Accessibility Audit Checklist

18 items · Technical · Hard difficulty · 2 hours

Quick WCAG 2.1 audit for web apps: contrast, keyboard nav, ARIA, forms, and screen reader tests.

• Run automated accessibility scan

  Use tools like axe, Lighthouse, or WAVE to catch common WCAG issues

• Check color contrast ratios

  Verify text and UI contrast meets WCAG AA (4.5:1) or project target

• Verify keyboard-only navigation

  Ensure all functionality works without a mouse

• Tab through all interactive elements

  Confirm focus order follows logical reading order

• Ensure visible focus indicators

  Keep clear focus styles for links, buttons, and inputs

• Test skip links and logical tab order

  Provide skip-to-content and avoid keyboard traps

• Provide descriptive alt text for images

  Write functional alt for informative images; use empty alt for decorative

• Label form controls clearly

  Associate <label> or aria-labelledby with each input

• Provide accessible names for custom controls

  Add aria-label or aria-labelledby to icons and custom widgets

• Use semantic HTML headings and landmarks

  Structure pages with h1-h6 and main/nav/header/footer

• Implement ARIA roles only when necessary

  Prefer native elements; use ARIA for complex widgets

• Manage focus after DOM updates

  Move focus into dialogs and to error summaries after actions

• Ensure dynamic content is announced

  Use ARIA live regions or role=status for async updates

• Test with screen readers

  Try key flows with NVDA, VoiceOver (mac/iOS), or TalkBack (Android)

• Conduct mobile accessibility testing

  Test touch targets, zoom, contrast, and mobile screen readers

• Fix issues found by automated scan

  Address high-severity defects first, then lower-priority items

• Re-run automated scan to verify fixes

  Confirm automated tool reports cleared issues and no regressions

• Document remaining known issues and exceptions

  Record WCAG waivers, outstanding bugs, and remediation plans

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