Manual vs. Automated Accessibility Testing: Which One Should You Choose?

You may be unsure whether your website is accessible, or you might know it isn’t and are now deciding between a manual or automated accessibility audit. Regardless of your exact reason for considering an audit, it is crucial to ensure your website’s accessibility.

If you’re reading this, you’re likely aware of the significant legal risks associated with a non-accessible website. ADA-related lawsuits increased by 23% in 2020 over 2019, meaning nearly ten businesses faced lawsuits daily.

For instance, if a user with impaired vision visits your site and it doesn’t support screen readers like JAWS or NVDA, you could face legal action. There are numerous accessibility nuances that could expose your website to risk, many of which business owners are unaware of.

This post will differentiate between manual and automated accessibility audits, examining the advantages and disadvantages of each. Our goal is to help you determine the best solution for protecting your business.

Note: After 12 years of working with various companies and different levels of accessibility issues, we have developed an all-inclusive process. This process strategically combines automated and manual audits to identify all accessibility issues and protect your website from litigation.

You can click here to run a free automated accessibility test or schedule a free consultation to have your website reviewed by ADA compliance professionals.

What Is A Manual Audit?

A manual accessibility audit involves a qualified and trained technician thoroughly testing every page of your website. This includes checking for all types of accessibility requirements across multiple platforms, browsers, and devices.

During this process, the technician actively re-creates scenarios that individuals with disabilities might encounter when navigating your site. This includes verifying correct alt tags on images and using keyboard navigation to assess usability for those who rely on alternative input methods.

Manual audits are critical because automated tools cannot achieve 100% accuracy in accessibility testing. Unlike software programs, human technicians possess the nuanced understanding required to interpret accessibility standards.

A knowledgeable technician can look beyond simple code to truly assess the level of accessibility. While an automated audit can detect if your website has headings and page titles, only a human can determine if these are used in the correct context and are worded meaningfully for the reader.

What Is An Automated Audit?

An automated audit involves scanning a website URL using a computer program that automatically evaluates it against predefined parameters. While automated audits excel at detecting accessibility issues within a website’s code, they lack the nuanced understanding of a human-driven process.

This limitation means automated audits typically achieve only 30% to 40% accuracy. They are effective at identifying issues such as missing links, document language errors, incorrect page titles, poor color contrast, and absent form labels.

However, many accessibility issues cannot be fully detected or understood by automated tools.

Pros and Cons of a Manual Audit

Having an accessibility expert evaluate your website against the WCAG 2.1 criteria provides protection and insights that automated audits cannot achieve. However, manual audits also come with their own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Some pros of a manual audit are:

• A trained technician can identify issues that an automated tool would miss.
• Solutions offered by a professional are more tailored to your specific needs, unlike generic automated solutions.
• You can ask questions and gain clarity on specific issues.
• There are no monthly or yearly recurring fees, unlike with software solutions.

Some cons of a manual audit are:

• It takes longer to perform because each page is viewed manually.
• It is more expensive due to the manual labor involved.

Pros and Cons of an Automated Audit

Automated software using AI can scan an entire site and identify accessibility issues, often without requiring extra effort on your part beyond fixing the detected problems. Sometimes, the software itself can correct these issues, or you can address them through its interface. Despite the ease of use, automated audits have both advantages and disadvantages.

Some pros of an automated audit are:

• They are easy to use.
• They provide a quick, high-level overview of your website’s accessibility issues.
• They are generally cheaper than manual audits.

Some cons of an automated audit are:

• Automated tests can produce false positives, leading you to believe certain aspects of your website are accessible when they are not.
• They only achieve an accuracy rate of 30-40%.
• They offer no specific advice on how to fix issues; answers are generic and catered to the general population, not your unique situation.

When Should You Use An Automated Audit?

If you are new to digital accessibility and suspect your website is not accessible, an automated audit is an excellent starting point. It provides a baseline understanding of how close your website is to meeting required accessibility levels.

Digital accessibility is complex and nuanced. An automated audit helps you grasp the current landscape and provides a path forward. This initial assessment is crucial, as accessibility requirements are becoming more stringent, leading to an increase in lawsuits against businesses as more operations shift online.

When Should You Use A Manual Audit?

After gaining a general understanding of your website’s accessibility issues, you can then proceed with an actionable plan to address them. Before implementing any changes, it is essential to partner with a knowledgeable expert in digital accessibility laws. This collaboration will ensure you are guided toward the correct remediation path.

How ADA Compliance Pros Uses a Hybrid Model

To fully understand your website’s accessibility and ensure all issues are addressed, combining both automated and manual accessibility testing is the most effective approach. We provide free automated testing, giving our clients a macro view of their accessibility level. It’s worth noting that some companies charge for similar scans that we offer at no cost.

Following a free automated test, one of our trained experts conducts a complimentary consultation to review the website findings and outline possible next steps. Digital accessibility is complex, highly litigious, and crucial for businesses to avoid missing out on sales opportunities, especially given that 56 million Americans have some form of disability.

Our hybrid process, utilizing both automated and manual audits, allows us to quickly identify compliance issues and offer tailored solutions specific to your needs.

If you believe your website may have accessibility issues and you want your digital asset reviewed by professionals who leverage the power of both automated and manual audits to catch even the most complicated compliance issues, click here to start your free accessibility test or schedule a free consultation with one of our experts to set you on the right path toward digital accessibility.