Accessibility Remediation Tools: A Comprehensive Review

Creating an accessible website isn’t just about checking a few boxes — it’s about making sure everyone, regardless of ability, can use and enjoy your site. At White Whale Web, we believe true accessibility comes from thoughtful design, careful testing, and using the right tools throughout the development process.

If you’re serious about building websites that meet accessibility standards and creating a better experience for all users, you’ll need the right tools on your side. That’s why we’d like to provide you with a comprehensive review of the best accessibility remediation tools available today, along with what they do and why no single tool is enough on its own.

Automated Online Accessibility Checkers

Automated and manual testing is the first line of defense in finding accessibility issues. Automated tools can quickly catch common errors, but real accessibility work requires human eyes, too. By combining both methods, White Whale Web creates a full picture of how a site performs and where improvements are needed.

Axe DevTools Chrome Extension

Axe DevTools is a free Chrome extension that scans web pages for accessibility issues like missing alt text, color contrast problems, and ARIA errors. It highlights issues directly on the page and explains what each issue means and why it matters for accessibility. While it’s not as advanced as the Pro version, it’s a reliable, user-friendly tool for quick, automated checks.

ARC Toolkit

ARC Toolkit is a Chrome extension focused on manual testing against WCAG standards. It gives detailed guidance on how each issue affects users and offers a cleaner, more accurate reporting style compared to many browser extensions. It's especially good for teams that already like using WAVE but want even more control and accuracy.

Google Lighthouse (Chrome DevTools)

Lighthouse is a built-in tool within Chrome’s DevTools that checks for accessibility issues like missing alt text, low contrast, and poor heading structure. While it doesn’t cover everything, it’s an excellent starting point for developers, providing automated scans and clear, actionable reports. It’s especially useful early in the development process to catch common errors before moving into manual testing.

SiteImprove Chrome Extension

The SiteImprove Chrome extension allows users to quickly scan individual pages for accessibility issues like broken ARIA labels, contrast problems, and missing form instructions. It delivers a straightforward report and prioritizes issues, making it easier for teams to tackle fixes efficiently. Without needing a paid plan, it’s a practical tool for teams wanting a reliable free checker in their workflow.

WAVE by WebAIM

WAVE is a long-trusted browser extension that visually highlights accessibility issues right on the page, making it easy to spot problems like missing alt text, form errors, or contrast failures. Its user-friendly interface and detailed explanations help both developers and designers understand how to fix issues. WAVE is especially popular for teams looking for a reliable and approachable first pass at accessibility checks.

Automated testing catches quick wins, but true accessibility comes from manual checks and real-world thinking. Tools like these help streamline the process without cutting corners, setting a strong foundation for every site we build.

Screen Reader Testing (Real-World Validation)

Nothing replaces real-world testing with screen readers. Automated checks can tell you if an image is missing alt text, but only a screen reader will reveal if your site truly makes sense to someone who can’t see it. Testing user flows with screen readers ensures your site is usable — not just compliant.

NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access)

NVDA is a free, widely used screen reader for Windows. It’s fast, reliable, and a great tool for desktop testing. While it's a common choice among developers, we find it most useful for cross-checking against mobile testing to catch issues that only appear on desktop layouts.

VoiceOver (MacOS and iOS)

VoiceOver is built right into every Apple device, and it's our preferred tool at White Whale Web for mobile screen reader testing. With VoiceOver, we can easily navigate a site the same way millions of iPhone users do. It’s critical for checking touch interactions, form labeling, and mobile flow usability.

TalkBack (Android)

TalkBack is Android’s native screen reader. It's not as polished as VoiceOver in some areas, but it's still important for making sure Android users can navigate your site. Testing with TalkBack helps ensure consistent accessibility across all major mobile platforms.

Screen reader testing isn’t optional — it’s essential. By walking in the shoes of real users, we find issues no automated scanner could ever catch. That’s how we make sure your website works for everyone.

Color Contrast & Vision Testing

Accessibility isn’t just about screen readers. Visual impairments like color blindness or low vision affect millions of users. Making sure your site looks good and stays readable for everyone means paying close attention to contrast and visual design choices.

