An ADA website accessibility audit examines barriers that can prevent people with disabilities from using a target’s websites. Meo Advisors combines scoped automated and manual checks, records the evidence and assigns remediation owners. A visual check alone cannot establish accessibility or legal compliance. Not legal advice; legal questions go to counsel.
In short
- Review the target’s public customer journeys for accessibility barriers and document the evidence.
- A visual check or automated scan does not establish complete conformance or legal compliance.
- Not legal advice. Legal questions go to counsel to determine applicable obligations.
Do websites legally have to be ADA compliant?
The Department of Justice says ADA obligations extend to the online goods and services of businesses open to the public. Which obligations apply to a particular target depends on its circumstances; counsel should determine that scope. An accessibility audit provides technical evidence for the review, not a legal opinion.
An ADA compliance audit is a scoped review of accessibility evidence to identify barriers, required follow-up and questions for counsel; it does not certify legal compliance.
See DOJ guidance on web accessibility and the ADA. Legal reference, not legal advice. The compliance due diligence hub connects accessibility evidence with the wider legal review.
How do I know if my website is ADA compliant?
A technical assessment can identify accessibility barriers and evidence of conformance against an agreed standard; counsel evaluates legal compliance. Define the pages, journeys, assistive technologies and test criteria in scope, then combine automated checks with manual keyboard, screen-reader and task-based review.
Meo uses WCAG 2.1 AA as a technical review benchmark where agreed in scope. It is not a blanket statement of the legal standard for every target.
A contrast result answers a limited technical question. It does not establish that navigation, forms, media or complete customer journeys are accessible.
- Map public entry pages, forms, navigation, documents and important customer tasks.
- Document keyboard access, focus behavior, labels, errors, text alternatives and media barriers.
- Trace repeated defects to shared templates or components when the evidence supports that connection.
- Record test conditions, affected journeys, owners and the evidence needed to verify remediation.
Can you get sued for not having accessibility on your website?
It can happen. Private lawsuits are one way ADA obligations are enforced, and website barriers can create a legal question for a covered business. Whether a particular claim is viable and what response is appropriate require counsel’s assessment of the facts and applicable law.
The DOJ guide to disability rights laws describes private enforcement. Preserve the relevant pages, complaint records and remediation evidence for counsel. Not legal advice.
Is WCAG the same as 508 compliance?
No. WCAG is a set of technical web accessibility guidelines. Section 508 is a federal law addressing accessibility of federal agencies’ information technology, with associated standards. Technical overlap does not make the obligations identical; counsel should confirm whether federal procurement or other requirements affect the target.
| Framework | Purpose | Diligence question |
|---|---|---|
| WCAG | Technical guidelines for accessible web content | Which version, conformance level and journeys are in scope? |
| ADA | Civil rights obligations relevant to accessible goods and services | Which duties apply to the target, as assessed by counsel? |
| Section 508 | Federal information technology accessibility law and standards | Do federal agency or procurement requirements affect the target? |
See GSA guidance on federal accessibility laws and policies. A report should identify the criteria actually tested and keep legal applicability separate from technical observations.
Is a visual check the same as an ADA assessment?
No. A visual check can reveal some barriers, but it cannot establish how a customer using a keyboard or assistive technology completes a task. A fuller assessment needs an agreed technical scope, manual testing and documented limitations, with legal questions referred to counsel.
Public pages can support an initial review. Authenticated areas, internal design systems and remediation work need authorized access. We do not infer that untested areas pass or fail.
How does the accessibility audit run?
The audit starts with customer journeys and the agreed benchmark, records supported barriers, and turns each actionable finding into an owner and verification task. Scope and access remain visible throughout the report.
- Agree the sites, representative templates, journeys and technical criteria to review.
- Capture dated public-page evidence and perform the agreed technical checks.
- Request authorization for authenticated journeys and internal evidence.
- Prioritize supported barriers, send legal questions to counsel, and verify agreed fixes.
| Risk | Rule | Likelihood | Impact | Counsel |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lead-form consent wording | TCPA | High | High | Counsel flag |
| Low-contrast text, unlabeled fields | ADA | High | Medium | Counsel flag |
| AI-voice calls without consent | TCPA | Medium | High | Counsel flag |
| Tracking tags on sensitive pages | GDPR, CCPA | Medium | Medium | Counsel flag |
| Review incentives tied to sentiment | FTC rule | Low | High | Counsel flag |
| Unanswered public reviews | Reputation | Medium | Low |
The risk grid is illustrative. A target’s likelihood and impact ratings need its own evidence. The sample diligence deliverables show how findings, owners and open questions appear in the readout.
Prepare the accessibility review
Use the ADA website compliance checklist to record barriers, evidence and owners while keeping the limits of a visual check clear.
Meo Advisors Editorial writes and maintains this page. Its numbers are Meo Advisors’ own statements or cited external benchmarks, and every mock is labelled Illustrative. See the editorial policy and corrections process.