How Small Businesses Can Start an Accessibility Audit

Digital accessibility is sometimes treated like a “big company” problem. In practice, small businesses benefit just as much from accessible websites, forms, and documents, and you can start without a large budget.

An accessibility audit is one of the most practical first steps. It helps you identify barriers that prevent customers with disabilities from using your digital content, and it provides a prioritized plan for improvements.

Note: This guide is written for small businesses with customers in the United States. Accessibility obligations can vary by country, state, and industry. This article is educational, not legal advice.

Key Takeaways

• An accessibility audit checks how well your site and digital content align with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
• Start small by auditing your highest-traffic and highest-value pages (home, contact, checkout, booking, customer portal).
• Use automated tools to find common issues quickly, then add manual checks to catch barriers that tools miss.
• Document issues in plain language, prioritize fixes that block key tasks, and retest after changes.
• Treat accessibility as ongoing work, not a one-time project.
  
  

What Is an Accessibility Audit?

An accessibility audit is a structured review of your digital content (web pages, online forms, PDFs, videos, and app-like features) to see how well it meets accessibility best practices.

Most audits use the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 as a benchmark. WCAG is organized around four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR). WCAG requirements are also grouped into conformance levels (A, AA, and AAA). Many organizations aim for Level AA because it covers a wide range of common barriers without being as restrictive as AAA.

Why Accessibility Matters for Small Businesses

It helps more customers use your site

Accessible design supports people who use assistive technologies such as screen readers, captions, keyboard navigation, and voice input. It can also improve general usability, especially on mobile devices and in low-bandwidth or high-glare situations.

It can reduce legal and reputational risk

In the U.S., the Department of Justice (DOJ) states that the ADA applies to businesses that are open to the public and that website barriers can prevent equal access. The ADA’s business provisions are often referred to as Title III.

Lawsuits related to digital accessibility have also been filed against businesses of many sizes. For example, UsableNet’s ADA website lawsuit tracker reports thousands of digital accessibility lawsuits filed each year. (These are third-party counts, not an official government tally.)

Step 1: Identify What to Audit First

You do not need to audit everything at once. Start with the pages and tasks that matter most to customers and bring the most business value.

Good first targets for most small businesses include:

• Home page and top landing pages
• Contact page and location pages
• Product or service pages
• Checkout, booking, and appointment scheduling
• Login, customer portals, and account areas
• Key online forms (lead forms, support requests, applications)
• PDFs people must use (menus, pricing sheets, intake forms)
• Videos that explain products, services, or policies
  
  

If you are unsure where to start, use analytics to identify your top pages and top conversion paths.

Step 2: Run Automated Checks (Fast, Helpful, Not Complete)

Automated tools can quickly flag issues such as missing alternative text, low color contrast, missing form labels, or problems with heading structure.

A good place to explore options is the W3C list of web accessibility evaluation tools.

Important limitation: Tools do not catch everything. The W3C notes that some accessibility checks cannot be automated and require human judgment.

Practical tips for small teams

• Scan your most important pages first (not your entire site on day one).
• Save tool results as a baseline, then rescan after fixes.
• If your site changes often, schedule automated scans regularly (monthly or quarterly) and add checks to your release process.
  
  

Step 3: Do Basic Manual Checks Anyone Can Do

Manual checks often uncover the barriers that lead to real user failures, especially in navigation, forms, and interactive components.

Quick keyboard check (5 to 10 minutes per page)

Using only your keyboard:

• Can you reach all interactive elements (menus, buttons, form fields) using Tab and Shift+Tab?
• Is the current focus clearly visible?
• Can you open and close menus and dialogs without a mouse?
• Can you complete checkout or booking without getting stuck?

Content checks (easy wins)

Review each key page for:

• Clear headings in a logical order (one main page title, then sections)
• Descriptive link text (avoid “read more” without context)
• Images that have meaningful alternative text when the image conveys information
• Forms with visible labels, clear instructions, and understandable error messages
• Sufficient color contrast for text and important icons

Optional: screen reader spot check

If you can, test one key flow using a screen reader (for example, NVDA on Windows or VoiceOver on Apple devices). You are not trying to become an expert overnight. You are listening for obvious problems, such as unlabeled buttons, confusing navigation order, or form fields that are not announced clearly.

Step 4: Document Issues and Prioritize Fixes

A simple, consistent issue log is enough to start. For each issue, capture:

• Page or URL
• What happens
• Who it affects (example: keyboard-only users, screen reader users)
• Impact on the task (example: “cannot submit the form”)
• Suggested fix (in plain language)

A simple way to prioritize

• Priority 1 (Blockers): Users cannot complete key actions (contact, purchase, book, sign up).
• Priority 2 (Major barriers): Users can finish, but the experience is confusing or error-prone.
• Priority 3 (Polish): Improvements that reduce friction and strengthen consistency.

Fixing “Priority 1” issues first usually delivers the greatest impact in the least time.

Step 5: Fix, Retest, and Keep What Works

After remediation, retest the same pages:

• Rerun your automated scans.
• Repeat your keyboard checks.
• Recheck the specific user flow that was blocked (checkout, booking, contact form).

When you find a fix that works (for example, a properly labeled form field pattern), document it and reuse it across your site.

Step 6: Decide When to Bring in Expert Help

Many small businesses can resolve basic issues internally, especially if their sites use standard templates. Consider an accessibility professional if:

• Your site has complex interactive features (custom widgets, dynamic content, complex navigation).
• You need a documented conformance approach aligned to WCAG.
• You publish a lot of PDFs or have critical forms that must be accessible.
• You want a structured audit method for broader coverage.

If you want a more formal approach to evaluating conformance, the W3C provides the WCAG Evaluation Methodology (WCAG-EM).

Step 7: Make Accessibility Ongoing (So You Do Not Rebuild the Same Fixes)

Accessibility is easiest when it is part of routine work.

Build an “accessibility habit” with steps like:

• Add a short accessibility checklist to your publishing workflow.
• Train anyone who posts content (blogs, product updates, PDFs).
• Test new templates and components before they go live.
• Include accessibility in vendor selection and procurement.
• Schedule periodic reviews of your top pages and top customer flows.

Cost Help for U.S. Small Businesses 

Some small businesses may be eligible for a federal tax credit for certain accessibility-related expenses. The IRS describes the Disabled Access Credit and eligibility criteria. Talk with a qualified tax professional to understand what applies to your situation.