The internet wasn't built with accessibility (i.e., everyone) in mind. In its early days, it was chaotic—blinking text, auto-playing music, and little navigation. While web design and user experiences have evolved, accessibility remains an afterthought for many businesses. Even today, millions of people encounter daily barriers online: a checkout button they can't reach, a form they can't complete, a video they can't hear.

Beyond creating usable experiences for all users, digital accessibility is also a legal requirement. Regulations like the Americans with Disabilities Act, or ADA, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, or WCAG, set clear compliance standards, yet many organizations struggle to keep up. With websites constantly evolving, accessibility can't be a one-time fix—it requires ongoing monitoring, fixes, expertise, and an approach that scales, AudioEye reports.

Despite growing awareness and legal requirements, the internet remains frustratingly out of reach for millions of users. Nearly 96% of the top one million homepages analyzed in the 2024 WebAIM Million report contained detectable accessibility issues. That means broken experiences, inaccessible content, and everyday frustrations for people who rely on assistive technology to browse, shop, and interact online.

For businesses, the challenge isn't just about fixing what's broken—it's about keeping up. Websites are living, evolving systems, constantly updated with new content, design elements, and features. Without a structured approach to accessibility, even well-intentioned efforts can fall short, leaving gaps that impact usability and compliance.

The Complexity of Digital Accessibility

Ensuring digital accessibility involves more than just checking a box for compliance. It requires addressing a range of common yet critical issues that hinder usability. AudioEye's 2025 Digital Accessibility Index, a comprehensive analysis of digital accessibility compliance of 15,000 websites, found an average of 297 accessibility issues per page. Most of these issues can be tied to one of the following:

• Non-descriptive links – Over 80% of websites contain vague or ambiguous links, making navigation difficult for screen reader users.
• Missing alt text – 38% of images lack appropriate alt descriptions, preventing users with visual impairments from understanding essential content.
• Form labeling issues – 35% of pages contain forms lacking clear labels or instructions, making navigation difficult for users who depend on assistive technology to interact with essential site functions.

To address these challenges effectively, businesses need a scalable, proactive, and multi-layered approach—one that combines automation, human expertise, and continuous monitoring.

A Smarter, Scalable Approach to Digital Accessibility Compliance

The only way to achieve lasting accessibility is to use a multi-layered approach that blends AI-driven automation, human expertise, and proactive testing. This gold standard ensures businesses don't just fix issues today—but build accessibility into their long-term digital strategy.

1. Automation technology

AI-powered automation serves as a critical first step, scanning websites to detect common accessibility barriers and applying real-time fixes for issues like missing alt text, poor color contrast, and ambiguous link descriptions. This technology helps businesses quickly address widespread accessibility challenges, improving usability at scale.

However, automation alone isn't enough. Research shows that automated tools can only detect about 30-60% of WCAG issues, and even the best tools can only automatically fix about half of those issues. That's why a truly effective accessibility strategy integrates both AI-driven efficiency and human expertise.

2. Human expertise to catch what AI misses

Some accessibility issues require a nuanced understanding of accessibility professionals and individuals who rely on assistive technology daily. Expert fixes help identify areas that automation alone might miss, such as contextual errors in navigation, form usability, or assistive technology compatibility. By combining automation with human expertise, organizations can efficiently address high-impact accessibility challenges, improve compliance, and create more accessible digital experiences.

3. Continuous monitoring and testing during development

For developers who prefer to own their digital accessibility programs from the start, integrating accessibility checks directly into the design and development workflow utilizing accessibility testing tools can help them find and fix issues before they hit live environments. In doing so, organizations can reduce long-term compliance risks, avoid costly retroactive fixes, and improve overall site performance.

Make Digital Accessibility Work Now–and in the Future

Accessibility isn't just a legal requirement—it's a business imperative. Companies that embed accessibility into their digital strategy will reduce legal risk, improve customer experience, and future-proof their business.

A scalable, sustainable approach—one that combines AI automation, expert oversight, and continuous monitoring—is the only way to keep up with evolving regulations and user expectations.

The companies that take action now will be the ones that lead the way—delivering seamless, accessible experiences while staying ahead of compliance requirements.