Frequently Asked Questions About ADA/WCAG Website Accessibility Audits

Developers are important to remediation, but an independent accessibility audit provides a separate review of how key pages, forms, navigation, and documents perform for users who rely on keyboard navigation, screen readers, captions, contrast, and other accessibility features. Automated tools and developer spot checks can miss functional issues, especially when a site technically looks correct but fails during real use.

The CDG audit produces organized technical findings, screenshots and screen recordings where helpful, WCAG references, severity ratings, and developer-ready recommendations. The goal is to give your team a clear roadmap for improving accessibility, not to replace legal counsel or guarantee ADA compliance.

An overlay or plugin should not be treated as a complete accessibility program or guarantee. Many issues need to be fixed in the site's underlying code, content, forms, navigation, templates, and documents. CDG generally recommends auditing the actual website experience rather than relying on after-page-load widgets.

If an overlay is installed, we may recommend disabling it during testing so the audit reflects the site's underlying accessibility barriers and gives your web team a practical remediation plan. This helps your team understand what should be fixed at the source rather than covered by a temporary layer.

Website accessibility concerns can arise in several ways: user complaints, automated scans flagging issues, vendor reviews, competitor monitoring, or outside audits. Accessibility problems are often present for months or longer before anyone formally documents them.

An independent manual audit documents what exists, which pages are affected, and what your web team can do to address issues in order of priority. The earlier those issues are identified and documented, the easier they are to prioritize and fix.

WCAG 2.1 Level AA (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the technical standard referenced in DOJ guidance and cited in virtually every ADA website settlement agreement. It covers four principles:

• Perceivable: Information can be perceived by users regardless of disability (alt text, captions, contrast)
• Operable: All functions can be operated by keyboard alone, not just mouse
• Understandable: Content and interfaces behave predictably and error messages are helpful
• Robust: Content works with current and future assistive technologies

Meeting WCAG 2.1 AA is the baseline for demonstrating good-faith accessibility efforts in a legal setting. Not meeting it — or not being able to document that you meet it — significantly weakens your position if you receive a demand letter.

The audit is a fixed fee of $8,500 for websites up to 50 pages. This includes all eight testing modules, the complete accessibility documentation package, the centralized issues log, the prioritized remediation roadmap, and the executive audit findings summary.

Eligible small businesses may be able to claim up to $4,125 in federal tax credits under IRC Section 44, potentially reducing the net cost to approximately $4,375. Confirm eligibility with your CPA. Learn more about the potential federal tax benefit.

The standard turnaround is 4–5 weeks from kickoff call to delivery of the complete accessibility documentation package and executive findings summary. Week one is kickoff and access setup. Weeks two and three are comprehensive testing. Weeks three and four are findings compilation and remediation planning. Weeks four and five are final review, executive summary, and delivery.

If you have urgent circumstances — an active demand letter, a due diligence process closing soon, or an enterprise contract pending accessibility documentation — we can discuss expedited timelines. Contact us to discuss your situation.

No — and this is an important distinction. The audit identifies and documents every accessibility issue on your site and gives you a clear, prioritized roadmap your developer can act on immediately. We do not implement fixes ourselves.

CDG is an accessibility audit and documentation firm, not a developer shop. The remediation work is done by your development team, guided by our detailed findings log and fix recommendations. This separation is intentional — it means you have an independent, third-party assessment of your site's accessibility status that is separate from your developer's own work.

The executive accessibility findings summary documents the scope of the audit, the methodology used, key findings, severity levels, and the prioritized remediation roadmap. It is organized so your web team, internal stakeholders, or outside counsel can review it clearly.

Michael Goldstein's legal background informs CDG's documentation standards and audit methodology. However, the audit findings summary is not a legal opinion, and purchasing an audit does not create an attorney-client relationship. Legal questions about the findings should be directed to your own attorney.

No. The audit does not guarantee ADA compliance or that you will never receive a demand letter. CDG does not provide legal representation or predict legal outcomes.

What the audit does is give your team organized documentation of accessibility findings and a practical roadmap to improve accessibility. Businesses that can demonstrate a systematic approach to accessibility and maintain clear documentation of their improvement efforts are generally better positioned when accessibility questions arise. If you have legal questions, consult your own attorney.

The accessibility documentation package is organized for your web team, internal stakeholders, or outside counsel to review. It includes:

• Timestamped screenshots of every accessibility issue found
• Screen recording sessions showing real-world accessibility failures
• Step-by-step issue reproduction instructions
• A centralized Google Sheets issues log with severity ratings, WCAG references, and fix recommendations
• All files organized in Google Drive folders your team or outside counsel can access

Every piece of documentation is timestamped and organized for easy review and developer handoff.

If you receive a demand letter, consult your own attorney immediately. Do not contact the opposing party directly before speaking with legal counsel.

A documented accessibility audit in progress may be relevant context for your attorney. If you have received a demand letter and are evaluating an audit, mention this when you contact CDG and we will discuss your situation and timeline.

Contact CDG to discuss your situation.

Eligible small businesses may be able to claim 50% of qualified accessibility expenditures between $250 and $10,250 as a direct tax credit, up to a maximum of $5,000 per year. For an $8,500 audit, the estimated credit is $4,125 — potentially reducing your net cost to approximately $4,375. CDG provides documentation your CPA can review to determine whether the expense qualifies.

Learn more about the Disabled Access Credit →

You may still qualify. The small business size test has two thresholds — you only need to meet one: gross receipts of $1 million or less OR 30 or fewer full-time employees in the previous tax year. Many businesses doing $5M–$10M in annual revenue still qualify because they're under 30 full-time employees.

CDG does not confirm tax eligibility or prepare tax filings. Always confirm eligibility with your CPA or tax advisor before claiming the credit.

No. Compliance Defense Group is not a law firm and does not provide legal advice, legal representation, or tax advice. CDG provides manual ADA/WCAG website accessibility audits, technical documentation, and remediation guidance.

Michael Goldstein's legal background informs the audit's documentation standards, but purchasing an audit does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you receive a demand letter or have legal questions, please consult your own attorney.

When you schedule an audit consultation, you speak directly with the CDG team — not a sales representative or intake coordinator. CDG was co-founded by Michael Goldstein and Sean Dennin, former partner at Acumen Legal Marketing.

The CDG audit team is involved in every engagement from kickoff through final documentation delivery. CDG is currently accepting a limited number of audit clients.

Note: CDG is not a law firm and purchasing an audit does not create an attorney-client relationship. If you have legal questions, please consult your own attorney.

The call is focused on your website, your accessibility goals, and whether the manual ADA/WCAG audit and documentation package makes sense for your business. We will review your website type, explain what the audit covers, and help you understand the documentation your web team can use to improve accessibility.

There is no sales pressure and no obligation. You will leave the call knowing whether the audit is a fit, whether your web team should handle initial fixes first, or whether you need more information before moving forward.