Accessibility review according to WCAG 2.2: How Softronic works with Accessibility Cloud

Accessibility is no longer just a legal requirement; it’s a critical factor for visibility on Google, AI search, and conversion. Here, we’ll show you how we conduct accessibility audits in accordance with WCAG 2.2 using Accessibility Cloud.

Digital accessibility is a business-critical issue today. Since the European Accessibility Act (EAA) took effect in 2025, an increasing number of companies are subject to legal requirements ensuring that their digital services are accessible to everyone.

In Sweden, this is regulated by the Act (2023:254) on the Accessibility of Certain Products and Services (LPTT), while public entities are subject to the DOS Act.

What is an accessibility audit?

An accessibility audit is a systematic analysis of a website or application to identify barriers that affect usability, particularly for people who use assistive technology.

Common shortcomings we identify:

• Low contrast between text and background
• Unclear link text
• Poor keyboard navigation
• Missing alt text
• Incorrect heading structure
• Forms that do not work with screen readers
• Inaccessible modals and pop-up windows
• Video without subtitles
• Icons without ARIA labels
• Inaccessible PDF documents

The purpose is to ensure that the website:

• Complies with WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.2
• Meets legal requirements
• Is useful for everyone

Automated and manual review—both are necessary

Automated testing is an effective first step in an accessibility audit. It allows you to quickly scan a website and identify technical issues such as coding errors, contrast problems, or missing attributes. It provides a good overview and helps identify recurring patterns in larger solutions.

At the same time, there are clear limitations. Automated tools cannot understand context, interpret content, or determine whether a solution actually works for the user. For example, they cannot assess whether a button is clear, whether the navigation is logical, or whether a form is easy to use.

That is why manual testing is crucial. By testing the website with a keyboard, a screen reader, and real-world user flows, we can identify the problems that truly impact usability. It’s not just about meeting requirements—it’s about ensuring that the solution works in practice.

At Softronic, we therefore always use a combination of automated analysis and manual testing. The automated part provides breadth and speed, while the manual part provides depth and quality. It is only when these are combined that you get an accurate picture of availability.

What is Accessibility Cloud?

Accessibility Cloud is a platform for testing, analyzing, and monitoring digital accessibility, but what makes the tool particularly relevant today is how widely it is used. The platform is used not only by companies, but also by government agencies and so-called “monitoring agencies” that work to ensure compliance with legal requirements and accessibility at the national level.

On their own website, they describe it clearly: the tool is used by both governments and enterprises to ensure compliance and scale their accessibility efforts.

This isn’t just marketing; there is also concrete support in the work of Swedish government agencies.
A report from the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority (PTS) indicates that they use automated tests in Accessibility Cloud to analyze the accessibility and usability of Swedish websites.

This means that the same types of tools used in national analyses are also used in practical improvement efforts within organizations.

From Analysis to Actual Improvement

What makes Accessibility Cloud interesting is not just that it finds errors, but how it structures the work moving forward. The platform combines:

• Automated scanning of websites, documents, and applications
• Support for manual reviews in accordance with WCAG and EN 301 549
• Prioritizing problems based on impact
• Recommendations for Action

As a result, accessibility efforts evolve from one-off initiatives into a continuous and measurable process.

Use in the Public Sector

It is clear that the tool is used by organizations with high accessibility requirements. For example:

• The Scottish Government describes it as “a bit of a game changer” in its work on inclusive digital services
• The City of Oslo highlights how it has been able to identify, prioritize, and address problems more effectively
• The municipality of Staffanstorp highlights how the tool provides clear insights and support in their day-to-day work

What these organizations have in common is that they operate in environments where accessibility is not a choice but a requirement.

A tool built for the real world

Accessibility Cloud is designed to meet real-world requirements, where accessibility involves more than just checklists. Automated analysis provides scale and speed, while manual reviews provide insight and quality. Together, this creates a workflow that enables organizations to:

• understand their current level
• prioritize the right actions
• track improvements over time

It is precisely this combination that makes the tool work just as well for government agencies as it does for businesses.

How Softronic Conducts Accessibility Audits

Why Accessibility Is Crucial in 2026

Search engines and AI-based services such as ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews are getting better and better at understanding content, structure, and usability. This means that websites that are clearly structured, semantically correct, and easy to navigate not only work better for users, but are also easier for both Google and AI to interpret and highlight in their responses.

As a result, accessibility and SEO have, in practice, begun to merge. For example, a page without a proper heading structure or with unclear anchor text can be difficult for both Google and AI to interpret.

A website that follows WCAG guidelines often has the correct heading structure, clear text, proper use of links, and a logical information hierarchy. These are exactly the signals that both search engines and AI models use to determine which content is relevant and reliable.

This has concrete effects. Accessible websites tend to:

• be more visible in organic search results
• have a better chance of being included in AI-generated responses
• provide a clearer user journey that leads to higher conversion rates

But perhaps the most important aspect is that accessibility drives quality. When content is structured correctly, when interactions work for everyone, and when information is clear regardless of the user or situation, the entire digital experience is improved.

As a result, accessibility is no longer a separate, side-by-side initiative—it is an integral part of modern digital strategy. Organizations that take a structured approach to accessibility not only build more inclusive services, but also create websites that perform better, reach more people, and generate more conversions.

Conclusion

Today, accessibility is a combination of:

• Legal Requirements
• Business Benefits
• User Experience

With the right methodology and the right tools, it becomes not an obstacle but an opportunity to improve the entire digital presence.

Frequently Asked Questions About Accessibility Audits