WCAG checks
Technical and content checks against relevant WCAG criteria.
Find the barriers users actually face
Website Accessibility Audit UK
A website accessibility audit should do more than scan for obvious code errors. It should identify the barriers that stop people reading, navigating, understanding, completing tasks and using your site with confidence.
Automated checks are useful, but they are not enough.
WCAG checks
Technical and content checks against relevant WCAG criteria.
Keyboard access
Whether users can navigate without a mouse.
Forms and journeys
Whether key actions are accessible and understandable.
Start here
What an accessibility audit should cover
Keyboard access
Whether users can navigate without a mouse.
Forms and journeys
Whether key actions are accessible and understandable.
Documents and media
PDFs, captions, transcripts and downloadable content.
Cognitive accessibility
Clarity, reading load, instructions, decision points and task friction.
Practical priorities
What to fix first and why it matters.
Scanner vs audit
Scanner vs audit
An accessibility scanner can find some issues quickly. A proper audit interprets those issues, checks what automation misses and prioritises fixes.
| Scanner | Audit |
|---|---|
| Fast, useful and partial | Contextual, manual, prioritised and user-aware |
Cognitive access
Why cognitive accessibility matters
Many audits focus heavily on code. Code matters, but people also fail because the journey is confusing, instructions are unclear, pages are too dense or forms are cognitively demanding.
Calling All Minds’ audit approach looks at both technical accessibility and cognitive load.
AXS Audit
How AXS Audit helps
AXS Audit combines accessibility expertise with practical recommendations, helping organisations understand what needs fixing and what will make the most difference to users.
Toolbar and audit resources
Audit the site, then support the user
AXS Audit helps identify barriers. AXS Toolbar gives users more control while improvements are made.
Useful connected guidance
These pages give more context and connect this guide to practical support.
AXS AuditExplore product.Open guidanceWCAG audit service UKRead WCAG audit guidance.Open guidanceWhat is an accessibility checker?Read checker guidance.Open guidanceAXS ToolbarExplore product.Open guidanceAccessibility widget for websiteRead widget guidance.Open guidanceEuropean Accessibility Act website auditRead EAA audit guidance.Open guidance
Questions people often ask
Short answers, written in plain language.
What is a website accessibility audit?
It is a review of a website to identify accessibility barriers, technical issues, content problems and user journey risks.
Is an automated scan enough?
No. Automated tools are useful, but they cannot find every issue or judge user experience properly.
What standards should an audit check?
Most audits consider WCAG criteria and practical usability, depending on the organisation’s goals and legal context.
What is cognitive accessibility?
It concerns how easy content and journeys are to understand, process, navigate and complete.
How does AXS Audit help?
AXS Audit identifies accessibility issues and gives practical recommendations for improvement.
Should we also use AXS Toolbar?
A toolbar can support users, but an audit is needed to find and fix underlying issues.