An accessibility tracker is software or platform that manages the fix process for digital accessibility issues found in audits. These tools convert static Excel audit reports into dynamic dashboards where teams track progress toward WCAG conformance. As ADA lawsuits increase and the European Accessibility Act is not in effect, accessibility trackers have become standard tools for compliance management.
The Basic Problem These Tools Solve
You get an accessibility audit. It’s a spreadsheet with 150 issues. Now what?
Without an accessibility tracker, you’re emailing spreadsheets back and forth. You’re losing track of which issues are fixed. You don’t know who’s working on what. Version control becomes a nightmare.
An accessibility tracker solves this. Upload your audit report, assign issues to team members, track fixes, validate solutions. Everything happens in one place with real-time updates.
How Accessibility Trackers Work
From Spreadsheet to Dashboard
The process starts when you upload your audit Excel file. An accessibility tracker extracts all the data—issue descriptions, WCAG criteria, recommendations—and organizes it into a working dashboard. No manual data entry needed.
Each issue becomes trackable with status labels: Not Started, In Progress, Completed, Validated, On Hold, Needs Work, or Discarded. Team members update statuses as they work. Everyone sees the same real-time data.
Task Distribution
Project managers assign issues based on expertise. Developers get keyboard navigation problems. Designers handle color contrast. Content editors fix missing captions. Each person filters to see only their work, enabling parallel progress instead of sequential bottlenecks.
Built-in Prioritization
Accessibility trackers answer the question “what should we fix first?” through prioritization formulas:
- Legal risk scoring based on lawsuit data
- User impact calculations measuring barrier severity
- Custom priorities you set yourself
This prevents wasted effort on low-impact issues while critical problems wait.
Features That Actually Matter
AI Assistance
Modern accessibility trackers include AI that already knows your audit data. Click “Analyze with AI” on any issue to get:
- Plain English explanations of technical issues
- Code examples for implementation
- Alternative fix approaches
- WCAG requirement clarifications
No copying and pasting into ChatGPT. No prompt engineering. The AI has your issue context pre-loaded.
Validation Workflow
After developers fix issues, auditors validate directly in the platform. Comments stay attached to issues. No email chains. No confusion about what needs additional work. This creates clear documentation for compliance records.
Multi-Project Management
Managing accessibility across multiple websites and apps? An accessibility tracker aggregates everything. See total issues across all digital assets. Track organization-wide progress. Generate consolidated reports for leadership.
Real Impact on Project Timelines
Organizations using accessibility trackers complete remediation 2.5x faster. A 10-week project becomes 4 weeks. Here’s why:
- No time lost on spreadsheet management
- Parallel work instead of sequential processing
- Instant AI guidance reduces research time
- Clear ownership prevents dropped issues
- Direct validation eliminates email loops
For a 200-issue project, that’s the difference between 50 hours and 20 hours of work.
Selecting an Accessibility Tracker
Not all accessibility trackers are equal. Key differences to evaluate:
Audit compatibility matters most. Some platforms only handle automated scans, which flag just 25% of WCAG issues. Look for accessibility trackers that process comprehensive manual audit reports from any provider.
Pricing models vary widely. Some accessibility trackers require enterprise contracts. Others offer monthly subscriptions starting at $19. Consider whether you need continuous access or just project-based usage.
Team adoption determines success. Complex platforms requiring extensive training often fail. Choose an accessibility tracker your team can start using immediately.
Getting Started
Implementation is straightforward. Upload one audit report first. Let your team learn the workflow. As comfort builds, add more projects.
Designate someone as the accessibility tracker administrator. They’ll establish workflows, train team members, and ensure consistent usage across projects.
Most accessibility trackers offer free trials. Test the platform with a real audit before committing. See if it actually speeds up your process.
Why This Category Exists Now
Accessibility trackers emerged from necessity. Digital accessibility requirements expanded. Lawsuits increased. Compliance deadlines tightened. Organizations needed better tools than Excel.
The market now includes multiple accessibility tracker options. Each targets different needs—from small businesses managing one website to enterprises coordinating dozens of digital properties. This variety means you can find an accessibility tracker matching your exact requirements.
As WCAG 3.0 approaches and accessibility regulations expand globally, accessibility trackers will become as standard as other compliance tools. Organizations serious about accessibility are already using them. Those still managing audits in spreadsheets are falling behind.