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BarrierBreak A11yNow: How the Platform Works

BarrierBreak A11yNow is designed to simplify, streamline, and scale accessibility across digital teams. This overview explains the platform’s inner workings, the logic behind its workflows, and the role of each module in driving continuous accessibility improvement.

1. Unified Accessibility Workflow​

A11yNow creates a single source of truth for accessibility by connecting scanning, validation, tracking, and reporting into one cohesive workflow.

Core workflow includes:

  1. Scanning
  2. Issue validation and classification
  3. Assignment and collaboration
  4. Remediation and verification
  5. Compliance tracking and reporting

Each step is integrated and accessible within the platform.

2. Automated Scanning Engine​

The A11yNow scanner evaluates webpages against WCAG success criteria and identifies violations across structure, content, behaviour, and code.

Features include:

  • Evaluation of DOM structure, ARIA usage, keyboard accessibility, and semantic roles
  • Intelligent grouping of issues to reduce noise
  • Ability to scan single URLs, multi-page sets, or entire domains
  • Repeatable scans to track improvements
  • Enterprise support for EN 301 549 and Section 508, including custom standards

Enterprise customers also receive scanning support aligned with EN 301 549 and Section 508 requirements (gives option to create custom standards).

3. Human-Validated Findings​

Human reviewers validate automated findings to ensure teams receive:

  • Accurate, real-world interpretations
  • Reduced false positives
  • Clear explanations
  • Usability-driven insights beyond automated checks

This hybrid approach strengthens trust and helps developers understand the intent behind accessibility requirements.

4. Issue Management and Collaboration​

A11yNow includes a structured issue management system:

  • Assign issues to team members
  • Add comments for clarification
  • Attach screenshots, code examples, and issue details
  • Track remediation status
  • Receive notifications for updates

Each issue includes:
i. Severity level
ii. WCAG mapping
iii. Code-level references
iv. Recommended fixes
v. Screenshots for context
This ensures every team member knows what the issue is, why it matters, and how to resolve it.

5. Accessibility Rescans and Monitoring​

A11yNow enables teams to rescan pages to:

  • Validate completed fixes
  • Measure progress over time
  • Ensure accessibility consistency
  • Maintain compliance during development cycles

This supports a continuous improvement model rather than a one-off audit approach.

6. Enterprise-Grade Visibility and Reporting​

A11yNow Enterprise provides dashboards showing:

  • Accessibility trends over time
  • Severity-based distribution
  • Top recurring issues
  • Compliance across WCAG, EN 301 549, Section 508
  • Project-level and organization-level insights

Enterprise teams can export compliance reports for:

  • Internal reviews
  • Legal audits
  • Stakeholder presentations
  • Vendor management

Why It Matters​

A11yNow offers a complete ecosystem that makes accessibility manageable, measurable, and scalable, giving teams clarity and confidence throughout their accessibility journey.