A3S, How it works
How A3S makes your site accessible and keeps it that way
You've done some work on accessibility. What comes next?
Almost everyone is doing something about accessibility. You might have fixed issues as they came up. You might have a plugin, a checker, maybe even an ACR. What you do next depends on one question.
Do you have an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR)?
An ACR is a completed VPAT: the written record of how your site conforms to WCAG.
Choose an answer and the steps that fit you will appear below.
Three things decide whether it still holds
When it was created
An ACR describes your site on the day it was tested. The older it is, the less likely it still matches.
What has changed since
New pages, uploaded PDFs, CMS updates or a redesign can each bring in barriers the ACR doesn't cover.
Which WCAG version
The DOJ's Title II rule references WCAG 2.1 AA. An ACR tested against an older version may not cover everything the rule requires.
What we do
01
Bring your ACR up to date
We start from what you already have. Your existing ACR and your site as it is today tell us what has changed and what needs retesting.
What we do
- Review your existing ACR and the evidence behind it.
- Retest the site as it is today against WCAG 2.2 AA, starting with what changed since the ACR was created.
- Fix what broke. Anything owned by your staff or a vendor goes to them with a suggested fix, and we handle the vendor contact.
- Verify every fix the same way the barrier was found.
- Issue an updated ACR, dated the day of testing.
What you get
- Updated ACR, dated the day of testing
- Record of what changed, what was fixed and when
02
Monitor for changes
Once your site is compliant, we set up a monitor for it. From then on, every monthly cycle focuses on what changed, so a new page, upload or update can't quietly undo the work.
What we do
- Set up a monitor on every page in scope.
- Rescan each month and compare the results with the last cycle.
- Retest priority pages and key tasks by hand.
- Check new pages, new documents and template changes.
- Log anything that breaks again as a regression and fix it, or send it back to the vendor whose update caused it, ahead of new work.
- Retest what changed, so your ACR and accessibility statement still describe the site as it is today.
What you get
- A monitor set up for your site
- Regressions caught and closed every cycle
- An ACR that stays accurate as the site changes
03
Track and report
Every issue has a status, an owner and a date, from the moment it is found to the moment a specialist verifies it.
What we do
- Move each issue through the same five statuses.
- Date every change and record who made it.
- Close each monthly cycle with a written report.
What you get
- Pages tested and the methods used
- Every barrier, mapped to WCAG 2.2 AA
- Owner and status of each open issue
- Fixes applied and verified
- Regressions caught since the last cycle
Getting compliant
01
Scope and ownership
Before anything is tested, we agree on what is in scope and who owns each part of the site.
What we do
- Inventory the pages, templates, documents and tools on your site.
- Identify who owns each one: your staff, or your developer or CMS vendor.
- Set the priority pages and the key tasks residents complete, like paying a bill or finding a meeting.
- Review and update your accessibility statement.
What you get
- Scope document
- Owner for every part of the site
- Updated accessibility statement
02
Audit and remediate
Auditing and fixing run together, not one after the other. As soon as a barrier is found it is ranked and sent for fixing, so the most serious problems are resolved while testing continues.
What we do
- Scan every page in scope against WCAG 2.2 AA.
- Test priority pages and key tasks with screen readers, keyboard only and zoom.
- Log each barrier with its page, WCAG criterion, how it was found and steps to reproduce.
- Rank it by impact. Anything that stops a resident from finishing a task is fixed first.
- Fix what we can reach directly. Anything owned by your staff or a vendor goes to them with the details and a suggested fix, and we handle the vendor contact.
What you get
- Audit record with every barrier found
- Prioritized remediation plan
- Monthly progress report
03
Verify
A fix is not done when someone says it is. It is done when a specialist confirms it.
What we do
- Retest every fix the same way the barrier was found.
- Send fixes that fall short back to their owner.
- Close an issue only after a specialist verifies it.
- Issue an ACR documenting your conformance to WCAG 2.2 AA, dated the day the site was tested.
What you get
- Verified record of every fix
- ACR, dated the day of testing
After stage 03
Most people think this is it.
It isn't. Compliance, and the ACR that proves it, describe one day.
Your site changes every week, and any change can bring a barrier back. So once you're compliant, we set up a monitor for your site and keep watching it, every month.
Staying compliant
04
Monitor for changes
Once your site is compliant, we set up a monitor for it. From then on, every monthly cycle focuses on what changed, so a new page, upload or update can't quietly undo the work.
What we do
- Set up a monitor on every page in scope.
- Rescan each month and compare the results with the last cycle.
- Retest priority pages and key tasks by hand.
- Check new pages, new documents and template changes.
- Log anything that breaks again as a regression and fix it, or send it back to the vendor whose update caused it, ahead of new work.
- Retest what changed, so your ACR and accessibility statement still describe the site as it is today.
What you get
- A monitor set up for your site
- Regressions caught and closed every cycle
- An ACR that stays accurate as the site changes
05
Track and report
Every issue has a status, an owner and a date, from the moment it is found to the moment a specialist verifies it.
What we do
- Move each issue through the same five statuses.
- Date every change and record who made it.
- Close each monthly cycle with a written report.
What you get
- Pages tested and the methods used
- Every barrier, mapped to WCAG 2.2 AA
- Owner and status of each open issue
- Fixes applied and verified
- Regressions caught since the last cycle
We'll spend an hour looking at your site, at no cost.
You will see exactly where you stand.