Accessible.org certification is documentation that a digital asset conformed with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) for a defined scope on a specific date. Certification is issued only after an audit (100% manual evaluation), complete remediation, and validation of every single fix by our team.
Our certification is difficult to obtain, is not guaranteed, and cannot be purchased. It can only be earned. A digital asset either meets the standard in full or it does not receive certification. There are no exceptions.
We charge for our audit and validation services, but do not charge for issuing certification or a conformance statement. Clients can only receive this documentation if they have 0 WCAG issues within a specified scope.
| Key Point | What It Means for You |
|---|---|
| Standard | Certification is tied to WCAG conformance. Our default standard is WCAG 2.1 AA, with WCAG 2.2 AA available. |
| Scope and Date | Certification always covers a defined scope on a given date, so there is never ambiguity about what was certified. |
| Evaluation | Audits are 100% manually conducted by DHS Trusted Tester certified auditors. The AXE scan is used only as a secondary review layer. |
| Validation | Every issue is tracked in Accessibility Tracker and every fix is validated. No outstanding issues, no third party issues, no exceptions. |
| Verification | Anyone can email us to confirm whether a certification was actually issued, along with its scope and date. |
What Does Accessible.org Certification Demonstrate?
When we certify a digital asset, we are stating that the asset was fully conformant with WCAG for the certified scope on the certification date. This applies to websites, mobile apps, platforms, software, and other digital assets.
The scope identifies exactly which pages, screens, or documents were evaluated. The date establishes exactly when conformance was confirmed. Accessibility is a property of a specific asset at a specific point in time, so a certification without a defined scope and date is not meaningful.
We are also developing a system that preserves the visuals of a site on the exact date of certification. This creates a permanent record of precisely what was certified.
Because our certification documents genuine WCAG conformance, it also supports best practices for ADA compliance and readiness for the European Accessibility Act (EAA).
Why Is Our Certification So Difficult to Get?
Because we enforce the standard without exception. Before we issue any certification, every issue identified in our audit must be fixed and every fix must be validated by our team.
The requirements are absolute:
- There can be no outstanding accessibility issues within the certified scope.
- There can be no third party issues. If a plugin, widget, or embedded component introduces issues, those issues must be fixed before certification is possible.
- There are no exceptions, no carve outs, and no partial certifications.
We are regimented and we are strict. That rigor is what gives our certification its weight. Anyone who sees an Accessible.org certification knows the asset went through a thorough and meticulous process, and they can have full confidence in what the certification represents.
Who Conducts the Audits Behind Certification?
Every Accessible.org auditor holds the DHS Trusted Tester certification issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The Trusted Tester credential is not a weekend workshop. Candidates must complete a training program that takes most people one to two months to finish. They must then pass a certification exam with a score of 85% or higher. The certification confirms an auditor can apply a standardized, code inspection based test process, not just answer questions about accessibility.
We require this credential for every auditor because certification is only as strong as the audit behind it. When our auditors grade a digital asset against WCAG, they apply a disciplined, repeatable evaluation methodology that has been formally verified.
How Are Our Audits Conducted?
Accessible.org audits are always 100% fully manually conducted. A technical accessibility expert evaluates your digital asset against all applicable WCAG success criteria using multiple evaluation methodologies:
- Screen reader testing with NVDA and VoiceOver
- Keyboard testing
- Visual inspection
- Code inspection
- Color contrast analysis
We use the AXE automated scan as a secondary review layer, never as a primary source of finding issues. After the manual evaluation is complete, we run the AXE scan to review our work and confirm that any issues correctly flagged by automation are included in the audit report. Automation reviews the audit. It never performs it.
This distinction matters. A scan can only detect a fraction of accessibility issues and cannot evaluate context or actual usability. Our certification reflects what a certified human expert personally evaluated and confirmed.
What Is the Certification Process?
Certification follows a sequential process with no skipped steps:
- Audit. A DHS Trusted Tester certified auditor conducts a full manual evaluation of your digital asset against WCAG. Every issue is documented with its location, the applicable success criterion, and a recommended fix.
- Upload to Accessibility Tracker. We upload your audit report to Accessibility Tracker. Every issue becomes a tracked record with a live status, so both our team and yours know every issue on the asset and where each one stands.
- Remediation. Your team fixes the issues identified in the audit. Our technical experts are available to support your developers so fixes are implemented correctly.
- Validation. Our team validates every single fix using the same manual methodologies from the original audit. A fix is either confirmed or returned with specific guidance on what must be corrected for conformance. Validation continues in rounds until every issue is fully fixed.
- Certification. Once every issue has been validated and the asset is fully conformant within the defined scope, we issue certification documenting the asset, scope, WCAG version and conformance level, and date.
How Do We Track and Validate Every Fix?
Accessibility Tracker is central to our certification process. The platform tracks the status of every issue from the audit report through final validation.
Nothing gets lost in a spreadsheet or buried in an email thread. Every issue is visible, every status is current, and the entire remediation effort is organized in one place. This tracking is what makes complete validation possible. We can confirm, issue by issue, that everything found in the audit has been fixed and validated before certification is issued.
The validation process is intense by design. We do not approximate and we do not accept partial fixes. Every issue in Accessibility Tracker must reach validated status. This checkpoint is where our standard is enforced, and it is the reason our certification is so hard to get.
How Can Someone Verify a Certification?
Email us. If you have been presented with an Accessible.org certification and want to confirm it was actually issued, contact us with the certification details. We will confirm whether the certification is authentic, along with its scope and issuance date.
This verification channel exists because a certification is only as good as its accountability. Procurement teams, legal counsel, and business partners can check any certification directly with us at any time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I buy an Accessible.org certification?
No. Certification cannot be purchased. A digital asset becomes eligible for certification only after a full (manual) audit, complete remediation, and validation of every fix.
What standard is the certification based on?
Certification is tied to WCAG conformance. Our default standard is WCAG 2.1 AA. Clients may also certify against WCAG 2.2 AA.
Does certification cover my entire website forever?
No. Certification covers a defined scope on a given date. When your asset changes materially, those changes fall outside what was certified. Most organizations recertify every one to two years or after significant changes.
What if a third party component has accessibility issues?
Those issues must be fixed before certification is possible. We do not certify around third party issues, and we do not make exceptions.
How do I check whether a certification is real?
Every certification document we issue has an email to verify the named digital asset was certified. We will confirm whether it was issued, along with its scope and date.
Can you certify EAA or ADA Compliance?
We do not certify compliance with laws or regulations because we are not a governing or governing body. However, certification of WCAG conformance directly shows that your digital asset was WCAG conformant when certification was issued and WCAG conformance is a best practice for compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and European Accessibility Act (EAA).
Next Steps
If you want your website, app, or other digital asset certified, here is how to move forward:
- Contact us to define the scope for your WCAG 2.1 AA audit.
- Complete remediation with your team, with our technical support available.
- Work through validation until every issue in Accessibility Tracker is validated.
- Receive certification for your defined scope on the date of issuance.
We will conduct the audit, track every issue, validate every fix, and issue certification only when your digital asset has earned it.
