How to Do a Website Accessibility Audit in 2026: A Step-by-Step Guide

Whether you're preparing for the April 2026 ADA deadline, the European Accessibility Act, or simply want to make your website usable by everyone — the first step is always the same: an accessibility audit . But where do you start? What do you check? And how do you prioritize what to fix first? This guide walks you through a complete website accessibility audit, step by step. What Is a Website Accessibility Audit? An accessibility audit is a systematic review of your website against established standards — typically WCAG 2.1 Level AA — to identify barriers that prevent people with disabilities from using your site. A thorough audit combines: Automated scanning — tools that crawl your pages and flag code-level issues Manual testing — human review of keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, and user experience Assistive technology testing — verifying your site works with screen readers, voice control, and other tools No single method catches everything. Automated tools find rough