Website Accessibility Checklist: Is Your Website Compliant?
As businesses increasingly shift their operations online, ensuring that websites are accessible to everyone, including users with disabilities, has become more important than ever. Not only does accessibility improve the user experience (UX) for all users, but it is also a legal requirement in many regions. Whether you’re in the U.S. or the European Union, your website must comply with various accessibility standards like the WCAG 2.2 or you risk facing legal penalties.
This blog provides a detailed checklist to help you conduct a basic audit of your website’s accessibility. If your business is serious about meeting global accessibility standards, this checklist is the perfect starting point.
What Makes a Website Accessible?
Before diving into the checklist, it’s important to understand what makes a website accessible. An accessible website is one that is designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use it effectively. This includes users who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers, users who navigate without a mouse, or users who need high-contrast visual designs due to visual impairments.
Accessibility doesn’t just benefit users with permanent disabilities. For example, people with temporary impairments, such as a broken arm or eye strain, can also benefit from these inclusive design elements.
Website Accessibility Checklist:
Here is a practical checklist to help you assess the accessibility of your website. This audit is based on key principles outlined in the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.2):
- Keyboard Navigation: Test your website to see if it is fully navigable without using a mouse. Users should be able to use the “Tab” key to move through the interactive elements of your website, such as links, forms, and buttons.
- Text Alternatives for Images: Every image on your website should have alternative text (alt text) that describes the image’s content. This allows users with visual impairments to understand the visual elements of your site through screen readers.
- Closed Captioning for Videos: Any videos on your website should include captions or transcripts so that users with hearing impairments can still access the content.
- Accessible Forms: Your website’s forms, such as contact forms or checkout forms, should be clearly labeled and easy to fill out for users who rely on assistive technologies like screen readers.
- Readable Fonts and Colors: Ensure that you use high-contrast colors and readable fonts. This is especially important for users with visual impairments who need sufficient contrast to differentiate text from background elements.
- Consistent Navigation: Make sure your website’s navigation is simple and consistent across all pages. This helps users with cognitive disabilities or those relying on screen readers understand the structure of your website.
- Error Messages and Form Validation: When users encounter errors in filling out forms, the error messages should be clear and instructive, allowing the user to easily correct the mistake. For example, if a required field is missed, the error message should specify which field needs attention.
- Descriptive Link Text: Ensure that link text is descriptive enough for users to understand where the link will take them. Avoid using generic phrases like “Click here” without context.
- Responsive Design: Your website should be responsive and adaptable to different screen sizes and orientations, making it accessible for users on mobile devices and tablets.
- Headings and Semantic HTML: Use proper heading levels (H1, H2, H3, etc.) and semantic HTML tags to structure your content clearly. This helps users with screen readers understand the hierarchy of information on your website.
Conducting a Basic Website Accessibility Audit
Conducting a basic audit of your website’s accessibility can be a straightforward process if you use the right tools:
- Automated Tools: Tools like Google Lighthouse, Axe, or Wave can give you an immediate overview of your website’s accessibility score. These tools automatically scan your website for compliance with WCAG standards and provide suggestions for improvements.
- Manual Testing: Manual testing with assitive technologies like screen readers (e.g., NVDA or VoiceOver) allows you to experience your website from the perspective of a user with disabilities. Navigate through your site to see how easy or difficult it is to interact with content.
- User Testing: Involving users with disabilities in your testing process can provide real-world feedback that automated tools may not capture.
If you discovered issues while using this checklist, your website may not be fully accessible or compliant with current legislation.
Contact Emarkable today to schedule a comprehensive audit of your digital assets. We’ll help you develop a step-by-step plan to bring your website up to standard.
Emarkable – Your Partner in Digital Excellence.