A few years ago, I was working with a mid-sized e-commerce brand that prided itself on sleek design and user experience. Their website looked flawless on the surface-modern, fast, mobile-friendly. But after one complaint from a visually impaired customer about being unable to navigate the checkout process, everything shifted.
They had never even considered accessibility.
I’ve been there-on the other side of a user report, scrambling to understand WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), trying to comb through code, running manual checks, and realizing just how many barriers exist for millions of users. It’s humbling, even a little embarrassing. But it’s also where the real learning begins.
If you're here reading this, you probably know that WCAG compliance isn't just about ticking boxes or avoiding lawsuits-it's about inclusion. It’s about building something that everyone can use, regardless of ability.
But here’s the thing: Fixing WCAG errors manually is overwhelming. And that’s why accessibility automation is no longer just helpful-it’s essential.
Why WCAG Errors Are So Hard to Tackle Manually
Let’s be honest: WCAG isn’t light bedtime reading. It’s a complex, evolving set of standards, packed with technical detail and legal nuance. Version 2.2 alone has over 80 individual success criteria, all designed to ensure content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
Now imagine trying to manually check all of that on a site with hundreds of pages, dynamic content, JavaScript widgets, and third-party integrations. It’s like checking every grain of rice in a bag to find the one that’s broken.
Here’s why manual testing often falls short:
- Time-consuming: A single audit can take days or weeks.
- Inconsistent: Different testers may interpret WCAG guidelines differently.
- Resource-heavy: You need specialists with a deep understanding of accessibility.
And let’s face it: most dev teams are already stretched thin. Accessibility, while important, often gets pushed to the bottom of the backlog until a lawsuit or PR disaster forces it to the top.
That’s where automation comes in.
What Is Accessibility Automation?
Accessibility automation refers to using tools that automatically scan, detect, and sometimes even fix WCAG violations on your website or app. These tools can run tests at scale, in real-time, or on a scheduled basis, and give you actionable insights into what’s wrong and how to fix it.
It’s like having a robot with an accessibility magnifying glass crawl through every element of your site, flagging contrast issues, missing alt text, keyboard traps, and more.
Popular automated tools include:
- Axe by Deque Systems
- Lighthouse (built into Chrome DevTools)
- Pa11y
- WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool)
- Tenon
Some of these integrate directly into your CI/CD pipeline, so accessibility becomes part of your workflow, not an afterthought.
How Automation Speeds Up WCAG Fixes
Let’s go back to that e-commerce brand I mentioned earlier. After their first manual audit, the development team was drowning in fixes. By the time they resolved one set of issues, new content had gone live with fresh violations.
They were chasing their tail.
When they implemented automated accessibility testing, things changed overnight. Suddenly, they had a dashboard showing high-priority issues in real-time. Their devs could catch violations before pushing code to production. They weren’t reacting anymore-they were preventing.
Here’s how accessibility automation helps you move faster:
1. Continuous Monitoring
Run scans as part of your CI/CD pipeline so issues are caught before deployment.
2. Instant Feedback
Developers get real-time feedback in their code editors—no need to wait for audits.
3. Prioritization
Automated tools often score issues by severity, helping teams tackle what matters most first.
4. Documentation
Get automatically generated reports that can be shared with stakeholders, legal teams, or clients.
But Wait-Can Automation Fix Everything?
Let’s be clear: automation isn’t perfect. Automated tools can catch around 30-50% of WCAG violations, depending on the tool and the site. Some issues, like logical reading order, proper use of ARIA roles, or descriptive link text, still require human judgment.
But that doesn’t make automation any less powerful. It means that automation is your first line of defense, not your only one.
Think of it like a smoke detector. It won’t fight the fire, but it’ll tell you something’s wrong before it burns the house down.
Real-World Impact of Faster WCAG Fixes
The impact of getting this right goes beyond compliance.
A 2023 survey by the (fictional) Inclusive Web Foundation found that 68% of users with disabilities said they would return to a brand’s website if it were accessible, even if the prices were slightly higher than competitors.
Accessibility doesn’t just help people with permanent disabilities. It helps:
- A parent holding a baby in one arm, trying to navigate by voice
- An older user struggling with vision loss
- A person recovering from surgery who can’t use a mouse
When we make the web more accessible, we make it better for everyone.
My Personal Take: Accessibility as a Mindset, Not a Milestone
The moment I truly understood accessibility wasn’t during a client project or after reading a legal brief. It was during a conversation with a blind software tester named Reema. She told me how exhausting it was to just shop for groceries online, how often she felt like the digital world was built without her in mind.
She wasn’t bitter. Just tired.
That stuck with me.
So when we talk about fixing WCAG errors faster, it’s not just about performance. It’s about respect. About doing the work to make sure Reema and millions like her don’t feel like second-class citizens online.
And if automation helps us do that work faster and better? Then we should use it.
Final Thought
The longer you wait to fix WCAG errors, the more costly and complicated it becomes. But with automated accessibility testing, you don’t have to choose between speed and inclusivity.
You can build both into your process.
So, whether you’re part of a lean startup team or a large enterprise, it’s time to stop treating accessibility like a side project. Make it a habit. Bake it into your code reviews. Integrate it into your deployment cycles. Let automation handle the heavy lifting, so your team can focus on building experiences that work for everyone.
Because accessibility isn’t just a checklist-it’s a commitment.
And if we can meet that commitment faster, smarter, and with fewer barriers along the way? Well, that’s a win for all of us.
If you haven’t already, consider adding automated accessibility testing to your workflow. It just might be the most human thing you do with your code.
Know More Read This: How to Choose the Right Automated Accessibility Testing Tool for Your Team
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