August 2025
Accessibility Products & Partnerships – Comparative Summary
| Category | CommonLook (Allyant) | Accessibility-as-a-Service (A3S) / A3SDocs + Training | Other Partnerships & Tools (Alex Martinez Notes) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | PDF/document remediation & compliance | End-to-end web & document accessibility with training & monitoring | Mixed: free/low-cost training, AI/overlay tools, CivicPlus integration |
| Core Offerings | - CommonLook PDF, Office, Clarity, Validator tools for document testing & remediation - Training & compliance support |
- A3S: subscription service with continuous audits, remediation, validation, VPAT/ACR documentation, monitoring - A3SDocs: HTML companions for PDFs to meet HB21-1110 & ADA Title II - Training: customizable workshops (half-day to multi-day) |
- W3C WAI Foundations Course (free) - CivicPlus integration with AudioEye overlay - Acquia Optimize (Monsido) manual update guidance - CommonLook PDF remediation referenced |
| Approach to PDFs | Specialized remediation & validation (PAC, tagging, compliance automation) | Provides conforming HTML alternatives alongside original PDFs; minimizes remediation load | Prefers HTML over PDFs; overlays discouraged; manual remediation emphasized |
| Compliance Standards | WCAG 2.1/2.2, PDF/UA, Section 508 | WCAG 2.2 AA, ADA Title II, Section 504, Section 508, CO HB21-1110 | WCAG 2.1/2.2 AA; overlays claim compliance but may only partially achieve it |
| Testing / Validation | Automated validation + manual review | Automated + manual testing with AT users (NVDA, VoiceOver, Axe, contrast tools, etc.) | Uses WAVE, ANDI, Lighthouse; some reliance on overlays (AudioEye) |
| Pricing Model | Enterprise software licensing (cost varies by modules) | Subscription: - $1,500/mo/site (A3S) - $500/mo (A3SDocs, up to 100 pages) - Workshops $4,800–$8,400/session |
- W3C course: free - AudioEye: $2,500/year license (via CivicPlus, prorated free until 2026) - Acquia Optimize: consultative/manual |
| Strengths | - Industry leader for PDF remediation - Deep compliance validation tools - Widely recognized across government & education |
- Full-spectrum service (web, docs, training) - Strong defensibility: ACR/VPAT maintained - Scalable for multiple domains - Local government experience (CO counties) |
- Cost flexibility (free courses) - CivicPlus ecosystem integration - AudioEye offers "Trusted Certification" - State agency best-practice adoption |
| Limitations | - Narrower scope (document-centric, less web) - Requires trained staff to use tools effectively |
- Higher ongoing costs - Relies on vendor-managed remediation (less internal autonomy) - Subscription model may exceed small-town budgets |
- Overlays (AudioEye) criticized as only ~40% effective - CivicPlus reliance may limit customization - Fragmented approach compared to A3S |
| Examples of Use | Universities, government agencies ensuring PDF/UA compliance | Gilpin, El Paso, Saguache Counties; Concorde College; MRO Corp; Atlantic Realty | - Lake County (AudioEye via CivicPlus) - CO Department of Natural Resources (training videos, W3C course) - Local municipalities testing HTML-first strategies |
Analysis Highlights
CommonLook excels at document remediation and validation, making it ideal for agencies with large archives of PDFs but less support for ongoing web accessibility monitoring.
A3S/A3SDocs offers the most comprehensive, end-to-end solution, including audits, remediation, monitoring, documentation, and role-based training. It is especially aligned to Colorado HB21-1110 and municipal/state needs.
Other Partnerships (AudioEye, W3C, CivicPlus, Acquia Optimize) provide a mix of low-cost and automated options, but overlays (like AudioEye) are controversial, offering partial compliance at best. Free training options (W3C Foundations) are strong for staff capacity-building but do not replace robust compliance services.
Key Takeaways for Buena Vista
Primary Fit → A3S/A3SDocs are best for long-term compliance, defensibility, and alignment with Colorado HB21-1110.
Training → Start with free/low-cost staff training (W3C Foundations, DNR training videos) before scaling to vendor-led workshops.
Documents → Move to HTML-first publishing via A3SDocs to avoid heavy PDF remediation.
Overlays (AudioEye) → Not recommended as a core solution; can supplement monitoring but should not replace manual/HTML compliance.
