Accessibility Software Beyond Scanning: WCAG Conformance is Goal
Accessibility software used to solely be based around a scan. And for some legacy accessibility companies (many of which target enterprise clients), that’s still the case.
But the market has evolved. More software and platforms now exist. And some of the existing players have updated their platform features to include AI to keep pace with new market entrants.
The shift is toward WCAG conformance tracking built on real audit reports. Scans are still useful, but they only reliably flag about 13% of WCAG 2.2 AA issues.
The target for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the European Accessibility Act (EAA), and other laws / regulations is WCAG 2.1 AA or WCAG 2.2 AA conformance. That requires tracking every issue in your audit report.
Why Is Scanning Not Enough on Its Own?
Automated scans are limited in what they can flag. They partially detect another 45% of WCAG success criteria, but partial results still need manual review. And 42% of success criteria are not flagged at all.
No law requires a perfect 100% scan score. Again, best practice for ADA and EAA compliance is WCAG conformance. That means your digital asset needs to meet either the WCAG 2.1 AA or WCAG 2.2 AA standard.
Scan-based software cannot tell you whether you meet that requirement because it does not have all of the data.
This is why accessibility software is expanding beyond scanning and into audit-based project management.
What Does Audit-Based Tracking Look Like?
The Accessibility Tracker platform by Accessible.org is an example of a platform that is built on audit-based tracking rather than scan results.
You upload the spreadsheet, the platform maps the data, and your project is ready. Your dashboard shows every issue from the audit, and your progress score reflects true conformance status.
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From there, the project becomes a managed workflow. You assign issues to team members by role. Developers get code issues. Designers take color contrast. Content editors fix missing alternative text. Everyone filters to their assignments and works in parallel.
Two built-in prioritization formulas help decide what to fix first. Risk factor scoring uses data from ADA lawsuit complaints to surface issues most often cited by plaintiffs’ firms. User impact scoring uses a weighted formula to flag the issues that block the most users from access.
Where Does AI Fit into the Workflow?
Tracker AI includes five tools built directly into each issue view. Each tool is pre-loaded with the specific audit data for that issue. There is no need to copy details into ChatGPT or write prompts from scratch.
The tools cover plain-language explanations for non-technical team members, code fixes for developers, alternative approaches when the standard fix does not fit your design, WCAG guidance for understanding the success criterion, and a custom analysis tool for open-ended questions.
This is not artificial intelligence replacing the remediation process. It is AI making the existing workflow faster and reducing reliance on outside technical support.
How Does Scanning Fit Alongside Audit Tracking?
Scans still have a clear role. Between audits, they can catch new issues as content changes. This is especially useful on e-commerce sites built on platforms like Shopify where pages update frequently.
The Tracker platform includes scanning and monitoring as a feature alongside audit-based tracking. You set a schedule and the scan runs on your pages. New issues trigger alerts in your dashboard. But the scan sits as one tool among many. It does not replace the audit and is not the basis for your compliance tracking.
Think of it as layers: the audit is your foundation, the scan is your monitoring layer.
What Makes This Different from General Project Management Tools?
General tools like Jira require extensive setup to manage accessibility work. The Tracker platform is built specifically for accessibility remediation. The scoring formulas, status labels, issue filtering, validation workflow, and compliance documentation are already in place. Your team starts working on fixes instead of configuring a project board.
Experience the Difference
Ready to track toward real WCAG conformance? Start with a free plan at AccessibilityTracker.com.
