A Federal Test Methodology
The DHS Trusted Tester methodology is the federal government’s own Section 508 test method. Every ACR is signed by a named DHS Trusted Tester, and Andrew Szigety’s certificate (TT-2606-09221) is published.
Section 508 & WCAG Accessibility Audits
Manual Section 508 and WCAG 2.2 AA audits under the DHS Trusted Tester methodology, the federal government’s own test process. You get a finished VPAT/ACR, the document government and enterprise buyers ask for.
Your ACR on a Date Committed at Signing*
The day counts above describe a Standard engagement. The Focused engagement runs the same four phases on a shorter clock and commits the signed ACR on day 10; Professional commits day 21.
Built for SaaS Products and Web Apps
Authenticated views, dashboards, and single-page applications tested by hand with a keyboard and a screen reader. If your product lives behind a login, this is the engagement built for it.
What’s Included
E&O Insurance Backing
Engagements are backed by Harbor's Errors & Omissions insurance policy, subject to policy terms and conditions. Ask and we will send you the coverage details.
Work Product Protection
Your audit data is version-controlled and backed up throughout the engagement, not assembled at the end. If delivery runs more than 10 business days late and you cancel, you keep all work product produced to that point.
Follow-Up Reviews Included (2 to 5, by Tier)
Initial audit plus follow-up reviews at no additional cost: up to 2 on Focused, 3 on Standard and Professional, 5 on Enterprise. Each review re-evaluates the pages where fixes were applied, and we re-issue an updated ACR afterward. Review timelines are confirmed at engagement start.
Visual Fix Guides
Annotated screenshots that make remediation straightforward. Your team makes the fix, and your code stays yours.
Publication-Ready VPAT/ACR
Your Accessibility Conformance Report in VPAT format, reflecting findings as of the audit completion date.
Post-Engagement Support
Up to 90 days of email support after delivery, for questions about findings or remediation.
Assistive Technology Testing
Every audit includes hands-on testing with screen readers and keyboard navigation.
Who Checks the Work
The method itself checks the work. Harbor audits follow the DHS Trusted Tester process, the federal government’s own Section 508 test procedure, written so the result does not depend on who runs it. Each criterion has defined test conditions and a defined pass or fail. A different certified tester, following the same steps on the same pages, reaches the same conclusions.
Nothing enters your report on judgment alone. Every finding is reproduced by hand with a keyboard and a screen reader, then re-verified against the objective, documented conditions for its criterion before the report is assembled. A finding that cannot be reproduced, or that does not fail a specific written requirement, is cut. It is a second pass, not a second opinion: the check runs against the published standard, not against an impression of the page.
What remains is a report you can challenge. Every finding cites the WCAG criterion, the test method, and the user impact, so your own team can re-run any check and confirm it. Harbor is led by Andrew Szigety, DHS Trusted Tester for Web (TT-2606-09221). Every engagement is tested and signed by a DHS Trusted Tester: Andrew, or an additional tester he selects as needed. Whoever signs your ACR is named on it.
Ready to Start Your Engagement?
Start with the page that matches your situation: VPAT & ACR, Section 508, SaaS & web apps, ADA compliance, or European Accessibility Act.
*10 days on a Focused engagement, 14 on Standard, 21 on Professional, committed at signing. The ~45-day full-cycle figure is an estimate, not a commitment: remediation is your team’s engineering time, and how fast it goes is up to them.