Assess: Discovery Assessments
Discovery and planning assessments
Discovery and planning assessments provide early clarity into accessibility posture and emerging risk patterns. They are designed to surface barriers, distinguish isolated issues from systemic challenges, and support informed next steps such as remediation planning, training, governance decisions, or deeper evaluation.
Light assessment
Light assessments provide a focused, early view of accessibility barriers and visible patterns that may indicate broader risk. They are designed to help organizations determine whether accessibility concerns are present and whether further investigation is warranted.
They support:
- Initial clarity
- Early planning
- Stakeholder awareness
- Determining whether deeper assessment is needed
They are not intended to support compliance claims or external representation.
Mid-level assessment
Mid-level assessments expand coverage across key components, templates, and workflows to characterize accessibility exposure and identify patterns of failure and user impact. They support more confident prioritization and remediation planning.
They support:
- Remediation planning
- Governance decisions
- Training and enablement efforts
- Preparation for a full WCAG audit
They do not replace a full audit where formal reliance, documentation, or regulatory scrutiny is involved.
Discovery Assessments
| Aspect | Light Assessment | Mid-Level Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Provide early visibility into accessibility barriers and patterns that may indicate risk | Identify systemic issues and characterize accessibility exposure |
| How to Read and Use This Assessment | This assessment helps determine whether accessibility concerns are present and whether further investigation is warranted. It is best used to inform next steps, which may include a deeper assessment, targeted training (ENABLE), or initial remediation planning. It is not intended to support compliance claims or external representation. | This assessment supports prioritization and planning by identifying patterns and areas of elevated accessibility exposure. It is best used to guide remediation planning, governance decisions, training and enablement efforts, and preparation for a full audit. It does not replace a full WCAG audit for formal compliance or documentation needs. |
| Typical Scope | Representative pages, workflows, templates, content types, or selected assets | Expanded coverage across templates, content types, and application flows |
| Evaluation Focus | Observable accessibility barriers affecting real users | Patterns of failure, consistency, and user impact |
| Assessment Methods | Human-led evaluation supported by automated tools and lived-experience testing | Structured manual evaluation, automated analysis, lived-experience testing |
| Risk Interpretation Tier | Directional risk indication identifying whether exposure trends toward lower, moderate, or higher concern; no impact or likelihood scoring is performed | Basic risk characterization using a qualitative impact and likelihood lens |
| Typical Outputs | Summary findings, high-impact issues, directional remediation guidance | Detailed findings, prioritization guidance, planning-ready insights |
| Appropriate Uses | Initial clarity, early planning, discovery, determining whether deeper assessment is needed | Full audit planning, remediation planning of general findings, governance decisions, procurement or insurance preparation |