Access Auditing Services
Access Audits are tools to enable you to find out the current level of accessibility for disabled people to your buildings, websites, written material and goods and services. They are the first step in ensuring adherence to the legislative requirements of the Disability Discrimination Acts; Building Regulations Approved Document M 1991; and British Standard 8300.
The audits will recommend cost effective remedial actions which, if implemented, will help to ensure your organisation and its services meet its legislative responsibilities and are as accessible as possible to disabled people.
All of the following audits address the access needs of disabled people from all impairment groups: sensory, physical, hidden and cognitive.
Physical Access Audits
Our access audits of the built environment cover a comprehensive range of issues including: external approach; open spaces; parking; horizontal and vertical circulation; light levels, stairs; entrances; reception; lifts; colour contrasting; sanitary accommodation and egress.
Our audits are carried out by members of the National Register of Access Consultants and include a written report with prioritised recommendations for remedial actions.
Website Access Audits
A recent study conducted by City University assessed 1,000 websites against the Web Accessibility Initiative's Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Fewer than one in five websites conformed to even the lowest priority checkpoints for accessibility.
Using the industry standard Web Content Accessibility Guidelines our website auditing service identifies website access issues for people, for example with visual impairments and people with learning difficulties. Our audits cover a range of issues including:
- Finding the site
- Existing information tailored for disabled people
- Accessible text
- Accessible images
- Site layout and design
- Colour contrasting
We utilise our team of experienced website access consultants and disabled people to ensure our audits are thorough and representative of the needs of disabled people. Our reports include prioritised recommendations for remedial actions.
Our audits help you to comply with accessibility standards without compromising your web presence. We are able to support you every step of the way, from orientation and evaluation through to formal access accreditation. For example, using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines this website has the highest (AAA) Web Accessibility Initiative rating.
Written Material Access Audits
Our experienced consultants can assess the accessibility of the written and promotional information you produce for both internal and external circulation. Our audits cover a range of issues including:
- Content
- Use of plain English
- Use of pictorial imagery
- Type size
- Contrast
- Type face
- Type styles
- Type weight
- Word space and alignment
- Reversing type
- Setting text
Transcription formats
Our audits help you to comply with accessibility standards without affecting design quality. Our audit reports include recommendations for remedial actions.
Mystery Shopping Audits
Mystery shopping exercises provide a clear picture of the current accessibility of your goods, services and facilities as experienced by disabled people. The results of these exercises can then be used to produce the following benefits:
- Monitoring and evaluation of customer service provision
- Identification and prioritisation of improvements in customer service provision
- Identification of training needs
- A non-technical audit of the accessibility of physical environments
Our mystery shopping exercises are customised and developed with our clients to ensure their organisational or business aims are met.
Clients receive a report which contains detailed narratives of the experiences of our mystery shoppers, unbiased opinions of how your services are perceived by service users, and recommendations for cost effective remedial actions.
Our mystery shoppers come from a range of impairment groups and are closely involved throughout, both in the development, execution and completion of mystery shopping exercises.
To order an example copy of access audit you are interested in or to discuss your needs please contact Tess McManus on 020 7354 8925.
