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Website Accessibility Checklist

A website accessibility checklist based on WCAG 2.1 AA. Covers perceivability, operability, understandability, and robustness for any web page.

4 sections 31 items

Checklist preview

Perceivable 9 items
  • All images have descriptive alt text
  • Decorative images have empty alt attribute (alt='')
  • Videos have captions or transcripts
  • Audio content has a text alternative
  • Color is not the only means of conveying information
  • Text contrast ratio meets WCAG AA (4.5:1 for body, 3:1 for large text)
  • UI component contrast meets 3:1 against adjacent colors
  • Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of content
  • Content does not rely on shape, size, or position alone
Operable 9 items
  • All functionality is accessible via keyboard alone
  • No keyboard trap — focus can always be moved away
  • Focus order is logical and follows visual layout
  • Focus indicator is visible on all interactive elements
  • Skip navigation link is present and functional
  • No content flashes more than 3 times per second
  • Page has a descriptive title
  • Link purpose is clear from the link text or context
  • Touch targets are at least 44×44px on mobile
Understandable 7 items
  • Page language is set in the HTML lang attribute
  • Language changes within the page are marked with lang attribute
  • Navigation is consistent across pages
  • Error messages identify the field and describe the issue
  • Labels are associated with their form inputs
  • Required fields are clearly indicated
  • No unexpected context changes on focus or input
Robust 6 items
  • HTML is valid and well-formed
  • ARIA roles and attributes are used correctly
  • Interactive components have accessible name and role
  • Status messages are programmatically determinable
  • Page is functional with CSS disabled
  • Page is usable with a screen reader (NVDA, VoiceOver)

A website accessibility checklist makes WCAG compliance reviewable and repeatable. Instead of relying on memory or a one-time audit, you run the same structured checks on every page — and keep a dated record of what passed and what needs fixing.

This checklist is based on WCAG 2.1 Level AA, the standard referenced by most accessibility legislation including Section 508, the European Accessibility Act, and EN 301 549. It covers the four WCAG principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.

Who uses this web accessibility checklist

Frontend developers doing accessibility QA before a page ships. QA engineers running an accessibility audit checklist as part of a release process. Designers verifying that color contrast and interaction patterns meet WCAG AA. Compliance teams building a Section 508 compliance checklist for government or regulated sites. Agencies delivering accessible websites to clients who require WCAG 2.1 AA conformance.

How to run it

Open the page you want to audit in Chrome. Open CheckRun in the sidebar, select this template, and start a run. Work through each section — use browser DevTools, a screen reader, and keyboard-only navigation. Tools like axe DevTools or Lighthouse can automate some checks; manual testing covers the rest.

Mark each item Pass, Fail, or N/A. Add a comment on Fail items with the specific element and issue found. The run saves with the page URL — useful for tracking accessibility improvements across releases.

Adapting this accessibility checklist

  • Add WCAG 2.2 items for stricter compliance: Focus Not Obscured (2.4.11), Dragging Movements (2.5.7), Target Size Minimum (2.5.8)
  • Add “Cognitive accessibility” items for content-heavy pages: plain language, reading level, consistent layout
  • Remove the Robust section for quick visual-only reviews where code quality is out of scope
  • Use alongside the Website Audit Checklist for a combined technical and accessibility review

Automated vs manual accessibility testing

Automated tools (axe, Lighthouse, WAVE) catch around 30–40% of WCAG issues — mostly in the Perceivable and Robust categories. The rest require manual testing: keyboard navigation, screen reader behavior, color contrast in context, and meaningful alt text. This checklist covers both: run automated tools first, then work through the manual items.

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