missing alt text
├─ 2 contrast failures on light gray text
└─ Tab index used on non-interactive element
❌ Failures
├─ Color contrast 3.2:1 (needs 4.5:1)
│ → #888888 on #FFFFFF
└─ 5 form inputs missing labels
Contrast Check Results:
├─ Pass: 12 color pairs
└─ Fail: 2 color pairsWhy Audit Other Websites?
- 📚Learn from Leaders — See how accessible companies structure their ARIA patterns
- 🎯Competitor Analysis — Find accessibility gaps your competitors have missed
- 🔄Migration Planning — Audit legacy sites before redesigning
- ✅Client Audits — Generate accessibility reports for clients
Frequently Asked Questions
What WCAG level should I target?
Most websites should target WCAG 2.1 Level AA. This is the legal requirement in many countries and provides good accessibility coverage.
Does BrandSpy replace manual testing?
Automated tools catch ~30-50% of issues. You still need manual keyboard testing and screen reader testing for full coverage. BrandSpy is a great starting point.
What color contrast ratio should I use?
For Level AA: 4.5:1 for normal text, 3:1 for large text (18px+). BrandSpy automatically checks all your extracted colors against each other.
Related Guides
- 🎨 Extract Colors From Any Website
- 📏 Analyze Website Spacing System
- 🔧 Extract Design Tokens from Website
Audit Any Website's Accessibility
Get instant accessibility scores, contrast checks, and WCAG compliance reports for any URL.
Try Accessibility Checker →Advanced 2026 Analysis 🚀
Beyond basic extraction, BrandSpy now features an advanced mathematical heuristic engine:
- • APCA Contrast: Checks colors against the new WCAG 3.0 advanced perceptual contrast algorithm.
- • Color Blindness Simulation: Verifies palettes against Protanopia and Deuteranopia matrices.
- • Typography Scales: Mathematically detects geometric growth ratios (e.g., Major Third, Golden Ratio).
- • Grid Compliance: Calculates the percentage of margins/paddings that obey strict 8-point grid rules.
You can analyze any website for free to see the math behind the design.