Accessibility audits
Meaningful WCAG compliance through accessibility audits
What is accessibility auditing - and why it matters
Accessibility audits show you how people with disabilities experience your website, mobile app, or digital service, using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as a benchmark. They highlight barriers that might make it difficult for users to navigate, read, or interact with your content.
Our audits go beyond identifying issues - we provide a clear, practical road map for improvement, helping you create digital experiences that are inclusive, easy-to-use, and welcoming for everyone. From navigation and readability to interactive features, accessibility auditing ensures your digital services work for every user.
How we can help
Our accessibility audit services help you understand what disabled users need, create inclusive digital experiences, and meet WCAG standards with confidence.
Understand your compliance level against WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 standards, at Level A, AA or AAA.
While an accessibility audit isn’t legally required, there are laws that set out accessibility expectations for UK public sector organisations and private companies operating in the EU.
An accessibility compliance audit helps you understand what’s required to meet WCAG standards and key accessibility regulations, including PSBAR 2018 (The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018), the Equality Act 2010, Section 508, EN 301 549, the Web Accessibility Directive, and the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
We translate these requirements into actionable guidance, helping you identify where improvements are needed and reduce compliance risk.
Make your website easier for everyone to navigate and interact with.
Our website audits include testing with assistive technologies, helping you uncover real-world barriers and prioritise improvements that enhance accessibility across your site.
We review your website against WCAG standards, focusing on page structure, menus, content hierarchy, forms, and multimedia. We test how users experience your website with assistive technologies like screen readers and magnifiers, helping uncover real-world barriers and improve key web interactions.
Ensure your mobile apps are accessible and intuitive on any device.
We test native and hybrid apps on iOS and Android, focusing on app-specific interactions such as gestures, touch targets, voice commands, and platform navigation.
Our audits highlight mobile-specific barriers and provide guidance on making apps inclusive and functional across devices.
Create digital documents that everyone can use.
We review PDFs, Word files, and other digital documents for issues like missing headings, inaccessible tables, poor contrast, or forms that don’t work with assistive technologies.
Using WCAG and PDF/UA standards, we provide clear recommendations so your documents meet accessibility requirements. Following the audit, we can also assist with document remediation to resolve identified issues.
WCAG compliance audits
Understand your compliance level against WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 standards, at Level A, AA or AAA.
While an accessibility audit isn’t legally required, there are laws that set out accessibility expectations for UK public sector organisations and private companies operating in the EU.
An accessibility compliance audit helps you understand what’s required to meet WCAG standards and key accessibility regulations, including PSBAR 2018 (The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018), the Equality Act 2010, Section 508, EN 301 549, the Web Accessibility Directive, and the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
We translate these requirements into actionable guidance, helping you identify where improvements are needed and reduce compliance risk.
Website accessibility audits
Make your website easier for everyone to navigate and interact with.
Our website audits include testing with assistive technologies, helping you uncover real-world barriers and prioritise improvements that enhance accessibility across your site.
We review your website against WCAG standards, focusing on page structure, menus, content hierarchy, forms, and multimedia. We test how users experience your website with assistive technologies like screen readers and magnifiers, helping uncover real-world barriers and improve key web interactions.
Mobile app accessibility audits
Ensure your mobile apps are accessible and intuitive on any device.
We test native and hybrid apps on iOS and Android, focusing on app-specific interactions such as gestures, touch targets, voice commands, and platform navigation.
Our audits highlight mobile-specific barriers and provide guidance on making apps inclusive and functional across devices.
Document accessibility audits
Create digital documents that everyone can use.
We review PDFs, Word files, and other digital documents for issues like missing headings, inaccessible tables, poor contrast, or forms that don’t work with assistive technologies.
Using WCAG and PDF/UA standards, we provide clear recommendations so your documents meet accessibility requirements. Following the audit, we can also assist with document remediation to resolve identified issues.
If you’re ready to understand how accessible your digital services are, our team can help you get started with an accessibility audit - get in touch.
An accessible publication management system for one of the UK's most important regulatory organisations
We partnered with The Electoral Commission and Numiko to ensure the new publication management system was aligned with accessibility standards.
Turning audits into actionable insights
Our accessibility audits go beyond simply identifying issues. We show how these issues affect users, help prioritise fixes, and provide practical recommendations for improving accessibility.
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Audit and review
We take a manual-first approach, reviewing templates, components, content, and critical user journeys against WCAG success criteria. Automated tools are used to supplement coverage and efficiency, but never replace detailed manual assessment.
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Assistive technology testing
End-to-end user journeys are tested on a range of assistive technologies. This includes screen readers, magnifiers, speech recognition software, and tools such as JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, ZoomText, and Dragon.
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User impact and issue prioritisation
Accessibility issues are explained in terms of their impact on users. Findings are prioritised based on severity, regulatory risk, and effort to fix, helping teams focus on changes that matter most and reduce compliance risk.
