Accessibility audits, issues and statements
Accessibility audits
- Last reviewed
- 14 September 2026
- Owner
- DesignOps
Find out when you need an accessibility audit, what it checks and how to prepare for one.
You must get an accessibility audit before your service moves into public beta. You should start planning for an audit during alpha so you have enough time to arrange the audit and fix any issues before your service goes live.
When to plan your audit
Start planning for an accessibility audit during alpha.
Although you will not need to complete the audit until beta, planning early gives your team enough time to:
- arrange an audit
- make sure your product or website is ready for testing
- provide the information auditors need
- understand and fix any issues identified by the audit
- arrange a retest where needed
- update your accessibility statement
Delivery and product managers should make sure sufficient time, resource and cost have been planned for the audit and any work needed to fix accessibility issues.
You must get an audit before your service moves into public beta.
[Find out how to get an accessibility audit]
What an accessibility audit checks
An accessibility audit checks your product or website against WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility guidelines.
It also checks how well your product or website works with assistive technologies.
An audit will help you understand the barriers users may experience when using your product or website. Your audit report will identify accessibility issues and may include recommendations for fixing them.
The findings from your audit will help you create or update your accessibility statement.
Understand the scope of your audit
Before you request an audit, you need to understand what needs to be tested.
The audit should cover the parts of your product or website that users need to access, including the relevant user journeys.
You must audit production-quality code. Do not use prototype code or a kit for the audit.
Information your auditor will need
You will need to provide essential information so the auditors can 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.
The scope of the audit should be agreed before the audit starts so that the auditor knows what needs to be tested and your team understands what the audit will cover.
Plan time to fix issues
An audit can identify issues that need to be fixed before your service goes live.
Make sure your team has enough time and resource to understand the findings, prioritise issues and make any necessary changes.
Some issues may require changes to the design or implementation of your service.
After fixing issues, you may need to arrange a retest to confirm that they have been resolved.
[Find out what to do after an accessibility audit]
Get an audit
When you are ready to arrange an audit, find out how to get help planning and organising your accessibility audit.
[Get an accessibility audit]