Accessibility is one of those things. Many websites look great; but are they actually accessible to everyone? And what does that mean in practice?
This article explains what an accessibility audit is, what I check, and what that means for your organisation.
No time? Here’s the short version:
- Public-sector institutions are legally required to comply: BehiG requires WCAG 2.2 Level AA.
- The audit covers structure, alt texts, contrast, keyboard navigation, forms and screen reader compatibility.
- You receive a structured report with concrete tasks, divided by developer, marketing and editorial team.
- Pricing is individual, depending on scope and number of pages. A non-binding enquiry is enough to get started.
In detail, we cover:
Why accessibility matters now
I often hear: “Accessibility is only relevant for large companies.” That’s not quite right.
Public-sector institutions, including municipalities, pension funds, educational institutions and hospitals, are required by the Disability Equality Act (BehiG, SR 151.3) to comply with the eCH-0059 standard. That means: WCAG 2.2 at conformance level AA.
But private companies benefit too. What is necessary for people with disabilities makes the website better for everyone:
- Better SEO: Alt texts, clean heading hierarchy and structured code are relevant for both screen readers and Google.
- Wider audience: Around 1.7 million people in Switzerland live with a disability.
- Less reputational risk: A non-accessible website can cause reputational damage.
What I check in the accessibility audit
The audit is conducted both manually and with established tools. Typically we define together 4 to 6 pages to be reviewed in detail.
Structure and semantics
I check heading hierarchy, ARIA labels, navigation (nav elements), skip links and language attributes.
WCAG 1.3.1, 2.4.1, 3.1.1
Images and alternative texts
All images are checked for missing or incorrect alt texts. Content images need a descriptive alt text. Decorative images need alt="" so screen readers skip them. That sounds simple, but in practice it’s often not implemented. On one website I found 240 images without alt text.
WCAG 1.1.1
Colour and contrast
The minimum contrast ratio according to WCAG 2.2 is 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text (from 18pt or 14pt bold). I check headers, footers, hero sections and forms. Rule of thumb: the smaller the text, the higher the contrast must be.
WCAG 1.4.1, 1.4.3, 1.4.11
Keyboard and focus
Is the website fully operable without a mouse? I check focus visibility, focus order and whether navigation, search and forms are correctly operable with Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter and Esc.
WCAG 2.2.2, 2.4.3, 2.4.7
Forms and interaction
Form fields, labels, error messages and ARIA attributes. Are the fields screen reader compatible? I also check hidden forms, because a form with visibility: hidden in the code is still visible to screen readers if aria-hidden="true" is missing.
WCAG 1.3.1, 4.1.2
Screen reader test
Manual test with VoiceOver (Mac/Safari). Tools alone are not enough. The screen reader test shows what actually happens when someone uses your website with an assistive reading device.
PDF accessibility
Forms, tags, metadata, language attribute, mouseover texts and screen reader readability. PDFs are often the blind spot in accessibility.
What does the report look like?
The report is structured, prioritised and actionable. Each finding includes:
- The problem and where it occurs
- The affected WCAG criteria (Level A or AA)
- A concrete solution
- A clear task, divided by developer, marketing or editorial team
That way every team knows directly what to do, without any translation work.
How the audit works
Here is how an accessibility audit with me works:
| Step | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1. Briefing | We define together which pages will be reviewed and which standard applies (BehiG / WCAG 2.2). |
| 2. Analysis | Combination of tool-based and manual review, including screen reader test. |
| 3. Report | Structured report with prioritised findings and concrete tasks per team. |
| 4. Q&A Call | 30-minute call to discuss the results. |
What does an accessibility audit cost?
Pricing is individual. It depends on:
- Number of pages to be reviewed
- Applicable standard (BehiG / WCAG 2.2)
Always included: manual WCAG review (up to 5 pages), screen reader test, PDF accessibility check, structured report as PDF, tasks by responsibility, and a 30-minute Q&A call.
Get in touch and I will put together a non-binding quote for you.
Legal note: I am not a lawyer. This audit does not replace legal advice.