What a Drupal accessibility audit is
An accessibility audit is a structured evaluation of a website against WCAG 2.1 AA and EN 301 549. It identifies every barrier that blocks people with disabilities and grades each one by severity and the effort needed to fix it.
A Drupal accessibility audit adds CMS-specific depth. It inspects how themes, Layout Builder regions, WYSIWYG output and contrib modules render in real browsers and assistive technology, not only in the static markup.
Our approach pairs automated tooling with expert manual and assistive-technology testing, because automated scans on their own catch only around 20 to 30 percent of issues. You receive a prioritized report in which each issue comes with a location, a severity rating, fix guidance and an estimated effort.
The engagement covers the full lifecycle. We audit, advise, and carry out hands-on remediation to reach the conformance level you need, rather than handing over a diagnostic and walking away.
We scope your audit to the exact standard and national framework that applies to you, then hand back a plan you can act on.
Why accessibility matters beyond the law
Accessibility is more than a legal obligation. Over 100 million people in Europe live with a disability and depend on digital services they can actually use.
It also shapes how your organization is seen. Accessibility signals inclusivity to customers, investors and stakeholders, and it supports your ESG commitments. It widens your reach too: an accessible site serves people with disabilities, elderly users and anyone with a temporary impairment, a wider addressable audience than most teams assume.
There is a technical dividend as well. The same semantic structure, alt text and clear navigation that help assistive technology also improve organic ranking. Fixing barriers early is cheaper than the redesigns and legal exposure that come from leaving them in place.
What your audit delivers
Every audit opens with an executive summary that gives non-technical stakeholders a high-level view of your conformance status. Beneath it sits the full conformance assessment: a criterion-by-criterion breakdown of your WCAG 2.1 AA and EN 301 549 results.
From there you get a prioritized issue list. Every non-compliant element is recorded with its severity, its location and an estimated remediation effort, so your team knows what to fix first and roughly what it will take. The recommendations are practical, with code snippets and visual examples written for both developers and content editors.
We also support the compliance paperwork, helping you produce VPATs, Accessibility Conformance Reports (ACRs) and the legally required Accessibility Statement. The report is the blueprint for remediation, not the end of the engagement.
How we run your audit
We follow the WCAG-EM methodology, the W3C's Website Accessibility Conformance Evaluation Methodology, which runs in five steps:
Define the scope
The pages, components and applications under evaluation.
Explore the site
Its navigation, structure and functionality.
Select a representative sample
The critical pages and user journeys.
Conduct the audit
Automated testing alongside manual and assistive-tech checks.
Report findings
Prioritized, effort-estimated documentation.
For fast detection we run automated tooling: Pa11y, axe, WAVE, Silktide, IBM Equal Access and Lighthouse. These quickly surface contrast, alt-text and heading-structure defects.
Automated scans miss most barriers, so the bulk of the value comes from manual and assistive-technology testing. We test with screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver, Orca), navigate the site using the keyboard alone, and check colour contrast by hand.
Drupal-specific accessibility traps we check
Layout Builder
Layout Builder regions can produce broken heading order or non-semantic block wrappers.
WYSIWYG and CKEditor
Editor content is where empty headings, missing alt text or meaning carried by colour alone slip in.
Contrib and custom modules
Often render inaccessible widgets, forms and interactive components.
Theme level
We check focus states, ARIA landmarks, form labels and touch-target sizing in the active theme.
Editor-facing safeguards
Accessible content tooling that helps your editors keep the site compliant long after launch. Metadrop has contributed accessibility modules back to the Drupal community, including Accessible Form Validation, Content First and Entity Mesh.
Audit Reports
Whether you choose a consultancy, an audit, or both, you will receive a report with clear, actionable recommendations and estimated efforts tailored to your specific goals. The consultancy helps define priorities and scope, while the full audit offers deeper analysis and a comprehensive plan to drive improvements in the key areas of your Drupal sites.
