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Simkins and Elgazar

Manual Accessibility Audit

Comprehensive manual audit against WCAG 2.1 AA using DHS Trusted Tester methodology, the federal gold standard for evaluating accessibility conformance. The same audit demonstrates ADA Title II / Title III conformance for state and local governments and Section 508 compliance for federal contractors.

What This Service Includes

Full manual review of web applications, documents, and digital deliverables. Testing covers all WCAG 2.1 Level AA success criteria with automated tools supplemented by expert manual evaluation. Every finding is documented with WCAG mapping, severity ratings, and specific remediation steps.

Who It's For

  • State and local governments preparing for ADA Title II compliance
  • Cities, counties, universities, and special-purpose districts subject to the April 2027 DOJ deadline
  • Federal contractors and subcontractors preparing to submit digital deliverables
  • Software vendors preparing VPATs / ACRs for federal procurement
  • Organizations responding to ADA enforcement actions or Section 508 audit findings

How It Works

  1. 1

    Scoping Call

    We define the deliverables to be audited, establish timelines, and determine testing methodology.

  2. 2

    Automated Baseline Scan

    We run automated tools to establish a baseline and identify programmatic issues.

  3. 3

    Manual Testing

    Expert auditors evaluate your deliverables using DHS Trusted Tester methodology, testing all WCAG 2.1 AA criteria.

  4. 4

    Issue Documentation

    Every issue is documented with WCAG criteria mapping, severity ratings, and screenshot evidence.

  5. 5

    Report Delivery

    You receive the complete audit report with remediation guidance and an executive summary for stakeholders.

What You'll Receive

  • Detailed issue log with WCAG success criteria mapping
  • Severity ratings for every finding (Critical, Major, Minor)
  • Remediation guidance per issue with code-level recommendations
  • Executive summary for project managers and stakeholders
  • Optional walkthrough session to review findings with your team

Pricing

This service is included in our compliance packages. See our pricing page for details on available tiers.

If you are interested in this service as a standalone engagement, please contact us for individual pricing.

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Frequently Asked Questions

An accessibility audit is a comprehensive manual evaluation of a digital product against WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria using DHS Trusted Tester methodology. It covers 63 test criteria including keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, color contrast, and document accessibility. The result is a detailed findings report with severity ratings and remediation guidance, applicable to both ADA Title II / Title III conformance and Section 508 compliance.

Yes. The DOJ's 2024 final rule for ADA Title II references WCAG 2.1 AA as the technical standard for digital content. Our audits use DHS Trusted Tester methodology, the federal gold standard, to evaluate against WCAG 2.1 AA, which directly addresses the Title II conformance requirement for state and local governments by the April 24, 2027 deadline.

A standard audit for a single web application takes 2–3 weeks from kickoff to final report delivery. Complex systems, multi-application audits, or large document sets may require additional time, which we scope during the initial consultation.

Automated tools can identify approximately 42 of 63 Trusted Tester criteria, covering issues like missing alt text, contrast failures, and broken ARIA. The remaining 21 criteria require manual evaluation by a certified tester, including keyboard navigation logic, screen reader experience, and meaningful content assessment. A defensible audit, for either ADA Title II or Section 508, requires both.

When the same team that built a product also evaluates its accessibility, there is a conflict of interest. An independent evaluator has no stake in the outcome and produces findings that hold up under DOJ Title II review, federal contracting officer evaluation, and institutional procurement scrutiny.

Ready to get started?

Schedule a consultation to scope your accessibility audit.

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