Your product is never done. You'll always improve it, fix it and rebuild it.
So I feel like we need to be honest. Without regular check-ins, accessibility debt skyrockets. Those new features you thought you needed introduced old mistakes. Your quick fixes created new problems. The only reliable antidote is a consistent rhythm of accessibility audits that show what's actually happening, not what you hope is happening.
Accessibility isn't a one-time thing. Even with clear roles, goals and a solid Definition of Done, issues creep back in.
Regular audits ensure your progress sticks and you catch regressions early.
Good audits catch the things everyone assumes someone else handled.
That modal dialog that keyboard users can't escape. The form error messages that screen readers won't announce. These aren't theoretical issues. They're the exact failures I've seen block real users in real products.
The number one complain I hear about audits is that they're expensive and they take a long time. And I agree with that.
But nowhere does it say you have to do everything all at once.
Start small, start now. Pick your highest-risk user flow and test three things:
- Can you complete the entire journey using only a keyboard?
- Do all images that convey meaning have decent alt text?
- Does the colour contrast meet WCAG standards where text matters?
Do this manually once a month. The goal isn't perfection. You just need to get good at spotting patterns.
Maybe you'll notice all new buttons fail keyboard focus. Perhaps image uploads keep shipping without alt text fields. These systemic issues become obvious quickly. And don't forget that automated tools miss many problems, like illogical focus order or unclear error messages. Manual checks will fill those gaps.
Next, share findings where the team actually looks. Your team will be different than others. Use Slack, Jira or your sprint board. You don't need polished presentations. A simple list like this works:
June audit results:
- Fixed: Checkout now works with keyboard
- Remaining: 3 product cards missing alt text
- Regression: New filters break screen reader navigation
This isn't about shaming. It's about making the invisible visible. When progress and problems are equally clear, you'll course-correct naturally.
And before you ask, yes, you can scale this process. Here's how!
- Schedule regular checks that run automated scans with every release and manual tests quarterly where you focus on the key user flows.
- Report clearly to track progress in a shared space where you highlight both problems and wins.
- Act on findings and assign urgent issues to specific team members who will dedicate a small portion of each sprint to fix these things.
Without regular audits, you'll always find yourself in a frantic scramble before each launch when suddenly 20 accessibility issues surface at once. Regular checks prevent this. They turn what could be a crisis into routine maintenance.
I can already hear you screaming. "But we don't know how to run accessibility audits!"
That's where training comes in. I'll tackle that next week.