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7 min readNov 15, 2024

The Ultimate Web Accessibility Checklist

Ensure your website is accessible to everyone with this comprehensive WCAG compliance checklist.

Alex Chen

Lead Developer

Why Accessibility Matters

Web accessibility ensures that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with websites. It's not just good practice—it's often a legal requirement.

The Checklist

Perceivable

Images

  • [ ] All images have alt text
  • [ ] Decorative images have empty alt=""
  • [ ] Complex images have detailed descriptions

    • Color

  • [ ] Color is not the only means of conveying information
  • [ ] Text has sufficient contrast (4.5:1 minimum)
  • [ ] UI components have 3:1 contrast ratio

    • Media

  • [ ] Videos have captions
  • [ ] Audio has transcripts
  • [ ] No auto-playing media

    • Operable

    Keyboard

  • [ ] All functionality available via keyboard
  • [ ] No keyboard traps
  • [ ] Focus order is logical
  • [ ] Focus indicators are visible

    • Navigation

  • [ ] Skip links are provided
  • [ ] Page titles are descriptive
  • [ ] Headings are hierarchical

    • Timing

  • [ ] Users can extend time limits
  • [ ] Pause, stop, hide moving content

    • Understandable

    Readability

  • [ ] Language is declared
  • [ ] Unusual words are defined
  • [ ] Reading level is appropriate

    • Predictability

  • [ ] Navigation is consistent
  • [ ] Components behave consistently

    • Input Assistance

  • [ ] Errors are clearly identified
  • [ ] Labels are provided
  • [ ] Error suggestions are helpful

    • Robust

    Compatibility

  • [ ] Valid HTML
  • [ ] ARIA used correctly
  • [ ] Works with assistive technologies

    • Testing Tools

  • **axe DevTools**: Browser extension
  • **WAVE**: Web accessibility evaluator
  • **Lighthouse**: Built into Chrome
  • **Screen readers**: NVDA, VoiceOver

    • Conclusion

    Accessibility is an ongoing commitment. Use this checklist as a starting point and continuously improve your site's accessibility.

    Tags

    AccessibilityWCAGA11yInclusive Design

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