Digital accessibility allows people with different abilities, equipment, or contexts to use a service. It concerns keyboard navigation, screen reader output, contrast, media, forms, comprehension, and many other dimensions. It also improves the overall robustness of interfaces.
In France, the RGAA provides the verification method applicable to the concerned websites and applications. As of August 17, 2026, the published version to use must be checked on the official site; RGAA 4.1.2 remains the reference indicated in the consulted sources, while the preparation of RGAA 5 is announced for the end of 2026. The schedule and scope may evolve.
This content presents a working method and does not constitute legal advice.
Start with the applicable obligations
Before the audit, the organization must determine the entities, services, and supports concerned, as well as the deadlines and expected documents. The obligations may include an accessibility statement, a multi-year plan, and an annual action plan depending on the context.
This analysis must be validated by the competent persons. The technical team provides the inventory of sites, applications, extranets, documents, and service providers, but does not decide on the legal qualification alone.
Accessibility is not a plugin
A widget cannot fix an inconsistent reading order, unlabeled fields, a component that is unusable with a keyboard, or an inaccessible document. Overlays can sometimes provide preferences, but they do not replace correct code or accessible content.
The approach focuses on:
- design and journey;
- design system ;
- HTML structure;
- JavaScript and focus management;
- content and media;
- downloadable documents;
- third-party tools;
- tests and maintenance.
Organize governance
A pilot must coordinate policy, audits, corrective plans, and publications. Each team retains a responsibility: designers, developers, contributors, QA, purchasing, legal, and support.
Contracts with service providers specify the requirements, evidence, tests, and correction methods. A declaration of conformity without a monitoring mechanism quickly becomes obsolete.
Build an inventory
The inventory covers public and private services, mobile versions, languages, themes, documents, videos, forms, and embedded components. For each asset, note the owner, technology, audience, criticality, date of last redesign, and audit status.
Shared components are multipliers. Fixing a menu, a modal, or a field in the design system can improve dozens of pages. Conversely, a shared defect can affect the entire set.
Build a representative sample
An audit does not necessarily cover all URLs. The sample must represent the templates, content, components, and journeys. It includes the mandatory pages planned by the methodology, high-traffic pages, critical functions, and various states.
It is necessary to consider:
- home and navigation;
- content pages;
- lists and searches;
- forms and errors;
- authentication and private space;
- tables and graphs;
- documents and media;
- unique components;
- linguistic or thematic versions.
Continuous improvement loop of accessibility from inventory to follow-up after correction.
Combine manual and automated tests
Automatic tools detect certain errors: calculable contrast, missing attributes, obvious structure, or invalid relationships. They cannot judge the relevance of alternative text, the logic of a reading order, or the understanding of an instruction.
Manual auditing includes keyboard, screen reader, zoom, reflow, forms, dynamic content, media, and code inspection. Automatic results are indicators, never a reliable compliance rate on their own.
Testing journeys and not just pages
An accessible page can lead to an unusable process. It is necessary to perform the complete tasks: find information, log in, fill out a form, correct an error, confirm, and retrieve proof.
Page changes, status messages, session timeouts, and modals must be announced properly. The focus follows the action and does not disappear.
Prioritize the corrections
All defects count, but their order may take into account:
- complete blockage or difficulty;
- component frequency;
- criticality of the path;
- number of users concerned;
- ease of correction;
- dependence on a third party;
- risk of regression.
Blocks on authentication, essential forms, and navigation are addressed quickly. Design system fixes are planned before local variations.
Correct at the source
An anomaly must be linked to the component, template, content, or process that produces it. Correcting each page manually creates debt. The design system documents the states, interactions, and accessible examples.
The rules can be supported by linters, component tests, and integration tests. These checks prevent certain feedback, without replacing human testing.
Contents and contribution
Contributors must have appropriate fields and aids: heading hierarchy, alternative text, link label, tables, transcription, subtitles, and language. The CMS can prevent structural errors and flag missing fields.
A short training, accompanied by examples specific to the site, is more effective than a generic guide. Old content and office documents must be included in a realistic remediation plan.
Downloadable documents
An inaccessible PDF can make a process non-compliant even if the HTML page is correct. The organization must inventory the documents, identify those that are essential, and favor an HTML version whenever possible.
Office templates, title styles, reading order, tables, and PDF export must be mastered from the creation stage. Correcting after publication costs more.
Third-party tools and content
Payment, card, video, chat, or appointment booking can limit compliance. The purchasing process must request proof, include testing, and provide an accessible alternative when the correction does not depend on the organization.
Any possible exemptions must be documented according to the applicable rules; they do not exempt from informing and assisting the user.
Publish a useful statement
The declaration must reflect the actual state, the method, the result of the audit, the inaccessible content, and the means of contact. It must be updated after a redesign or a significant change.
The reporting channel must be followed. User feedback can reveal issues not present in the sample and must feed into the backlog.
Prepare the transition to RGAA 5
Anticipating does not mean inventing future criteria. It is necessary to follow official publications, map possible gaps with international standards, and strengthen sustainable capacities: accessible design system, inventory, testing, skills, and governance.
Modern components, mobile applications, documents, and dynamic uses must be documented. An organization that knows how to measure and correct will adapt better to a new version than an organization focused on a single score.
Integrate accessibility into delivery
A definition of finished can include:
- validated semantic structure;
- keyboard navigation;
- visible and logical focus;
- labels and errors;
- contrast;
- responsive and zoom;
- targeted automated tests;
- human review of new components.
Critical regressions block delivery. The others are tracked with priority and deadline.
Measure progress
The official compliance rate from an audit is an indicator, but it is not enough. Also follow:
- shared components fixed;
- tested critical paths;
- resolution time for reports;
- pages and documents not yet audited;
- trained teams;
- reintroduced anomalies;
- satisfaction of the users concerned.
A continuous quality
Accessibility becomes sustainable when teams know how to design, develop, contribute, and test without waiting for a final audit. It reduces the risk of corrective redesigns and improves quality for everyone.
Partitech can carry out a technical and functional audit, correct components, integrate controls into the delivery chain, and support governance. Final compliance must be established according to the official methodology and the obligations verified for the organization concerned.
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