Website accessibility checklist

Pages

• Every page has a unique, descriptive title
• Headings go in order (h1, then h2, then h3) without skipping
• Links say where they go — no “click here”
• Text contrast is at least 4.5:1 (3:1 for large text)
• Pages work at 200% zoom and on a 320-pixel-wide screen
• Everything works with a keyboard, with a visible focus outline

Images & media

• Meaningful images have alt text that describes their purpose
• Decorative images are marked so screen readers skip them
• Videos have accurate captions; audio has a transcript
• Nothing moves, blinks or scrolls for more than five seconds without a pause button
• Maps and charts have a text or table alternative

Documents

• PDFs are tagged, with a title and language set
• Reading order matches the visual order
• Tables have header rows
• Scanned documents are replaced with real text
• Short, frequently updated PDFs are converted to web pages

Forms

• Every field has a visible label
• Required fields are marked in text, not only with color
• Errors are described in text and point to the field
• There’s no time limit, or it can be extended
• There’s no puzzle CAPTCHA

Process

• An accessibility statement with a way to report problems
• A way to request documents in another format
• New content is checked before it’s published
• Staff know who to ask for help

Sources: W3C WCAG 2.1 quick reference, ADA.gov fact sheet, Section508.gov.