User Experience Design
Website Accessibility Compliance Checklist
We audit websites against accessibility guidelines before launch and during redesigns. This guide is for business owners and teams checking their own sites. It covers content and design checks, keyboard and screen reader checks and the tools that help. Work through it page by page, so your most important pages meet WCAG AA expectations.
Content and design checks
Many accessibility problems sit in everyday content and design choices. They are often quick to fix once you know what to look for. Writers and designers can handle most of them without code changes. Check each of these points.
- Meaningful images have alternative text that describes their purpose.
- Decorative images are marked so screen readers skip them.
- Headings follow a logical order, without skipped levels.
- Link text makes sense on its own, avoiding "click here".
- Text and background colours meet contrast requirements.
- Information is never shown by colour alone.
- Videos have captions, and audio has transcripts.
Write in plain language with short sentences and clear headings. Plain writing helps people with cognitive and learning disabilities. It also helps every visitor scan your pages faster.
Keyboard and screen reader checks
Some visitors cannot use a mouse, and others rely on a screen reader to hear the page. Testing with a keyboard and a screen reader reveals barriers that automated tools miss. These checks need no special skills. Work through each one.
- Press Tab to move through the page and confirm every link and button is reachable.
- Check that a visible focus outline shows where you are.
- Confirm menus, pop-ups and accordions open and close with the keyboard.
- Check that you never become trapped inside an element.
- Turn on a screen reader and listen to the main page content.
- Confirm buttons and form fields are announced with clear names.
Free screen readers include NVDA on Windows and VoiceOver on Apple devices. Test your homepage, a service page and your contact form first. Our guide to accessible forms covers form checks in detail.
Tools for accessibility testing
Automated tools find many common problems quickly. They cannot judge everything, so they complement manual checks rather than replace them. Use a mix of tools for the best coverage. These are widely used options.
- WAVE, a browser extension that highlights accessibility errors on the page.
- axe DevTools, which checks pages inside browser developer tools.
- Google Lighthouse, which scores accessibility alongside speed.
- Colour contrast checkers, such as WebAIM's contrast checker.
- Screen readers, such as NVDA and VoiceOver, for real-world checks.
Record each issue with the page, the problem and the fix needed. Re-run the tools after changes to confirm fixes. Our website development team fixes accessibility issues as part of site improvements.
Accessibility compliance checklist
Use this checklist on every important page of your website. Each item reflects a common WCAG AA requirement. Re-check pages after any major change.
- Alternative text on meaningful images
- Logical heading order
- Descriptive link text
- Colour contrast meets requirements
- Captions on videos
- Full keyboard access with visible focus
- Clear names for buttons and form fields
- Automated and manual tests completed
Good to know
Accessibility checklist FAQs
What does WCAG AA compliance mean?+
WCAG AA compliance means a website meets all Level A and Level AA success criteria. These cover common barriers, such as missing alternative text, poor contrast and keyboard problems. Level AA is the usual target for business websites. It requires both automated and manual testing to confirm.
Can automated tools confirm my site is accessible?+
No, automated tools only detect some accessibility problems. They miss issues such as unclear link text, confusing order or poor alternative text. Manual checks with a keyboard and screen reader fill the gaps. Use both for a reliable picture.
How often should I check website accessibility?+
Check accessibility before launch and whenever you add new pages or features. Run automated checks every few months. Review content regularly, as new images and documents often introduce issues. Make accessibility part of your normal publishing routine.
Keep this checklist with your website publishing process. Share it with everyone who adds content or designs pages. So you can keep your website accessible as it grows and changes.
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