Website Accessibility Audits
A deeper scan for the barriers most tools miss.
Our website accessibility audits go beyond automated checkers. Combining WCAG 2.2 technical analysis, assistive technology testing, and a dedicated cognitive accessibility layer, we give organisations a complete picture of how accessible their website truly is — for every user. If your audit also shows a need for front-end visitor support, the AXS Toolbar accessibility widget can help people personalise reading, contrast and content support.
Why Website Accessibility Audits Matter
Around 1 in 5 people in the UK are disabled or neurodivergent. Many encounter barriers on websites every day — not because those websites were designed to exclude, but because accessibility was not considered deeply enough during design and development.
A website accessibility audit identifies those barriers before they affect real users. It provides your team with a clear, prioritised view of what needs to change — and why — so that improvements are meaningful, not just cosmetic.
Under the Equality Act 2010, organisations have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure disabled people can access their services. For public sector bodies, the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 require WCAG 2.2 AA compliance. The European Accessibility Act extends similar requirements across the EU from 2025. A professional audit is the foundation of any credible compliance strategy.
Beyond compliance, accessible websites perform better. They load faster, rank higher in search engines, convert more users, and reduce the risk of legal challenge. Accessibility and good design are not in tension — they reinforce each other.
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Introducing AXS Audit:
Intelligence Beyond the Checker
AXS Audit is our purpose-built accessibility scanning and intelligence platform. It goes significantly further than standard automated tools by combining WCAG 2.2 technical analysis with a dedicated cognitive accessibility layer — assessing how clearly, comfortably and confidently real users can read, navigate and act on your website.
Built by specialists in neurodiversity, disability and inclusive design, AXS Audit surfaces the barriers that standard scanners rarely detect: cognitive load, language complexity, visual friction, distraction and usability effort. The result is a richer, more human view of accessibility — one that reflects the lived experience of your users, not just the technical requirements of a standard.
Learn more about AXS AuditWhat Our Accessibility Audits Cover
WCAG 2.2 Technical Compliance
Automated and manual testing against WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA criteria. We identify failures across perceivability, operability, understandability and robustness — covering colour contrast, keyboard navigation, focus management, form labelling, ARIA usage, error handling and more.
Cognitive Accessibility Layer
Our specialist cognitive layer evaluates clarity, comprehension, cognitive load, language complexity, distraction, and user effort. This goes well beyond what WCAG covers and reflects the real-world experience of users with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, anxiety and other cognitive differences.
Assistive Technology Testing
Real-world testing with screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver), keyboard-only navigation, magnification tools and voice control software. We verify that your website works in practice, not just in theory.
Visual & Usability Review
Analysis of layout consistency, colour contrast, typography, spacing, focus indicators, motion, and interactive element sizing. We assess how visual design choices affect usability for people with low vision, colour blindness and sensory sensitivities.
Content & Language Audit
Review of reading level, plain language use, heading structure, link text, error messages and instructional content. Clear, well-structured content is foundational to accessibility — particularly for users with cognitive and learning differences.
Lived Experience User Testing
Optional co-audits involving disabled and neurodivergent testers who use your website as they would in daily life. Their insights reveal barriers that technical analysis alone cannot surface, and provide powerful evidence for prioritising fixes.
What You Receive
Every audit produces a clear, actionable report that your team can act on immediately. We do not produce reports full of technical jargon that sit unread. Our deliverables are designed to be understood and used.
- Prioritised Audit Report
A structured report covering every identified barrier, categorised by severity, WCAG criterion, and impact on users. Each issue includes a clear description, affected pages, and recommended fix.
- Cognitive Accessibility Assessment
A dedicated section covering cognitive load, language clarity, comprehension barriers and neuroinclusive design recommendations — areas most audit tools do not address.
- Remediation Guidance
Practical, developer-ready guidance for each issue. Where applicable, we provide code examples, design recommendations and links to relevant WCAG success criteria.
- Follow-up Consultation
A session with our audit team to walk through findings, answer questions and help prioritise the remediation roadmap.
- Optional Re-audit
Once fixes are implemented, we offer a re-audit to verify that issues have been resolved and that no new barriers have been introduced.
Our Cognitive Accessibility Specialism
Calling All Minds was founded by specialists in neurodiversity and disability. Cognitive accessibility is not an add-on for us — it is central to how we think about inclusive design. Our audit methodology reflects this depth of expertise.
WCAG 2.2 covers some cognitive accessibility requirements, but the standard acknowledges that cognitive accessibility is not yet fully addressed by its success criteria. Our cognitive layer draws on WCAG 2.1 Cognitive Accessibility Guidance (COGA), the W3C Cognitive Accessibility Roadmap, and our own specialist practice to fill that gap.
We assess how your website performs for users with dyslexia, ADHD, autism, anxiety, acquired brain injury, memory difficulties and other cognitive differences — providing recommendations that make your content genuinely easier to read, understand and act on.
Manual Accessibility Audits
In addition to AXS Audit, we provide fully manual website accessibility audits conducted by our specialist team. Manual auditing remains the gold standard for accessibility assessment — it is the only way to verify that assistive technologies work correctly in practice, that content is genuinely understandable, and that the user experience is truly inclusive.
