Why audit accessibility before redesigning?
A website redesign can make an interface look modern while leaving it difficult or impossible to use for people navigating by keyboard, screen reader, magnification or other assistive technology. An accessibility audit identifies these barriers before new layouts and components lock them in.
Accessibility is also an operational concern: visitors need to understand your offer, complete forms, navigate services and get help. An audit should focus on real tasks rather than only a technical score.
What an accessibility audit should cover
1. Keyboard access and focus
Navigate every major page without a mouse. Can you reach menus, dialogs, buttons and forms with Tab and Shift+Tab? Is the focus indicator visible? Can you escape menus and modals? Does focus move logically after an interaction? Keyboard traps can make a site unusable even when every element looks clickable.
2. Headings and page structure
Review whether headings describe the content hierarchy and whether landmarks such as navigation, main content and footer are meaningful. Visual size alone does not create a semantic heading. Clear structure helps both assistive-technology users and people scanning pages.
3. Text contrast and non-colour cues
Check text against its actual background, including text on photographs, buttons, placeholders and error messages. Ensure links, required fields and validation states do not depend on colour alone. Assess contrast against the applicable WCAG success criteria rather than guessing from appearance.
4. Forms and enquiry journeys
Every input should have a useful label and instructions where needed. Error messages should explain what needs fixing and should be discoverable by assistive technology. Test the entire contact journey, including confirmation states, spam protection and mobile keyboards. A beautiful form that cannot be submitted is a business failure.
5. Images, video and animation
Meaningful images need appropriate text alternatives; decorative imagery generally should not create noise for screen readers. Videos may need captions and transcripts depending on their content and context. Check motion effects for reduced-motion preferences and avoid unnecessary animation that interferes with reading.
6. Responsive layouts and zoom
Test narrow viewports, browser zoom and increased text spacing. Content should remain readable and functional without requiring two-dimensional scrolling for ordinary text. Watch for clipped labels, overlapping buttons and fixed headers that obscure focus.
7. Dynamic components
Accordions, tabs, popovers, booking widgets and website agents need more than attractive states. Check names, roles, keyboard behaviour and announcements when content changes. Third-party widgets are part of the user experience even when your own code is accessible.
Automated scans are a starting point, not a certificate
Tools can identify some missing labels, contrast issues and structural errors. They cannot reliably determine whether alternative text is meaningful, whether a booking journey makes sense or whether a screen-reader announcement is useful. Combine automated checks with keyboard testing, assistive-technology checks and, where possible, feedback from people with disabilities.
Use the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines as the technical reference. Legal obligations vary by jurisdiction, sector and organization; an audit is not automatically a legal compliance certification.
How to prioritize findings
| Priority | Example | Recommended response |
|---|---|---|
| Critical | Checkout or contact form cannot be completed by keyboard | Fix before launch |
| High | Navigation has inaccessible menus or invisible focus | Fix in the current release |
| Medium | Some informational images lack meaningful alternatives | Schedule with content updates |
| Ongoing | New templates lack accessibility acceptance criteria | Add to design and QA process |
Priorities should consider severity, affected tasks, frequency and how many visitors encounter the barrier. Do not hide severe blockers inside a long list of minor scan warnings.
Questions to ask a web design provider
- Which WCAG version and conformance level are you designing toward?
- What manual testing is included alongside automated checks?
- Will you test navigation, forms, booking and other interactive flows?
- How will issues be documented, prioritized and retested?
- Who is responsible for third-party integrations?
- Will the team receive guidance for keeping future content accessible?
Accessibility belongs in the redesign scope
For an established site, identify barriers before approving new templates. For a new site, set accessibility acceptance criteria at the start. A website redesign should address usability, content structure and conversion paths together, not treat accessibility as a cosmetic add-on.
Our redesign versus rebuild guide helps clarify when an existing foundation is worth retaining. If forms or booking workflows are part of the problem, consider whether a more usable booking system or better-designed business website would solve the root issue. For ongoing updates, a website care plan should include regression checks on changed components.
Accessibility audit checklist
- Navigate primary journeys with keyboard only
- Check focus visibility and reading order
- Review heading hierarchy and landmarks
- Test text contrast and zoom behaviour
- Check labels, errors and confirmation messages on forms
- Review alt text, captions and motion
- Test dynamic widgets and third-party integrations
- Record issues by severity and retest fixes
Planning a website redesign or accessibility improvement?
WispBay can review the user journeys, page structure and technical scope of your website, then help prioritize practical fixes before you invest in a rebuild.
Request a Website Review