Beyond the audit: remediation, monitoring & training
An audit only matters if the fixes get made, so our development and content teams implement the remediation needed to reach your target conformance level.
To keep you there, we add ongoing monitoring and re-testing: continuous accessibility checks in CI with Pa11y-CI and Unlighthouse, so regressions are caught as new content and code ship. Before you publish a statement, a re-audit and validation pass confirms compliance. We also invest in your team, with developer training on accessible code, guidance for content editors and tailored workshops.
Ongoing accessibility governance pairs naturally with Drupal maintenance & support.
From audit to fixed and verified, one team scopes, audits, remediates and documents your Drupal accessibility.
Why Metadrop
Metadrop brings 15+ years of Drupal expertise and holds Drupal Silver Certified Partner status. Our compliance track record spans ENS, GDPR, WCAG and NIS2, with work delivered in 50+ countries and 30+ languages. We work as an independent technical governance partner that both audits your platform and fixes it. The guidance on this page draws on our own published analysis of surviving the European Accessibility Act and the new legal era for public- and private-sector accessibility.
That experience is concrete. We migrated a multinational building-materials manufacturer through an RGAA audit and 106-criteria remediation to reach conformity in France, contributing accessibility modules back to Drupal along the way. For a gluten-free food manufacturer we deliver ongoing WCAG 2.1 remediation across heading hierarchy, ARIA, contrast and keyboard navigation, with continuous auditing via Pa11y-CI and Unlighthouse. We audited a multinational chemicals and materials manufacturer's corporate site against WCAG 2.1 AA and EN 301 549 on a 23-page representative sample, and assessed an enterprise intranet behind SSO on a 13-page sample for internal navigation, landmarks and content structure. Public-sector and university platforms, including a regional ombudsman, have been brought to WCAG AA.
They've Trusted Metadrop
From manufacturing and public administration to universities and NGOs, organizations across Europe have relied on Metadrop for WCAG and EAA accessibility work.
Frequently asked questions
What is a Drupal accessibility audit?
It is a structured evaluation of a Drupal site against WCAG 2.1 AA and EN 301 549. It combines automated scans with manual and assistive-technology testing, and returns a prioritized, effort-estimated remediation plan.
How long does an accessibility audit take?
Most audits take one to three weeks, depending on the size of the site and the representative sample. The scope is agreed up front in the WCAG-EM define-scope step.
How much does an accessibility audit cost?
Cost scales with site size, sample size and the target standard, whether that is WCAG 2.1 AA or a national framework. After a free consultation we provide a fixed, scoped quote, with no open-ended billing.
What is the difference between WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.2?
WCAG 2.1 AA is the current legal baseline referenced by EN 301 549 and the EAA. WCAG 2.2 AA adds newer success criteria covering focus, target size and authentication; it is a design-beyond target rather than the current legal requirement.
What is EN 301 549?
It is the harmonized EU standard for ICT accessibility. It references WCAG 2.1 AA as its web technical requirement and is the reference standard for EAA conformance.
Does the EAA apply to companies outside the EU?
Yes. Any business selling products or services into the EU market is in scope, wherever it is based. Microenterprises delivering services (fewer than 10 staff and under €2M turnover) are broadly exempt.
Can automated tools alone confirm accessibility?
No. Automated scanners detect only about 20 to 30 percent of WCAG issues. Full conformance requires manual and assistive-technology testing by specialists.
How do I make my Drupal site WCAG compliant?
Start with an audit to establish your baseline and priorities. Remediate the theme, Layout Builder, WYSIWYG and module issues, then re-test. Finally, add CI monitoring and editor tooling to prevent regressions.
Request your accessibility audit
Tell us about your Drupal platform and the standard you need to meet, and we will reply within one business day with next steps and a scoped quote. The consultation is free and carries no commitment; your details are used only to prepare your audit and are covered by our privacy policy.