For many development teams, accessibility still appears late in the process. The code is already written, the pull request is ready, and only then does the accessibility audit arrive. The result is usually the same: tickets for missing alt text, broken labels, contrast issues, and a list of problems that could have been avoided weeks earlier.
It’s not just frustrating, it’s expensive. Studies such as those from IBM indicate that fixing issues after release can cost up to 25 times more than catching them during development. That’s why more and more developers are looking for ways to detect accessibility issues while writing code, and this is where BrowserStack Accessibility DevTools comes into play.
Bringing accessibility directly into the development environment
BrowserStack Accessibility DevTools is designed to integrate into real development workflows. Instead of running isolated audits at the end of the process, the tool analyzes code in real time directly from the IDE and flags accessibility violations as you type.
This allows accessibility issues to be treated just like syntax or linting errors: they’re detected immediately, with context, and fixed before the code moves further along the development cycle.
WCAG-based rule analysis directly from the code
At the core of Accessibility DevTools is the Spectra™ rule engine, BrowserStack’s proprietary technology that detects accessibility issues aligned with 15 WCAG 2.2 AA success criteria for both web and mobile applications.
This helps prevent real-world accessibility issues before they reach production, reducing compliance risks and avoiding costly rework later.
Real-time accessibility linting
One of the most sought-after features for developers is real-time accessibility linting. Accessibility DevTools analyzes source code as it’s written and immediately flags accessibility issues, indicating their severity and referencing the relevant WCAG guidelines.
There’s no need to wait for builds to finish or run separate tests: feedback is instant and contextual.
AI-assisted remediation suggestions
Beyond detecting issues, the tool provides AI-assisted remediation suggestions. Accessibility DevTools integrates with AI tools already used by development teams, such as GitHub Copilot, JetBrains AI Assistant, Claude, or Cursor.
Rather than offering generic recommendations, suggestions are tailored to the project context, internal components, and coding patterns, making fixes more accurate and actionable.
Support for custom components and design systems
Many accessibility tools only scan standard HTML. Accessibility DevTools goes further by analyzing custom components, internal libraries, and proprietary design systems.
This is especially important in large projects, where much of the UI is built on reusable components that traditional tools often fail to evaluate correctly.
Automated quality gates before production
Another common search is how to prevent inaccessible code from reaching the repository. Accessibility DevTools can be integrated into pre-commit hooks and CI/CD pipelines, running automated checks that block commits or pull requests containing accessibility violations.
This turns accessibility into a technical requirement of the development process, rather than a last-minute review.
Why accessibility matters more than ever
An estimated 1.3 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability. Beyond the social impact, accessibility has legal and business implications: thousands of ADA-related lawsuits were filed in 2024 alone, with significant growth compared to previous years.
Catching accessibility issues during development helps teams meet standards, reduce legal risk, and build digital products that are usable by more people—without slowing development down.
