¿Qué es una Auditoría de Accesibilidad y por qué es importante? - Web ICALIA

What is an Accessibility Audit and why is it important?

Web accessibility has gained great relevance in recent years from an ethical, legal and commercial point of view, making sure that all people regardless of their abilities can navigate, understand and use the contents of a web page is essential.  
This is where an accessibility audit comes into play, a key process to detect problems and improve the experience of users with functional diversity. 
 
What is an accessibility audit? 
 
An accessibility audit is a comprehensive evaluation of a website, application or any other digital platform to ensure that it complies with accessibility standards and regulations.  
Its objective is to identify barriers that prevent or hinder access for people with visual, auditory, motor or cognitive disabilities. 
 
This process involves reviewing different aspects of the website: HTML code, design elements and information structure, making sure that everything is aligned with accessibility guidelines. 

What regulations govern web accessibility? 
 
Accessibility audits usually follow the WCAG Accessibility guidelines, which are established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), these guidelines are divided into three levels of compliance: 
 
Level A: The minimum essential for content to be accessible. 
Level AA: A common standard that guarantees adequate accessibility for most users. 
Level AAA: The highest level, aimed at maximizing accessibility. 
In addition, depending on the region, there are also local laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in the U.S. or Royal Decree 1112/2018 in Spain, which establishes specific requirements for the accessibility of public sector websites and mobile apps. 
 
Why is it important to perform an accessibility audit? 
 
Inclusion and social responsibility: web accessibility is a right.  
 
Ensuring that all people can interact with a website is a social responsibility of companies, this promotes inclusion and helps to create a more equitable society. 
 
Improved user experience (UX): The principles of accessibility benefit everyone who interacts with the website, improving navigation, content structure and overall usability. 

SEO optimization: Many aspects of accessibility, such as proper use of header tags, alternative text in images and a good semantic structure, are also factors that search engines take into account to improve site visibility. 
 
How is an accessibility audit performed? 

An accessibility audit is carried out through several key steps: 
 
1. Manual and automated analysis 
The first step is a combination of automated and manual testing. Tools such as WAVE or Accessibility checker can automatically detect some problems, such as missing alternative text or incorrect semantic structure. However, manual analysis is critical, as more complex errors, such as content comprehension by cognitively diverse users, cannot be detected by automated tools. 

2. Design and navigation review 
An accessibility auditor will review how content is presented and how the user navigates the site. This includes checking whether interactive elements (buttons, menus, forms) are easily accessible by keyboard, whether there is sufficient contrast between text colors, background, and whether visually impaired users can adequately use screen readers. 
 
3. Code review 
A detailed review of the HTML and CSS code is performed to ensure that accessibility best practices are followed, such as proper use of ARIA roles, correct semantic tags, and correct hierarchy of headings. 
 
4. User testing 
A full audit may also include testing with people who are functionally diverse, these tests allow you to observe how real users interact with the site and may uncover problems that have not been detected in previous analyses. 
 
5. Report of results and recommendations 
Finally, a report is presented describing the findings of the audit, including the problems detected and the recommendations to correct them, this report usually prioritizes the actions needed based on the impact of the problems on accessibility and the effort required to solve them. 
 

Conclusion 
Performing an accessibility audit is not only an ethical and legal imperative, but also benefits any website by improving user experience and search engine visibility.  
Implementing accessibility should not be seen as a secondary task, but as an integral part of the development and maintenance of any digital platform.  
By ensuring that your website is accessible to all, you not only ensure compliance with regulations, but also contribute to a more inclusive and usable web.