About achecker.ca – Our Mission, Values & Quality Promise
Building a more accessible web, one check at a time. Free, transparent, and committed to global standards.
Our Mission: Making the Web Accessible for Everyone
We believe that accessibility is a fundamental human right. No one should be excluded from online content because of disability or technical barriers. That's why achecker.ca offers a fully free, instant web accessibility check—so site owners and dev teams everywhere can begin improving without upfront cost.
Our Roots & Background
achecker.ca is built on the AChecker open-source project: an automated interactive web content accessibility checker.GitHub
AChecker has been around since circa 2005, aiming for transparency, customizability, and free access.
The core engine uses Open Accessibility Checks (OAC)—a collection of test rules drawn from recognized accessibility standards worldwide (currently ~310 checks).
The project is maintained openly under the GPL-2.0 license, ensuring transparency and community involvement.
Why You Can Trust Us
1. Transparency & Open Source
Our core code and test rules are public. You can inspect, audit, and contribute. We don't hide behind black-box results.
See how we test via our WCAG validator2. Based on Recognized Standards
Our checks reference global accessibility standards: WCAG (versions 2.0, 2.1, and evolving to 2.2), Section 508, EN 301 549, and others. We clearly distinguish when a violation is Known, Likely, or Potential, so you understand which issues need human review.
3. Independent & Nonprofit-Minded
We are not beholden to large vendors or paywalls. Our free tool is designed to lower entry barriers for accessibility. We don't sell your scanned URLs or share them. You remain in control.
4. Ongoing Maintenance & Updates
We regularly update our checks to reflect new WCAG criteria and evolving best practices. As new accessibility research emerges, we incorporate it.
Our Quality Standards & Methodology
| Area | Standard / Method | What It Ensures |
|---|---|---|
| Rule Coverage | ~310 OAC check rules | Broad coverage across recognized criteria |
| Multi-standard support | WCAG 2.0, 2.1, evolving 2.2 + Section 508, EN 301 549 | Tool is useful for global audiences |
| Result classification | Known / Likely / Potential | Clarity on confidence level of each finding |
| Manual review awareness | "Potential problems require human judgment" | Users understand limits of automation |
| Code integrity | Open source, peer review | Trust via public scrutiny |
| Frequent updates | Regular revision of rules | Tool stays current with evolving standards |
Our Team & Contributors
We welcome community contributions via GitHub (issues, pull requests).Contribute on GitHub
Our team reviews community submissions and validates new test rules before deployment.
We maintain issue tracking, changelogs, and transparency around updates.
How We Protect Your Privacy
- All scans are anonymous by default.
- We do not store or share your scanned URLs or results—unless you explicitly save them.
- We may log anonymized aggregate data to improve the tool, but never link to personal info.
What to Expect When Using Our Tools
Instant feedback
Enter your URL (or HTML) → get an Accessibility Score + detailed result.
Clear guidance
We show which rule failed, potential solutions, and where in your HTML/CSS the issue occurred.
Confidence levels
Some issues require human review (categorized as Potential).
Iterative improvement
You can re-scan anytime to track progress.
Join Us in Building an Inclusive Web
If you believe in a web for all, you can make a difference:
Use our tool and fix issues as you find them
Share feedback or submit new test rules via GitHub
Promote accessibility within your organization
Spread the word so more webmasters commit to inclusive design
Important Information
Disclaimer: The results from our tool are for guidance—they do not constitute legal advice. Always pair automated tools with manual review and expert auditing.
License & Open Source: We use GPL-2.0 for transparency. View our source code on GitHub.