Accessibility Audits vs WCAG Testing: What is the Difference?

Imagine waking up to a legal notice. Your website is being sued for not meeting accessibility standards. You scroll through the claim, heart racing and realize that something simple like missing alt text or poor keyboard navigation costs your business thousands.

This is not fiction; lawsuits due to lack of accessibility audits are happening everyday. Accessibility lawsuits and ignoring digital inclusivity are no longer an option.

Panic sets in because you thought your website was fine. But, in reality, you need more than a WCAG test. Now you must be confused between accessibility audits and WCAG tests. These two critical components are interconnected but they serve distinct purposes. Learn about the difference before it is too late.

What is WCAG Testing?

WCAG Testing of digital content is based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. WCAG makes websites fair and friendly for all kinds of users. The World Wide Web Consortium-W3C develops these internationally recognized standards.

For example, a visually impaired user might utilize a screen reader to read a website out loud. A website will work better for that person if it follows WCAG rules. One simple rule is adding alt text to images. Developers might write a happy dog running so the screen reader can describe the picture.

Purpose:

The primary goal of WCAG Testing is to identify specific accessibility issues. The web content must meet certain success criteria outlined in the WCAG standards.​

Methods:

Automated WCAG Testing: Use of tools to quickly scan web pages for basic accessibility issues.

Manual Testing: Involves human evaluation to identify issues that automated tools might miss, such as logical tab order or meaningful link text.​

Consider a website where images lack alternative text. Automated tools can flag missing alt attributes. However, manual testing ensures that alt text conveys meaningful information.​

What is an Accessibility Audit?

Businesses offering digital content or products need a comprehensive check. Such audits include a WCAG compliance checker but extends further to test the experience of disabled users.

Purpose:

The audit provides a holistic view of accessibility barriers. Audits rank issues based on severity and impact. The purpose of an audit is to offer actionable recommendations for remediation.​

Components:

WCAG Compliance Checker: A WCAG compliance tool looks at your site to find the missing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The checker goes through the pages and highlights things that might make it hard for someone to use the site. For example, it will flag if your text is too light or images do not have descriptions.

User Experience Evaluation: This step checks how easy and friendly your website is for people who use special tools to browse. Tools like screen readers, voice commands or keyboard-only navigation are used to test the website. This step helps you understand how a person with a disability actually experiences your site. For example, can they fill out a form? Can they find the menu? Can they hit “submit” just using their keyboard?

Severity Assessment: Not all problems are equal. Some issues make it nearly impossible for people with disabilities to use your site while others are just small annoyances. A severity assessment groups these issues into levels.

Critical: Blocks access completely.

Major: Makes tasks very hard.

Minor: Causes confusion but is still usable.

Best Practice: Extra tips for screen readers. Usually not required, but nice to have.

This categorization helps auditors to focus on fixing the big problems first.

Remediation Guidance: Once issues are found, auditors give simple, clear advice on how to fix them. For example, if your image is missing alt text, the guidance will say: “Add a short description in the code like alt='A cat sleeping on a sofa'.”

It also shows you which part of the code to update and may even include code examples. This helps your team or developer know exactly what to do.

An audit might reveal that a navigation menu is inaccessible to keyboard users. It is inaccessible to those who cannot use a mouse. The audit would identify this issue and suggest specific code changes to rectify it.​

Key Differences Between WCAG Testing and Accessibility Audits

WCAG Testing is

• Specific to WCAG criteria
• Fast, consistent and repeatable
• Contains automated and manual checks
• Output includes a list of pass/fail against WCAG criteria
• Objective is to identify compliance with WCAG
• Frequency is ongoing during the development

Accessibility Audit is

• Comprehensive includes WCAG and UX
• Real world impact on users
• Contains in-depth analysis with expert evaluation
• Output is a detailed report with prioritized issues
• Objective is to enhance over all accessibility and usability
• Frequency is periodic, often during major updates

Why both are essential

WCAG testing is crucial for ensuring compliance with established guidelines. However, the automated safety check list cannot capture the full spectrum of accessibility issues.

Automated tools might miss over 70% of real world problems!

A tool might say “No issues found,” but ablind user still cannot navigate your website using a screen reader because thebutton labels do not make sense. That is where testing falls short.

On the other hand, accessibility audits provide a broader perspective. You can identify usability challenges that automated tests might overlook.​

A real person walks through your website during accessibility audits. They use assistive technologies like screen readers, braille keyboards or just a keyboard. These audits are done by experts who test your site like actual users. They check for technical compliance along with usability and logic.

Legal Implications of accessibility audits

Businesses in the US observed the legal risk of non-compliance when 4,000 digital accessibility lawsuits were filed last year.

Notably, the W3C official website highlights a cautionary tale of inaccessibility, detailing how the National Federation of the Blind filed a lawsuit against Target Corporation. After over three years of legal battles, the case was settled, with Target agreeing to pay $6 million to blind users. This case under scores the costly consequences of failing to properly implement accessibility rule sand audits.

Business benefits

Accessible websites reach a broader audience, including the estimated 16% of the global population with disabilities. Moreover, accessibility improvements often enhance the over all user experience, benefiting all users.​

The Combined Approach of implementing accessibility

Integrate WCAG testing in development

Incorporate automated and manual WCAG tests during the development process to catch issues early.

Conduct regular accessibility audits

Periodically perform comprehensive audits. Do not miss it after significant updates to ensure ongoing accessibility.

Engage Users with Disabilities:

Involve individuals who use assistive technologies in testing to gain real-world insights.

Conclusion

Accessibility is an ongoing commitment to inclusivity that requires thorough implementation of WCAG testing and comprehensive Accessibility Audits.

Organizations can create digital experiences to meet legal standards and foster an inclusive environment for all users.

At ADACP, we are here to guide you through the process of making your digital platforms fully accessible. Choose ADACP for expert audits that will keep your site compliant and user-friendly.

Take the first step with a free 30-minuteaccessibility consultation with ADACP.