The Metrics That Matter: A Deep Dive into Digital Accessibility KPIs

At TestParty, we believe accessibility is not just a checklist—it's a continuous engineering discipline. Just like security has its metrics (breaches, vulnerabilities, MTTR), accessibility deserves its own structured set of key performance indicators (KPIs). The question we hear most often from CTOs, engineering managers, and compliance leads is: "How do we measure success in accessibility?"

In this post, we’ll share the exact KPIs that our team at TestParty tracks with customers—from code commits to customer satisfaction. Whether you’re building a new accessibility program or scaling an existing one, these metrics will help you tell a compelling, data-backed story that drives buy-in, unlocks budget, and improves lives.

Why Accessibility Needs Metrics

Too often, accessibility is seen as reactive—something you fix when it breaks or when legal gets involved. But this mindset leads to bloated backlogs, spiraling costs, and unhappy users.

The alternative? Treat accessibility like a performance-critical engineering function. That means tracking meaningful metrics across five categories:

• Engineering
• QA and Compliance
• User Experience
• Business Impact
• Performance & Platform Health

By adopting this multi-layered measurement model, your accessibility program transforms from a cost center to a force multiplier.

1. Engineering KPIs: Building Accessibility into the Codebase

Engineering KPIs are the foundation of any successful digital accessibility program. Just like DevOps teams track build times or security teams track vulnerability patches, accessibility teams must adopt measurable engineering practices to ensure inclusion is built (not bolted) into the codebase.

At TestParty, we believe the first and most important engineering metric is the false positive rate of automated tools. When developers are flooded with irrelevant or incorrect issues, they start ignoring the tools altogether. Our goal is to reduce this rate to zero through continuous tuning and human-in-the-loop feedback systems. If developers trust the tool, they’ll use it. If they use it, issues get fixed upstream.

Next, we track static analysis accessibility testing (SAAT) coverage per release, aiming for 100% of code repositories to be scanned as part of the CI/CD pipeline. Accessibility testing shouldn’t be optional or episodic. It should be embedded in every commit, just like unit tests or linters.

We also monitor accessibility-related downtime, which should be zero. If inaccessible features break user flows or cause systems to go offline, that’s a clear red flag. Preventing downtime requires accessible design systems, reusable components, and rigorous pre-deploy testing.

A subtle but powerful indicator is the number of code commits post-audit or tool usage. This metric reflects whether accessibility tools enhance or hinder developer productivity. Our goal? Enable faster delivery, not slower sprints.

Finally, we evaluate team participation rates in audits and tests (target: 100%) and track backlog reduction over time, ensuring that accessibility debt doesn’t accumulate.

In short, engineering KPIs let you embed accessibility where it matters most: at the source of your product.

2. QA & Compliance KPIs: Ensuring Accessible Quality at Scale

While engineering KPIs help build accessibility into the code, QA and compliance KPIs ensure it actually works for users. Every time. At scale. These metrics provide confidence that your software isn’t just technically sound, but functionally inclusive.

The cornerstone here is the number of WCAG errors identified. Every unresolved violation represents a potential user barrier, support ticket, or lawsuit. We aim for zero, not as a vanity metric, but as a tangible goal grounded in the needs of real people using screen readers, voice navigation, or alternative input devices.

We further track outstanding accessibility vulnerabilities, categorized by severity: critical, high, medium, and low. This triaging allows teams to prioritize impact. For example, a missing <alt> tag might be low priority, but a form without labels could be critical. When integrated with agile workflows, this creates a shared language between developers, testers, and compliance officers.

Third-party vendor compliance is another key dimension. Plugins, payment processors, and embedded tools must meet the same standards as your internal code. We aim for 100% compliance across the ecosystem. After all, your site is only as accessible as its least-accessible dependency.

We also measure the vulnerability resolution rate, with a target of 100% closed each month. Accessibility debt should not linger or stall. The best organizations treat it with the same urgency as security bugs.

Lastly, test frequency matters. We recommend running thousands of automated accessibility tests per day to catch regressions early. Combined with manual spot-checks and user testing, this ensures airtight, repeatable quality.

These QA metrics turn accessibility into a culture of assurance, not just compliance.

3. Cost KPIs: Reducing the Financial Burden of Accessibility

Accessibility is often seen as expensive, but that’s only true if it’s treated as an afterthought. By tracking cost-related KPIs, organizations can move accessibility left (into the design and development phases) and reap massive savings along the way.

The first cost metric we track is manual remediation hours per year. Every hour a developer or auditor spends fixing issues post-deployment is an hour lost to rework. TestParty’s customers often reduce these hours to near zero by integrating our automation directly into their workflows. Not only does this save time, but it also allows engineers to focus on building, not retrofitting.

Equally important is the average time accessibility issues sit in the backlog. These issues aren’t just passive, they accrue interest in the form of technical debt, user complaints, and risk exposure. Our goal is to keep this backlog age at zero, meaning issues are fixed as soon as they’re identified. Fast fixes are cheap. Delayed fixes are costly.

Lawsuits avoided is a more macro cost KPI, but it’s critical for risk management. With over 4,000 web accessibility lawsuits filed annually in the U.S. alone, noncompliance is not just unethical, it’s expensive. Every fixed issue is a potential demand letter avoided.

By tracking these metrics, organizations can demonstrate the ROI of proactive accessibility, showing leadership that upfront investment reduces long-term costs. These KPIs turn accessibility into a cost-saving strategy rather than a sunk cost.

When you eliminate waste, cut rework, and avoid legal exposure, accessibility becomes not only good ethics, but good economics.

4. User Experience KPIs: Measuring Impact on Real People

At its core, accessibility is about people. That’s why user experience (UX) KPIs are among the most meaningful measures of success. These metrics help organizations understand how inclusive their digital products are from the perspective of end users.

