How AccessCheck Works

AccessCheck uses 5 AI-powered analysis layers to detect ~80% of WCAG 2.2 violations — far more than any single automated tool.

The 5 Layers

🔍 Layer 1: Code Analysis 30% coverage

Technology: axe-core (Deque Systems) — the industry standard accessibility rules engine.

Injects axe-core into the page, runs 100+ automated tests against WCAG 2.2 AA criteria. Catches: missing alt text, ARIA violations, heading structure, color contrast on solid backgrounds.

What it misses: Contrast on images/gradients, keyboard usability, form UX, content readability.

👁️ Layer 2: AI Computer Vision +10–15%

Technology: GPT-4o — OpenAI's multimodal AI.

Takes a full-page screenshot and analyzes it for visual accessibility issues that axe-core cannot see: text contrast on images and gradients, touch target sizes on mobile, overlapping elements, visible keyboard focus indicators.

Example finding: "White price text on light product photo — contrast ratio less than 3:1."

🎮 Layer 3: AI Agent Simulation +10–15%

Technology: Playwright browser automation + AI orchestration.

Simulates real user interactions: tabs through all focusable elements to verify keyboard navigation order, submits forms empty to check error message accessibility, verifies that all interactive elements are reachable without a mouse.

Example finding: "5 form fields have no labels — screen reader users cannot identify what to enter."

🌳 Layer 4: Accessibility Tree +5–10%

Technology: Chrome DevTools Protocol — direct browser accessibility tree access.

Inspects the browser's native accessibility tree — the structure that screen readers actually use. Checks: landmark roles (main, nav, banner), duplicate accessible names, semantic HTML usage, heading hierarchy.

Example finding: "No <main> landmark — screen reader users cannot skip to main content."

📝 Layer 5: Content Analysis +5–10%

Technology: AI language model (GPT-4o-mini).

Analyzes all page text for: reading level (Flesch readability), generic link text ("click here", "read more"), alt text quality (does it describe the image?), form instruction clarity, mixed language detection.

Example finding: "14 links use generic text like 'read more' — screen reader users lack context."

Total Coverage: ~80%

Combined, the 5 layers detect approximately 75–85% of WCAG 2.2 Level AA success criteria. Manual expert review is recommended for complete compliance assessment.

Standards We Check

WCAG 2.2 Levels A and AA
EN 301 549 (EU accessibility standard)
Directive (EU) 2019/882 — European Accessibility Act
Section 508 (US — partial)

Comparison

Tool	Coverage	Fix Instructions	Speed	Price
AccessCheck	~80%	✅ + code	50 sec	€49
WAVE / Lighthouse	~25–30%	Minimal	Instant	Free
axe DevTools	~30–40%	Good	Instant	Free
Manual Consultant	80–95%	Expert	2–6 weeks	€500–5,000

FAQ

Is this a legal certification?: No. AccessCheck is an automated software tool. It detects technical violations and provides fix guidance. It does not replace human expert review or legal counsel.
What WCAG version do you check?: WCAG 2.2 Levels A and AA — the standard required by the EU Accessibility Act (Directive 2019/882).
How many pages do you scan?: The free preview scans 1 page (Layer 1 only). The full audit scans up to 8 key pages across all 5 layers, with smart crawl that identifies page types (homepage, product, cart, blog).
Can I use this for ADA compliance in the US?: AccessCheck tests against WCAG 2.2, which is the basis for ADA compliance. However, US courts and regulations have specific requirements beyond WCAG. Consult legal counsel for ADA compliance.

← Back to scanner · Automated tool · Not legal certification · WCAG 2.2 · EN 301 549 · Directive 2019/882