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Many companies still treat accessibility as a one-time project with a clear start and finish. They commission an audit, fix the issues, and celebrate compliance, only to assume the job is done. Accessibility is not static, though. As websites evolve, new content is added, designs are refreshed, and features are updated, new accessibility barriers often appear.
To stay accessible and genuinely inclusive, businesses need more than automated monitoring tools. They must invest in accessibility knowledge and empathy training, equipping their teams to understand, implement, and sustain accessibility best practices over the long term.
Continue reading to find out why automated accessibility testing tools are not enough on their own, how manual testing fills the gaps they leave, and how training empowers teams across design, content, and development.
Is it Possible to Automate Accessibility Testing?
Automated accessibility testing is possible, and many organisations use automated accessibility testing tools to identify basic issues. A scan might flag missing alt text or highlight colour contrast errors within minutes, giving teams a fast way to spot obvious problems.
The limits appear when the user experience becomes more complex. Automated tools cannot confirm whether a page’s heading structure is meaningful, whether a navigation path makes sense with a keyboard, or whether a pop-up is announced properly to assistive technology. They also cannot capture the lived experience of a person using a screen reader or other adaptive tools.
Automation is best treated as the starting point. True digital accessibility depends on skilled people who can carry out manual testing, apply empathy, and build inclusive practices directly into everyday design and development.
Why Automated Accessibility Tools Alone Are Not Enough
Many businesses rely on using automated tools for accessibility checks, believing regular scans will keep them compliant. These tools are helpful for spotting issues such as missing alt text, colour contrast violations, or empty form labels. However, they cannot identify more complex barriers that affect real user experiences.
Automated accessibility tools cannot:
Evaluate logical content structure. A page might technically use the correct heading levels, but if the hierarchy is confusing, the content remains difficult to follow.
Assess keyboard navigation. When focus indicators are missing or the tab order is illogical, an automated scan rarely flags the problem.
Test real-world screen reader usability. A tool might detect missing labels, yet it cannot confirm whether a person using a screen reader can navigate effectively.
Identify dynamic content issues. Pop-ups, error messages, and modal dialogues need to be checked manually to confirm they work with assistive technologies.
To ensure accessibility is truly effective, organisations must equip their teams with the knowledge and skills to carry out manual testing alongside automation.
Why is Manual Accessibility Testing is Important
Manual testing matters because it focuses on the lived experience of users with disabilities. Where automated scans stop at surface-level errors, manual checks reveal whether content is understandable, navigation flows logically, and interactive elements work reliably across assistive technologies.
Practical tasks such as moving through a website with only a keyboard, listening to pages through a screen reader, or checking how error messages are announced cannot be automated. These insights are critical for building websites that are not only compliant but genuinely inclusive.
Incorporating manual reviews into accessibility testing best practices ensures that accessibility becomes more than a compliance exercise. It embeds empathy into design and development, reduces the risk of overlooked barriers, and helps create digital experiences that are usable for everyone.
Teams that want to strengthen these skills in a practical way can explore our Digital Inclusion Lab, which gives professionals the chance to experience accessibility barriers first-hand.
Empowering Teams Through Accessibility & Empathy Training
Long-term accessibility depends on people, not just tools. Automated scans can highlight issues, but sustainable progress comes when teams understand how to design, build, and maintain inclusivity from the ground up. Investing in digital accessibility training gives professionals the skills and awareness they need to prevent barriers before they appear and to maintain standards as digital products evolve.
To maintain accessibility, organisations should invest in role-based training for the people responsible for building and maintaining their digital presence:
UX and design specialists: Should apply inclusive design principles from the start, ensuring layouts, colour choices, and interactive elements work for all users.
Content designers and editors: Need to structure content correctly, use accessible language, and provide accurate descriptions for multimedia.
Web developers: Must be able to implement and test for accessibility, ensuring that new code does not introduce barriers.
Training these professionals embeds accessibility into everyday workflows, reduces the risk of regressions, and makes compliance an ongoing process rather than a reactive one.
The Business Case for Digital Accessibility Training
Accessibility training is not just a compliance requirement; it is a long-term investment that improves efficiency, reduces risk, and strengthens trust with customers. When organisations combine training with accessibility testing best practices, they create a culture where accessibility is built into every update rather than treated as an afterthought. This proactive approach brings clear business advantages.
Investing in accessibility training offers significant benefits:
Sustained compliance: Reduces the risk of falling out of compliance as new content and features are added.
Cost savings: Prevents expensive remediation efforts down the line by addressing accessibility at the source.
Better user experience: Ensures that websites remain usable and inclusive for all customers, improving engagement and conversions.
Stronger brand reputation: Shows a long-term commitment to inclusivity, fostering trust with customers and partners.
Digital accessibility training is not just a compliance requirement; it is a long-term investment that improves efficiency, reduces risk, and strengthens trust with customers, as outlined in our guide to maximising digital accessibility ROI.
Conclusion: A Proactive Approach to Accessibility
True accessibility evolves with your digital presence and requires ongoing attention. Automated tools play an important role, but they are not a substitute for human expertise and awareness. By investing in accessibility and empathy training, businesses can empower their teams to take ownership of digital inclusivity, ensuring that every update, page, and feature remains accessible.
A truly inclusive digital presence is not simply built once and left alone. It is maintained through knowledge, skills, and a proactive mindset that treats accessibility as part of everyday practice rather than a reactive task.
Don’t wait for accessibility to become a risk. Make it part of your strategy and be compliant.