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Functional Accessibility Evaluator
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What Functional Accessibility Evaluator is
Functional Accessibility Evaluator (FAE) is a free, open-source web application for checking website accessibility. It analyzes pages against WCAG 2.0 requirements and examines use of HTML accessibility features. Its rules draw from WCAG Success Criteria, WAI-ARIA, WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices, and the HTML Standard through the OpenA11y Evaluation Library, which contains more than 120 rules. Categories include headings, lists, forms, and tables. FAE can spider an entire site from a starting URL, with depth, domain, and path limits controlling which pages are visited. Saved page results are combined into a website summary report. About one third of shared rules return only a Manual Check result, so human review is needed. HTML5 and ARIA Techniques and HTML4 Legacy Techniques rulesets are available, with HTML5 and ARIA identified as current. FAE works alongside AInspector for Firefox and Accessibility Bookmarklets. The University of Illinois says it is no longer supported.
Who it suits
FAE suits designers, developers, and accessibility evaluators who need a web-based, open-source site scanner. It is also relevant to teams comfortable performing manual checks and managing their own supported workflow.
What it does well
- Free, open-source web application
- Scans whole sites with spidering controls
- Over 120 accessibility evaluation rules
- Aggregated website summary reports
- Rules grouped into familiar categories
What to know first
- No longer supported by the University of Illinois
- About one third of rules require manual checks
- Evaluates against WCAG 2.0
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Functional Accessibility Evaluator (FAE) | Open source web application; University of Illinois says it is no longer supported | Free |
As accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu lists them, read 12 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
FAE combines whole-site spidering, categorized rules, and summary reporting in a free web tool. Its unsupported status and required manual checks should be considered before adoption.
Facts from Functional Accessibility Evaluator's own pages
- Companion tools
- FAE is designed to be used with AInspector for Firefox and Accessibility Bookmarklets. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Headquarters
- The Accessible IT Group lists its address as 1207 S. Oak St., Champaign, IL 61820. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Intended users
- The Open Source Web Accessibility Tools User Group invites designers, developers, and web accessibility evaluators interested in open source tools. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Maker
- The Accessible IT Group is part of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Division of Disability Resources and Education Services. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Maker organization
- The Accessible IT Group promotes and supports inclusion of students with disabilities in the University of Illinois information technology environment. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Manual checks
- Approximately one third of the shared evaluation library’s rules produce only a Manual Check result requiring human intervention. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- FAE is an open source web application that analyzes web pages for accessibility requirements and use of HTML accessibility features. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Reporting
- FAE aggregates saved page-level evaluation results into a summary report for the website. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Reports
- FAE processes saved page-level results and aggregates them into a summary report for the website. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Rule categories
- Rules are organized into familiar categories including headings, lists, forms, and tables. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Rule library
- FAE uses the OpenA11y Evaluation Library, which comprises over 120 evaluation rules. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Rulesets
- The shared evaluation library offers HTML5 and ARIA Techniques and HTML4 Legacy Techniques rulesets, with HTML5 and ARIA Techniques recommended as the most up-to-date. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Scan scope
- site · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Spidering controls
- FAE spidering uses a starting URL, depth level, and domain and path constraints to control which pages are analyzed. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Standards
- Its evaluation rules draw on WCAG Success Criteria, WAI-ARIA, WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices, and the HTML Standard. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Support status
- The University of Illinois says FAE is no longer supported due to limitations in resources. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- WCAG version
- wcag 2.0 · github.com, 22 Sept 2026
- Website scanning
- FAE can evaluate entire websites by spidering pages according to a starting URL, depth level, and domain and path constraints. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
- Whole-site evaluation
- FAE can evaluate entire websites through web spidering, while AInspector WCAG evaluates a single page. · accessibleit.disability.illinois.edu, 12 Oct 2026
Where Functional Accessibility Evaluator stands on Freedom251
- Website Accessibility Tools#88 of 133