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Reporting and recommendations
We provide clear, evidence-based reports in plain language, summarising findings, mapping WCAG failures, highlighting risk levels, and offering practical remediation guidance. Reports are suitable for governance forums, assurance boards, and GDS service assessments.
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Accessibility statements and accreditation
A compliant accessibility statement is included in every audit. We can also provide accessibility accreditation for services and applications that meet WCAG AA or AAA standards, giving additional assurance for users, stakeholders, and oversight bodies.
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Communication and support
We work closely with your teams throughout the audit, providing guidance and support every step of the way. We offer a range of delivery models, each providing different levels of integration and control to suit your team’s size, needs, and project complexity.
'Another year to be grateful for William and the team guiding us on accessibility best practice. A pleasure to work with!'
- Charlotte McDonald, Web Manager at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh
Audits in action: our clients and projects
We help clients make their digital services and products more inclusive and compliant through strategic accessibility audits and hands-on support.
We work across the private, public, and third sectors, bringing a deep understanding of each client’s industry - specific challenges, needs, and regulations - adding real value to every project.
From script to screen: digital accessibility at the British Film Institute
Cultivating accessibility: helping to make RBGE’s digital spaces as inclusive as their gardens
Accessibility testing for the best public sector project at the national technology awards
Our accessibility team, partners and network
We’re proud to be a member of the International Association of Accessibility Professionals (IAAP), reflecting our commitment to accessibility best practices. Our in-house specialists bring deep experience in WCAG audits, accessibility testing, and inclusive digital design.
We also collaborate with trusted accessibility partners such as the Royal National Institute of Blind People and Purple Goat Agency, bringing real-world user insight into our audits. To learn more about our accessibility team and partners, explore our digital accessibility services.
Want to make your digital experiences more accessible?
Let’s work together to make your digital services accessible for everyone - get in touch.
Your questions answered
What is an accessibility audit and how does it differ from a WCAG audit?
An accessibility audit reviews your website, mobile app, or digital service to identify barriers for people with disabilities - this can include user experience, assistive technology testing, and other accessibility considerations.
A WCAG audit is a type of accessibility audit that focuses specifically on compliance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). All WCAG audits are accessibility audits, but not all accessibility audits are limited to WCAG.
How often should I carry out an accessibility audit?
New features or content can introduce barriers as your digital services evolve.
Many of our clients audit before major launches or redesigns, while others embed accessibility throughout the project - from design to development and testing - to prevent issues and save time and effort in the long run.
How long does an accessibility audit take?
It depends on the size and complexity of the application. Smaller websites or apps may take a few days, while larger platforms with multiple templates, user journeys, or integrations can take longer. We define the scope and provide a clear timeline before the accessibility audit begins.
Can you help fix accessibility issues after the audit?
Our strength is providing independent, expert accessibility insight. While we don’t implement fixes ourselves, our audits give your team - whether internal developers or external agencies - clear guidance to resolve issues effectively. We also offer advice, re-testing, and ongoing accessibility testing to help ensure improvements are successfully implemented.
Do you involve disabled users in accessibility testing?
Yes. Where appropriate, our audits include testing with real users, including members of our own team who have declared disabilities. We can also provide dedicated disabled user testing and, where needed, bring in additional expertise through our partners.
Is an accessibility audit a legal requirement?
An accessibility audit itself isn’t legally required, but making your digital services accessible is.
In the UK, this falls under the Equality Act 2010, and public sector websites and apps must comply with PSBAR 2018. Other countries have similar regulations, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the US and the European Accessibility Act (EAA) in Europe. Our audits help you understand these requirements and provide practical guidance to meet them effectively.
Do accessibility audits cover mobile apps as well as websites?
Yes. We can audit a broad range of digital platforms, including websites, mobile apps, learning management systems (LMS), intranets, dashboards, cookie banners, and other interactive tools.
Testing can include page structure, content, interactions, forms, documents, and end-to-end user journeys on assistive technologies, covering scenarios like navigation, form submission, content reading, and interactive workflows.
Why should I carry out an accessibility audit?
Accessibility audits are a smart business investment. They help you reach more customers, improve usability, and tap into the Purple Pound - the estimated £274 billion of spending power held by disabled people in the UK.
Beyond compliance and user impact, audits provide actionable insights that enable your teams to remove barriers, improve digital experiences, and drive engagement, loyalty, and revenue.
What makes Zoonou’s accessibility audits different?
Our audits combine manual testing, assistive technology testing, and real-world user insights. As an IAAP member organisation, we follow global best practices.
Our in-house specialists collaborate with expert partners and bring experience from auditing hundreds of applications across multiple industries each year. This breadth of expertise allows us to provide practical, actionable guidance that addresses both compliance and real-world accessibility challenges.
What other accessibility services does Zoonou offer?
Accessibility audits are often just the beginning. We support clients at every stage of their accessibility journey, including:
- Accessibility strategy
- Disabled user testing
- Accessibility training
- Document testing and remediation
We help teams embed accessibility into long-term digital delivery, creating inclusive experiences for all users.