TestParty vs Level Access: Managed Services vs Automated Platform

Level Access and TestParty approach accessibility through different models. Level Access offers comprehensive managed services with human consultants, while TestParty provides an automated platform that integrates into development workflows. Understanding these models helps organizations choose the approach that fits their resources, capabilities, and goals.

Service Model Comparison

Level Access: Managed Services

Level Access operates as a consulting and services firm:

Consulting services:

• Expert accessibility assessments
• WCAG conformance audits
• Remediation guidance and support
• Training and education

Technology platform (AMP):

• Accessibility Management Platform for tracking
• Automated scanning capabilities
• Issue tracking and reporting

Ongoing managed services:

• Regular audits and assessments
• Remediation verification
• Compliance maintenance support

Level Access essentially provides outsourced accessibility expertise—organizations rely on Level Access consultants to identify issues, recommend fixes, and verify compliance.

TestParty: Automated Platform

TestParty provides tools that enable internal teams:

Spotlight (Monitoring):

• Continuous automated scanning
• Issue identification and prioritization
• Regression detection
• Dashboard and reporting

Bouncer (CI/CD Integration):

• GitHub integration for pull request checks
• Development workflow enforcement
• Automated accessibility gates

PreGame (IDE Extension):

• Real-time developer feedback
• In-editor accessibility guidance
• Prevention at creation time

TestParty provides the platform; internal development teams use it to identify and fix accessibility issues themselves.

When Each Model Works

Managed Services (Level Access) Works When:

Limited internal expertise: Organizations without accessibility knowledge benefit from external experts who can guide the entire process.

Complex remediation needs: Large legacy systems may need expert assessment to prioritize and plan remediation efforts.

Training requirements: Organizations needing to build internal capability may use consulting to train teams.

Budget for ongoing services: Managed services require continuous investment in consulting hours.

Automated Platform (TestParty) Works When:

Development capacity exists: Teams who can implement fixes benefit from platforms that identify issues efficiently.

Continuous development: Active development benefits from CI/CD integration that prevents new issues.

Scaling needs: Platforms scale more cost-effectively than billable consulting hours.

Internal ownership desired: Organizations wanting to own accessibility capability rather than outsource it.

Cost Structure Comparison

Level Access Costs

Consulting services:

• Audits: $10,000-50,000+ depending on scope
• Remediation support: Hourly consulting rates
• Training: Per-session or per-person pricing

Platform subscription:

• AMP platform: Enterprise pricing
• Typically bundled with service agreements

Ongoing costs:

• Regular audit cycles
• Continuous consulting support
• Annual contract renewals

Total investment: Varies significantly based on engagement scope; enterprise engagements often exceed $100,000 annually.

TestParty Costs

Platform subscription:

• Monitoring and tools: Subscription pricing
• Predictable annual cost

Internal costs:

• Developer time for remediation
• One-time per issue fixed
• Decreases over time as issues resolved

Total investment: Lower platform cost plus internal development investment; total depends on remediation volume.

Expertise and Capability

Level Access Expertise

What you get:

• Certified accessibility professionals (CPWA, Trusted Tester)
• Deep WCAG knowledge
• Assistive technology expertise
• Legal and regulatory understanding
• Industry-specific experience

How it's delivered:

• Auditor performs assessment
• Findings documented in report
• Recommendations provided
• Your team implements (or additional consulting)

Limitation: Expertise is rented, not built internally.

TestParty Capability Building

What the platform provides:

• Automated issue detection
• WCAG criterion identification
• Remediation guidance
• Best practice suggestions

How teams develop:

• Developers learn through doing
• Real-time feedback builds skills
• CI/CD enforcement creates habits
• Knowledge becomes organizational asset

Outcome: Organization builds lasting accessibility capability.

Audit and Compliance Documentation

Level Access Audits

Comprehensive assessments:

• Manual testing with assistive technologies
• Expert evaluation against WCAG criteria
• Detailed findings with evidence
• Prioritized remediation recommendations

Compliance documentation:

• VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template)
• Conformance reports
• Accessibility statements
• Legal defense documentation

Credibility: Level Access audits are third-party assessments with industry recognition.

TestParty Monitoring

Continuous scanning:

• Automated detection of common issues
• Trend tracking over time
• Regression identification

Documentation:

• Dashboard showing accessibility status
• Historical progress reporting
• Issue resolution tracking

For formal compliance: Organizations may supplement TestParty monitoring with periodic expert audits. TestParty identifies issues efficiently; audits provide formal conformance documentation.

Integration Approaches

Level Access Integration

AMP Platform:

• Web-based dashboard
• Issue tracking
• Scan scheduling
• Report generation

Development integration:

• Limited CI/CD capability
• Primarily a reporting tool
• Separate from development workflow

Workflow impact:

• Audits are periodic events
• Development continues normally
• Accessibility checked after the fact

TestParty Integration

Spotlight:

• Continuous monitoring
• API access
• Alert integrations

Bouncer:

• GitHub pull request checks
• Blocks non-compliant merges
• Part of every code review

PreGame:

• VS Code real-time feedback
• Immediate issue identification
• Prevention during development

Workflow impact:

• Accessibility is continuous concern
• Issues caught during development
• Prevention rather than detection

Scalability

Level Access at Scale

Challenges:

• Consulting hours increase with scope
• Audit timelines extend with property count
• Costs scale linearly with engagement size

Enterprise approach:

• Program-level consulting
• Prioritized property assessment
• Training for internal teams

TestParty at Scale

Advantages:

• Platform costs don't scale linearly
• Monitoring covers properties efficiently
• CI/CD works across repositories
• Developer capability multiplies effect

Enterprise deployment:

• Centralized monitoring dashboard
• Consistent CI/CD standards
• Organization-wide capability development

Combining Approaches

Some organizations use both models:

Hybrid approach:

1. Level Access provides initial comprehensive audit
2. TestParty monitors continuously for ongoing compliance
3. Level Access audits annually for formal compliance documentation
4. TestParty CI/CD prevents new issues between audits
5. Level Access provides training to build internal capability

Benefits:

• Expert validation of critical compliance needs
• Efficient continuous monitoring
• Development workflow integration
• Formal compliance documentation

Making the Decision

Choose Level Access If:

• No internal accessibility expertise exists
• Formal third-party audits are required
• Comprehensive training is needed
• Budget supports ongoing consulting
• Complex legacy systems need expert assessment
• Legal documentation from recognized firm is valuable

Choose TestParty If:

• Development team capacity exists
• Continuous development requires continuous monitoring
• Cost-effective scaling matters
• Building internal capability is priority
• CI/CD integration is valuable
• Prevention is preferred over periodic detection

Consider Both If:

• Initial expert assessment needed
• Ongoing monitoring and prevention valued
• Formal periodic audits required
• Building internal capability while having expert backup

Taking Action

The choice between managed services and automated platforms depends on organizational resources and goals. Level Access provides expertise; TestParty provides capability. Many organizations find value in combining approaches—expert validation with continuous automated monitoring.

For organizations with development capacity seeking efficient, scalable accessibility compliance, TestParty's platform model offers integration that keeps accessibility central to development rather than a periodic consulting engagement.

Schedule a TestParty demo and get a 14-day compliance implementation plan.

Related Resources

• TestParty vs Deque
• Accessibility Testing Tools Comparison
• Website Accessibility Audit Guide
• Accessibility Remediation Cost Analysis