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Service status
CheckMeister has been archived
CheckMeister was an independent automated web-accessibility evaluation tool developed by Gareth Slinn through GDS Consulting Ltd. It was created to help people identify a selection of technical accessibility issues in website source code.
CheckMeister followed Hermish, an earlier accessibility-checking project created by Gareth Slinn. Its surviving website record dates from 2004 and forms part of the early history behind the later service, at a time when automated web-accessibility tools were still emerging.
The tool was included in the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative's evaluation-tools directory. CheckMeister was retired in August 2024. The service is retained as part of a longer history of accessibility-tool development, but it is no longer presented as a maintained testing service.
Automated checks cannot establish accessibility
Automated testing can identify some technical issues, but it cannot determine whether a complete product, service or journey is accessible, understandable or conformant. Reliable evaluation also requires expert review, manual testing and appropriate involvement of disabled people.
CheckMeister and COGAI
CheckMeister and COGAI have different purposes. CheckMeister focused on automated inspection of web content. COGAI focuses on cognitive accessibility, education, organisational capability, governance and accessible outcomes. CheckMeister is not a COGAI assessment, certification or verification service.
Teams looking for current guidance on evaluating web accessibility should begin with the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative. For cognitive-accessibility education and research, continue to the COGAI Knowledge Hub.