Digital accessibility is no longer an optional enhancement; it is a global expectation. Organizations today serve diverse user groups across abilities, languages, geographies, and devices. Whether it’s a website, mobile app, internal portal, video content, or documentation system, every user deserves a barrier-free experience. Accessibility is about ensuring that people with visual, auditory, cognitive, speech, learning, or motor disabilities can use products without friction.
Yet, many organizations struggle to sustain accessibility over time. Initial accessibility efforts often begin with awareness and audits, but the improvements quickly fade without consistent governance. This is why Accessibility Service Level Agreements (SLAs) have become crucial. An SLA is more than a contractual formality, it is a framework for quality, accountability, measurability, and continuity.
This blog explains what Accessibility SLA frameworks are, why they are essential for large enterprises, the key components such an SLA should include, and the performance metrics organizations should monitor. It also discusses the challenges enterprises face in vendor engagement and how to choose the right accessibility partner. In the closing section, we explain how Round The Clock Technologies delivers structured, scalable, and SLA-driven accessibility programs for global enterprises.
Understanding Accessibility SLA Frameworks
Before organizations invest in accessibility services, they need clarity on what level of service they should expect. This is where Accessibility SLA frameworks come in.
An Accessibility SLA defines the standard of accessibility a vendor commits to maintaining across digital products. It outlines the responsibilities of both parties, establishes timelines, and sets quality benchmarks tied to globally recognized guidelines like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and regulations such as ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) and Section 508.
Key Purpose of Accessibility SLAs
Accessibility SLAs are designed to:
– Maintain consistent accessibility across updates and new releases.
– Reduce legal and compliance risks.
– Improve usability for people with disabilities using assistive technologies.
– Ensure teams remain aligned with accessibility objectives.
In essence, SLAs ensure accessibility becomes a t rather than a one-time audit activity.
Why Accessibility SLAs Matter for Global Enterprises
Large organizations face unique challenges when scaling accessibility across multiple business units, digital systems, languages, teams, and content contributors. Without a formal SLA, accessibility efforts may become inconsistent, fragmented, and hard to sustain.
Key Reasons Accessibility SLAs Are Critical
Regulatory Compliance
Governments worldwide are tightening digital accessibility requirements. Non-compliance can result in lawsuits, fines, audits, and negative publicity. An SLA ensures vendors meet regional and international compliance standards continuously.
Enterprise System Complexity
Enterprise environments often include:
– Legacy systems
– Multiple CMS platforms
– Mobile, web, desktop, and kiosk interfaces
An SLA ensures accessibility is considered across all these touchpoints.
Continuous Product Updates
New releases, UI enhancements, content uploads, and platform migrations can unintentionally break accessibility. SLAs mandate ongoing testing and monitoring to prevent regression.
Vendor Accountability
Without documented expectations, accessibility outcomes become subjective. SLAs ensure transparency, measurable commitments, and traceable performance.
Core Components of an Effective Accessibility SLA
For an SLA to be effective, it must include clear definitions, scope, measurable metrics, and enforceable commitments. Vague or loosely written SLAs lead to inconsistent outcomes.
Defined Accessibility Standards and Compliance Levels
The SLA should explicitly state:
Target level (e.g., WCAG 2.1 AA or WCAG 2.2)
Regional regulations covered (e.g., ADA, AODA, EN 301 549)
Supported assistive technologies (e.g., JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, TalkBack)
Initial Accessibility Audit
Before remediation begins, vendors must assess the current state of accessibility through:
Automated scanning tools
Manual testing by accessibility specialists
Real-user assistive technology testing
This establishes the baseline accessibility score and helps prioritize issues.
Issue Categorization and Remediation SLAs
Define how quickly issues should be resolved:
| Issue Severity | Description |
| Critical | Blocks core functionality for users with disabilities |
| High | Significant usability barrier |
| Medium | Affects usability but has workaround |
| Low | Minor gap with no user-facing impact |
Continuous Monitoring and Reporting
Accessibility should be assessed regularly through:
Monthly or quarterly accessibility reports
WCAG scorecards
Trend analysis for recurring issues
Release Quality and Gatekeeping
Accessibility checks should be integrated into:
Development sprints
QA test plans
UAT and sign-off criteria
No release should go live with unresolved critical accessibility issues.
Training and Knowledge Enablement
An SLA must ensure organizational learning through:
Developer workshops
Content editor training
Accessible design system guidelines
This prevents recurring accessibility issues at the source.
Key Metrics Enterprises Should Measure
What gets measured gets improved. Enterprises must track accessibility using objective performance indicators.
Accessibility SLA Performance Metrics
| Metric | What It Measures | Why It Matters |
| WCAG Compliance Score | % of success criteria met | Indicates accessibility maturity |
| Remediation SLA Adherence | % issues resolved on time | Ensures vendor accountability |
| Regression Rate | % of issues reappearing | Indicates sustainability of fixes |
| Assistive Tech Compatibility | Screen reader/keyboard usability | Confirms real usability, not just checklists |
| Accessibility Coverage | % of applications under active testing | Shows program scalability |
Continuous measurement drives continuous improvement.
Common Challenges in Working with Accessibility Vendors
Even well-structured SLAs can fail if the chosen vendor lacks depth in accessibility practices.
Challenges Include:
Vendors relying only on automated tools (which catch only ~30% of issues).
Lack of testers who use assistive technologies in real scenarios.
Limited knowledge of enterprise workflows or distributed architectures.
Weak governance reporting and compliance tracking.
Enterprises must ensure vendors have both technical expertise and real user understanding.
How to Choose the Right Accessibility Vendor
Choosing the right partner is crucial to building sustainable accessibility programs.
What to Look For:
Proven experience delivering accessibility at enterprise scale
Certified accessibility professionals (CPACC, WAS, ADS, Trusted Tester)
Testing that includes users with disabilities
Integration capabilities with DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, and agile processes
Ability to create accessibility dashboards, training programs, and governance models
Accessibility maturity depends on choosing the right partner, not just the cheapest.
How Round The Clock Technologies Helps Deliver Accessibility at Scale
Round The Clock Technologies enables enterprises to build sustainable, standards-aligned, and SLA-driven accessibility programs that improve both compliance and user experience.
RTCTek’s Accessibility Delivery Framework Includes:
WCAG 2.1/2.2, ADA, and Section 508-based audits
Manual and automated testing workflows
Real assistive technology user testing
Remediation support and collaboration with product teams
Accessibility design reviews and pattern library guidance
Ongoing monitoring and accessibility governance dashboards
Developer training and enablement programs
Business Outcomes Delivered
Reduced compliance risk and legal exposure
Better user satisfaction and product usability
Lower support tickets due to accessibility barriers
Internal teams become self-sufficient in accessibility best practices
Round The Clock Technologies ensures accessibility is built-in, scalable, and future-ready, not reactive or one-time.