The most immediate signal is the number of accessibility-related support tickets. If users with disabilities are consistently flagging issues (such as unreadable PDFs, inaccessible buttons, or broken navigation) that’s a sign your product is not meeting their needs. Our goal is to bring this number down to zero, indicating that users can complete tasks independently and intuitively.

Equally important is the time to remediate reported issues. Just like security breaches, accessibility issues require fast responses. At TestParty, we recommend a 24-hour turnaround time, particularly for issues that block access to essential services. This speed not only reduces user frustration but also demonstrates a commitment to inclusion.

Customer Satisfaction (CSAT) specifically tied to accessibility is a newer but powerful KPI. When users feel included, supported, and respected, they reward companies with trust and loyalty. We aim for a CSAT score above 90% for accessibility-related experiences, whether it’s website navigation, mobile app usability, or support interactions.

Finally, Net Promoter Score (NPS) provides a long-term view of customer loyalty and advocacy. Accessible products aren’t just usable, they inspire word-of-mouth growth. Many of our clients see their NPS scores rise as accessibility improves, especially among users with disabilities or those in regulated industries.

These UX KPIs translate abstract values (equity, dignity, independence) into actionable business data. And that data tells a powerful story: accessibility is good for humans, and what’s good for humans is good for business.

5. Business Impact KPIs: Tying Accessibility to Growth

For accessibility to gain executive buy-in, it must show a clear link to business outcomes. Business impact KPIs are how you do that. These metrics prove that accessibility isn’t just a moral imperative or a legal shield, it’s a growth engine.

The most direct signal is Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) growth from accessibility-related services or features. Whether you're an agency offering accessibility as a product or a SaaS company winning RFPs with accessible design, inclusion can drive topline revenue. Our clients regularly see >25% YoY ARR growth from investments in accessible features.

Equally important is client retention rate post-audit. After implementing accessibility fixes or onboarding with TestParty, clients are more likely to stay long-term. Why? Because accessible products work better, reach wider audiences, and reflect a values-based partnership. A 100% retention rate in this context is both achievable and strategic.

We also measure adoption rate of new accessibility tools, particularly within the first 30 days. High adoption indicates that accessibility is being embraced by internal teams and embedded into daily workflows. Low adoption is a red flag for change management or usability gaps.

Churn rate is another bellwether. Clients who integrate accessibility early and effectively churn less, because their users are happier, their products are stronger, and their risks are lower.

Finally, we track the number of new customers acquired due to improved accessibility. Whether it’s winning deals in education, government, or enterprise sectors, accessibility increasingly influences procurement decisions.

These KPIs connect accessibility efforts to strategic growth making it a must-have, not a nice-to-have.

6. Platform Performance KPIs: Enabling Scalability Through Speed and Stability

Even the best accessibility tooling is useless if it slows you down. That’s why performance KPIs are critical. These metrics measure how well your accessibility infrastructure integrates into existing developer workflows, how fast it runs, and how reliable it is.

First, we look at platform uptime and availability, with a gold-standard goal of 99.99%. Accessibility solutions must be just as reliable as the systems they’re supporting. If the platform that runs accessibility tests or remediations is down, it delays deployments and erodes trust across engineering teams.

Another key KPI is the speed of automated accessibility scans per build. Our goal is <5 minutes per scan to keep pace with modern CI/CD pipelines. Anything slower introduces bottlenecks. With TestParty’s scanners, you can run deep WCAG analysis without compromising developer velocity.

We also track the integration success rate with CI/CD pipelines, across GitHub, Bitbucket, Jenkins, Azure DevOps, and others. Ideally, this is 100%. Integrations should be seamless, requiring minimal manual configuration and zero ongoing maintenance.

A more advanced metric is the number of custom accessibility rules created by clients. This reflects maturity in accessibility programs. As teams grow, they often want to encode organization-specific standards (e.g., specific alt text guidance, brand color contrast requirements). We encourage and track this customization as a sign of institutional adoption.

These performance KPIs ensure that accessibility isn’t just a check after the fact, it’s part of the delivery pipeline. Scalable, stable, fast, and integrated.

Because in a world where speed is everything, accessibility can’t afford to be slow.

From Metrics to Movement

Tracking KPIs is just the start. The real impact comes when you:

• Report them to leadership in business terms (e.g. legal risk, NPS, ARR)
• Benchmark against industry standards to highlight wins and gaps
• Automate data collection so reporting doesn’t become a manual burden
• Celebrate improvements, not just compliance
• Tie accessibility to company OKRs for product, engineering, and customer success

And most importantly: never stop improving. Accessibility is a journey, not a destination.

Why TestParty Tracks These Metrics

At TestParty, we’ve built these KPIs directly into our platform. Our customers get dashboards tailored for engineers, compliance leads, and C-suite executives so everyone can understand the impact of their work.

We support:

• Automated audits with zero false positives
• Realtime PDF-to-HTML conversion and fixes
• eCommerce platform integration for Shopify, WordPress, and more
• Just-in-time WCAG training
• Reporting that actually moves the needle

Whether you’re trying to pass a VPAT, respond to a demand letter, or just do right by your users, we’re here to help.

Final Thoughts: Accessibility as Engineering Excellence

Security teams don’t guess. They track. They automate. They prevent. It’s time accessibility did the same.

With the right KPIs, accessibility shifts from a compliance checkbox to a competitive advantage. It shows your teams care, your products scale, and your company leads.

Want to track these metrics in your org?
📅 Book a demo and let us show you what great accessibility looks like, backed by great data.

TestParty makes accessibility more accessible. So your team can build for everyone.