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Accessibility Audits

Evaluating products against WCAG 2.2 and BITV 2.0 standards, with findings documented for design and development handover — grounded in years of public-sector and enterprise accessibility work.

What an accessibility audit actually is

An accessibility audit is a structured review of a digital product against established accessibility standards — primarily WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, the current international standard) and BITV 2.0 (Barrierefreie-Informationstechnik-Verordnung, the German regulation for public-sector digital products). It identifies barriers that prevent users with disabilities from using the product effectively.

The point is not just compliance. According to the WHO, 16 percent of people worldwide live with a disability, and another significant share faces situational limitations — a noisy environment, a mobile device in sunlight, a temporary injury. Accessibility work makes products usable for more people in more situations.

Accessibility audits are conducted for web applications, mobile apps, and enterprise software, with particular depth in public-sector and digital identity contexts where compliance is legally required.

Since 2025, accessibility is mandatory for companies too

For a long time, accessibility in Germany was mostly a public-sector topic. That changed on 28 June 2025, when the Barrierefreiheitsstärkungsgesetz (BFSG), Germany’s implementation of the European Accessibility Act, came into force. It requires private companies to make certain digital products and services accessible as well.

In scope are, among others, online shops and other e-commerce services, online banking, telecommunication services, e-books, and websites and apps for ticketing and passenger transport. Micro-enterprises with fewer than ten employees and an annual turnover of no more than two million euros are exempt, but only for services. Technically, the BFSG leads via the EN 301 549 standard to WCAG, which means the same criteria I audit against.

Many teams have never been under accessibility pressure before and do not know where their product stands. In that situation an audit is usually the most useful first step, because it shows which barriers need to go first and what can be fixed with reasonable effort.

When an accessibility audit fits

  • A product needs to meet WCAG 2.2 or BITV 2.0 compliance before launch, contract, or release
  • An online shop, banking app, or other consumer-facing service falls under the BFSG
  • A redesign is being planned and current accessibility status needs to be documented
  • A client or buyer (often in enterprise or public-sector procurement) requires accessibility certification
  • A team wants to understand where their product fails users with disabilities and how to fix it
  • A pre-launch check is needed before formal conformance testing by a certified body
  • An existing product is being scaled to new markets with stricter accessibility requirements (EU, public-sector, regulated industries)

What you get

  • Executive summary with severity overview and top priorities
  • Detailed findings organized by WCAG success criterion or BITV requirement
  • Screenshots with annotations marking specific barriers
  • Severity classification (A, AA, AAA for WCAG; corresponding levels for BITV)
  • Recommended fixes with notes on implementation
  • Compliance status overview (compliant, partially compliant, not compliant) per criterion
  • Optional: walkthrough meeting with the design and development team

How the process runs

A typical accessibility audit runs across two weeks:

  1. Scoping conversation (one to two hours): clarifying the product, the standards to apply (WCAG 2.2 AA is the default and covers the legally required 2.1; BITV 2.0 for the public sector), and the scope of the audit.
  2. Automated checks (one day): using accessibility testing tools (axe, WAVE, Lighthouse) to surface the issues that can be detected automatically.
  3. Manual review (three to five days): the bulk of the work — evaluating against WCAG criteria that cannot be tested automatically. This is where experience matters.
  4. Assistive technology testing (one to two days): testing with screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver), keyboard navigation, and other assistive tools.
  5. Synthesis and prioritization (two to three days): findings written up, prioritized, formatted for handover.

For larger products, three to four weeks is realistic. For focused audits on specific flows, one week may be sufficient.

Frequently asked questions

What does an accessibility audit cost?

Fixed-price packages based on the product's scope and complexity. A focused audit on a single flow or mobile app starts in the low four-figure range. A full audit of a complex web application is higher. Public-sector audits with BITV 2.0 conformance preparation are scoped individually.

What is the difference between WCAG and BITV?

WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the current international standard, structured in three conformance levels (A, AA, AAA). Compared with 2.1 it adds nine criteria, such as focus that is not obscured, minimum target sizes, and accessible authentication. AA is the typical target for most products. BITV 2.0 is the German regulation that applies to public-sector digital products, requiring at minimum WCAG 2.1 AA conformance plus additional German-specific requirements like sign language and easy-language content. In practice, BITV builds on WCAG, and an audit against 2.2 covers 2.1 as well.

Are you a certified accessibility tester?

I am a trained UX designer with extensive accessibility practice across public-sector and enterprise projects since 2017, including digital identity products at Bundesdruckerei and accessibility work on the Deutsche Telekom Magenta app. My audits are thorough and standards-based, but formal BITV 2.0 conformance certification must be done by an officially designated testing body. My audits prepare products for that step.

Does the audit include accessibility for cognitive and learning disabilities?

Yes. WCAG 2.2 includes criteria for cognitive accessibility (predictable navigation, clear language, error prevention, no redundant entry, login without memory tests). Where BITV 2.0 applies, additional requirements for easy language and sign language are evaluated. For products serving users with specific cognitive needs, deeper specialized work may be recommended.

Can you fix the issues found in the audit?

The fixes can be designed for issues that are design problems. For implementation, the work goes alongside the client's development team or trusted developers are recommended. Many accessibility issues are not visible in the design — they are in the code, in semantic HTML, in ARIA attributes — and those fixes happen in development.

How long do audit findings remain valid?

Until the product changes meaningfully. Small changes (content updates, minor UI tweaks) typically do not invalidate the audit. Major releases, redesigns, or framework changes warrant a re-audit. For products under active development, periodic re-audits (every six to twelve months) keep accessibility on track.

Can you train our team on accessibility?

Yes. Accessibility training and workshops can be part of an engagement, or arranged separately. The goal is usually to give designers and developers the knowledge to maintain accessibility ongoing, not just at audit milestones.

What if our product fails the audit?

That is the normal outcome — almost no product is fully WCAG conformant on first audit. The point is to identify what needs to be fixed and in what order. Critical issues (blockers for users with disabilities) come first. Issues affecting fewer users or with workarounds can be scheduled. A failed audit is the start of accessibility work, not the end.

Does our product fall under the BFSG?

It depends on what the product does and who it is for. The BFSG applies to consumer-facing products and services such as online shops, banking, telecommunications, e-books, and ticketing. Pure B2B software is usually out of scope, and micro-enterprises are exempt for services. In the scoping call I clarify which requirements apply. That does not replace a binding legal assessment, which needs legal advice.

Need to know your product's accessibility status?

Book a 30-minute conversation to talk through your audit needs and the relevant standards.

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