Accessibility audits, issues and statements
Accessibility audits
- Last reviewed
- 14 September 2026
- Owner
- DesignOps
Find out when to plan an accessibility audit, what it checks and how to prepare.
You must get an accessibility audit before your service moves into public beta. Start planning during alpha so you have enough time to arrange the audit and fix any issues before your service goes live.
When to plan your accessibility audit
Start planning for an accessibility audit during alpha. Early planning gives your team enough time to:
- arrange an audit
- make sure your product or service is ready for testing
- provide the information auditors need
- understand and fix any issues the audit identifies
- arrange a retest if needed
- update your accessibility statement
Delivery and product managers should make sure they allocate enough time, resources and budget for the audit and any work needed to fix accessibility issues.
You must get an audit before your service moves into public beta.
What an accessibility audit checks
An accessibility audit checks your product or service against WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 2.2 at Level AA and helps you understand whether it meets the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018.
It also checks how well your product or service works with assistive technologies. This will also help you meet Service Standard point 5.
An audit helps you understand the barriers users may face when using your product or service. Your audit report will identify accessibility issues and may include recommendations for fixing them. Learn about common accessibility issues and how to prevent them.
Use your audit findings to create or update your accessibility statement.
Understand the scope of your audit
Before you request an audit, identify what you need to test.
The audit should cover the parts of your product or service that users need to access, including the relevant user journeys.
An accessibility statement is a legal document informed by the findings of an accessibility audit. Make sure your audit follows the Website Accessibility Conformance Evaluation Methodology (WCAG-EM) so that the findings can inform your accessibility statement.
You must audit production-quality code. Do not use prototype code or a kit for the audit.
Information your auditor will need
Provide the information auditors need to access your service and complete the relevant user journeys.
This may include:
- access to the service
- the scope of the test
- information needed to complete the user journeys
- any other information the auditor needs to carry out the test
Provide this information in advance to avoid delays to testing.
Agree the audit scope before it starts. This helps the auditor understand what to test and your team understand what the audit will cover.
When you're ready, find out how to get an accessibility audit.