Color Contrast Analyzer (CCA)

CCA, created by TPGi, is a simple but powerful desktop app. It allows us to check contrast ratios in real-world screenshots, PDFs, and images — not just websites. It’s an easy way to double-check designs and ensure that users with low vision can read your content clearly.

Polypane Browser

Polypane is a specialty browser built for accessibility and responsive design. It lets developers preview a site in multiple screen sizes while simulating color blindness, vision impairments, and zoom settings — all at the same time. It’s an excellent way to spot issues that typical browsers would miss.

Visual testing tools like these ensure your site looks good and works well for every user — not just those with perfect eyesight. We believe strong design and strong accessibility should always go hand-in-hand.

WordPress Plugins

While accessibility starts with solid design and coding practices, websites built on the WordPress platform can also benefit from plugin-based tools. These plugins help flag common accessibility issues and offer extra settings to improve usability without diving into the code.

WP Accessibility and One Click Accessibility are two popular options that add helpful features like skip links, focus outlines, and color contrast enhancements. For more in-depth checks, WP ADA Compliance Check Basic can scan your WordPress content for WCAG compliance issues and highlight areas that need attention.

Just like the automated accessibility checkers, plugins aren't a replacement for manual testing, but they can be a great supplemental tool, especially for small businesses managing their own websites.

Advanced Accessibility Tools

For teams ready to take accessibility to the next level, advanced tools offer deeper testing and seamless integration into the development process. These solutions go beyond simple page scans, allowing you to test user flows, automate checks, and track accessibility over time. They’re ideal for teams looking to bake accessibility directly into their QA and development workflows.

Pa11y CLI & Dashboard

Pa11y is a lightweight, open-source tool that's great for integrating into development processes. It can run accessibility checks from the command line and automatically report WCAG violations in an easy-to-read format. The Pa11y Dashboard adds scheduling and historical tracking, making it perfect for teams that want to monitor accessibility over time.

axe-core with Cypress or Playwright

Axe-core is the accessibility engine behind many tools, but when you integrate it with Cypress or Playwright, you can automatically test user flows as part of your normal QA process. Whether it's checking form validation, menu behavior, or dynamic content updates, this setup ensures accessibility stays part of your build cycle — not an afterthought.

By adding advanced accessibility tools to your workflow, you’re not just fixing issues — you’re building better, more inclusive websites from the ground up. Automation speeds things up, but it works best when paired with human expertise and thoughtful review.

WCAG References

Even with the best tools, it’s important to cross-check your work with independent resources. Different tools focus on different areas, and no single solution covers it all. That’s why validation matters.

W3C Accessibility Evaluation Tools List

Maintained by the same organization that defines the WCAG standards, the W3C Accessibility Evaluation Tools List is a curated directory of trusted, independent tools. When we need a second opinion or want to verify results across different platforms, this list is where we turn.

Validation ensures that the tools we rely on aren’t introducing bias or blind spots. It’s an important step for building websites that meet real-world accessibility needs — not just passing a checklist.

Practical Advice for Using Accessibility Tools

One of the biggest mistakes businesses make is thinking that a single tool will handle everything. Automated tests are a great start, but they miss critical details like confusing navigation, improper focus management, or poorly described links and buttons.

At White Whale Web, we treat accessibility the same way we treat security or performance: as a core part of the process, not a one-time task. Accessibility is ongoing. It needs to be built into every project phase, from design to development to quality assurance.

While accessibility overlays—like AccessiBe—can be a helpful first step, they only make websites ADA compliant at the surface level. These tools offer useful features and can improve basic compliance, but they don’t fully resolve underlying usability challenges or provide a complete solution.

The best way to maintain an accessible site is to combine periodic scanning, manual testing with real assistive technology, and regular updates as your website evolves.

Building Accessible Websites with White Whale Web

At White Whale Web, accessibility isn’t an afterthought. It’s part of how we design, build, and maintain websites from the ground up. We use the best available tools, combine automation with real-world testing, and stay current with evolving WCAG standards.

If you’re looking for help with accessibility remediation, we’re here to guide you every step of the way–just reach out.