Our manual audits are tailored to your organisation, sector and compliance requirements. Whether you need a targeted review of key user journeys, a full-site WCAG 2.2 AA assessment, or a combined technical and cognitive accessibility audit, we will scope the right approach for your needs.
- Expert-led WCAG 2.2 AA assessment
- Real assistive technology testing (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)
- Cognitive accessibility and lived experience review
- Prioritised findings report with remediation guidance
- Suitable for PSBAR, Equality Act and EAA compliance evidence
Who Our Audits Are For
Public Sector Organisations
Meeting the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 and demonstrating WCAG 2.2 AA compliance.
Private Sector Businesses
Reducing legal risk under the Equality Act 2010 and preparing for the European Accessibility Act.
Design & Development Teams
Embedding accessibility into design systems, component libraries and development workflows.
Product Owners
Understanding the accessibility status of digital products and building a credible remediation roadmap.
Marketing & Communications Teams
Ensuring campaign landing pages, microsites and digital content are inclusive and compliant.
Charities & Third Sector
Serving diverse communities with digital services that are genuinely accessible to all.
What Sets Calling All Minds Apart
Lived Experience at the Core
Our team includes people with lived experience of disability and neurodiversity. This shapes everything we do — from the questions we ask to the recommendations we make.
Cognitive Accessibility Depth
We go further than any standard WCAG checker by applying specialist cognitive accessibility analysis that reflects how diverse users actually experience your website.
AXS Audit Technology
Our proprietary AXS Audit platform combines automated scanning, cognitive scoring and AI-assisted remediation guidance — giving you faster, richer insights than manual-only approaches.
Actionable, Not Academic
We write reports that developers, designers and product teams can act on. Every finding includes a clear description, impact statement and practical recommendation.
Accessibility Standards & Legal Context
WCAG 2.2
The international standard for web accessibility. Our audits test against Level A and AA criteria across all four POUR principles.
WCAG GuideEquality Act 2010
UK law requiring reasonable adjustments for disabled people. Applies to all organisations providing services online.
Equality Act GuidePSBAR 2018
Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations require WCAG 2.2 AA compliance and a published accessibility statement.
Compliance GuideEuropean Accessibility Act
EU directive requiring accessible digital products and services from June 2025. Affects organisations operating in or selling into the EU.
EAA GuideConnected accessibility support
Website accessibility audits work best when they connect with the right tools, standards and guidance.
AXS Audit
Explore the accessibility intelligence platform behind our WCAG, cognitive accessibility and remediation reporting.
AXS AuditAXS Toolbar
Give website visitors practical reading, contrast, text-to-speech and content support while remediation is underway.
AXS ToolbarEuropean Accessibility Act Guide
Understand EAA requirements, WCAG expectations and the digital services affected by the 2025 enforcement deadline.
European Accessibility Act GuideEquality Act Guide
Review UK reasonable-adjustment duties and how digital accessibility connects to inclusive service provision.
Equality Act GuideCognitive Accessibility Guide
Plain-English COGA guidance for reducing cognitive load, improving clarity and designing for neurodivergent users.
Cognitive Accessibility GuideWCAG 2.2 Guide
Browse all WCAG 2.2 success criteria with practical explanations for accessibility teams and developers.
WCAG 2.2 GuideFrequently Asked Questions
Clear answers about website accessibility audits, WCAG 2.2, cognitive accessibility, public sector compliance and re-audits.
A website accessibility audit is a structured review of how accessible your website is for disabled and neurodivergent users. It identifies technical, design, content and usability barriers that may stop people from reading, navigating, understanding or using your website effectively.
Our audits test against WCAG 2.2 Level A and AA criteria. We also consider wider accessibility and usability issues, including cognitive accessibility, assistive technology compatibility, content clarity and the practical experience of disabled and neurodivergent users.
No. Automated tools are useful, but they cannot identify every accessibility barrier. They may miss issues with keyboard journeys, screen reader experience, cognitive load, unclear language, confusing page structure and real-world usability. That is why our audits combine automated scanning with expert review, manual testing and cognitive accessibility analysis.
Cognitive accessibility looks at how easy a website is to understand, process and use. It considers issues such as cognitive load, language complexity, content structure, distraction, consistency, memory demands and user effort. This is especially important for users with ADHD, autism, dyslexia, anxiety, acquired brain injury, memory difficulties and other cognitive differences.
Your report will usually include identified accessibility barriers, affected pages or journeys, severity ratings, relevant WCAG criteria, user impact, prioritised recommendations and practical remediation guidance. Depending on scope, it may also include cognitive accessibility findings, assistive technology testing notes and follow-up consultation.
Yes. We can support public sector organisations reviewing accessibility against WCAG 2.2 AA and the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018, including evidence for accessibility statements and remediation planning.
Yes. Our cognitive accessibility layer considers barriers that can affect neurodivergent users, including users with ADHD, autism, dyslexia and other cognitive or learning differences. This includes reviewing clarity, structure, distraction, reading effort, consistency and the ease of completing key tasks.
Yes. Once your team has implemented fixes, we can complete a re-audit to check whether issues have been resolved and whether any new barriers have been introduced.
Ready to understand how accessible your website really is?
Explore AXS Audit, book a demo, or get in touch to discuss a bespoke manual accessibility audit for your organisation.