Audits Are Not Enough: Understanding How to Fix Accessibility Issues for Good
- Nir Horesh
- Apr 9
- 3 min read
Many organisations approach digital accessibility as a one-time project: audit their sites, fix the problems found, and move on. However, this mindset misses the bigger picture. True accessibility isn't achieved through a single audit-and-fix cycle—it requires fundamental changes to how organisations design, develop, and maintain their digital products.
The Common Misconception: Accessibility as a Project
When companies first address accessibility, they typically commission an audit, receive a report highlighting violations, assign developers to fix identified issues, and consider accessibility "handled." While addressing existing barriers is essential, this reactive approach is both inefficient and unsustainable. It's like constantly patching leaks without addressing why your pipes keep bursting in the first place.
Beyond Backward-Looking Fixes: A Forward-Thinking Approach
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) explicitly recognises this limitation. The EAA states:
"Products and services falling within the scope of this Directive which are placed on the market after 28 June 2025 shall comply with the accessibility requirements set out in this Directive."
This directive isn't merely about fixing existing products—it requires organisations to ensure all new products meet accessibility standards from the moment they enter the market. This forward-looking mandate necessitates building accessibility into your development processes rather than treating it as an afterthought.
The Key Insight: Ask "How Do We Prevent This From Happening Again?"
For every accessibility issue discovered during an audit, ask two questions: how do we fix this specific instance, and more importantly, how do we prevent this issue from occurring in future products?
This second question is transformative. It shifts your focus from reactive fixes to proactive prevention, moving accessibility considerations "left" in your development process.
Consider the common issue of images missing alternative text. The traditional approach simply adds alt text to these specific images. A transformative approach, however, identifies why alt text was missing in the first place. Perhaps it was a CMS limitation, or maybe designers and content creators didn't understand its importance.
By addressing these root causes—updating design templates to require alt text fields, adding alt text requirements to content guidelines, building alt text validation into your CMS, training teams on writing effective alt text—you prevent the same issue from appearing in new content.
The Benefits of Shifting Left
When you move accessibility considerations earlier in your development process, the advantages are substantial. Fixing issues in design costs a fraction of fixing them after launch. Early integration allows for more elegant, seamless implementations rather than awkward retrofits. Your codebase remains cleaner and more maintainable with fewer accessibility patches. Teams naturally develop accessibility expertise through regular practice. Perhaps most importantly, accessibility becomes built into your processes rather than bolted on as an afterthought.
From Project to Process
True accessibility maturity comes when accessibility transforms from a project into an integrated process. Design teams incorporate accessibility from the first wireframe. Developers know accessibility requirements before writing a single line of code. QA teams include accessibility testing in their regular workflows. Content creators produce accessible materials without additional effort.
When accessibility is woven into your standard procedures, everyone creates accessible products by default—even those without specialised accessibility knowledge.
Breaking the Cycle
By shifting your mindset from "fixing what's broken" to "preventing future issues," you break free from the endless cycle of audits and retrofits. You'll spend less, achieve better results, and create more inclusive experiences for all users.
Remember: An audit is just the beginning of your accessibility journey, not the destination. The true measure of success isn't how well you fix existing problems, but how effectively you prevent new ones from emerging.
Want to transform your organisation's approach to accessibility? Contact us to learn how we can guide your transition from reactive fixes to proactive accessibility processes.
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