The Essential WCAG Checklist for Website Accessibility

All non-text content (i.e. images, image buttons, and image map hot spots) have appropriate alternative text.

Descriptive and accurate transcripts are provided for video- and audio-only content.

Captions are provided for pre-recorded videos or on-live videos (e.g., YouTube).

Headings include the right semantic markup. Tables are linked to the appropriate headers and include captions if necessary. Text labels are associated with the right form inputs.

Navigation order follows code order; navigation is clear and intuitive.

Instructions are not dependent on visual location, shape, or size (i.e., ‘Instructions are listed on the right’ or ‘Click the square button to continue’).

Color alone is not used to portray information, nor is it used to distinguish links from surrounding text unless the color contrast ratio is appropriate.

Users can pause, stop, change volume, or mute audio content that automatically plays on a page for longer than three seconds.

Web elements can easily be shared via a keyboard and include pager-specific keyboard shortcuts.

Keyboard focus and shortcuts are not locked or trapped on any page elements.

Users must be able to disable key commands and change to non-printable keys, such as Ctrl, Alt, etc.

Pages with time limits allow users to adjust, turn off, or expand the time limit.

Automatically moving, blinking, scrolling, or updating content lasting longer than five seconds can be paused, stopped, or hidden by users.

Page content does not flash more than three times per second.

Users can skip navigation or other page elements that are repeated across web pages.

The webpage has a descriptive, informative page title.

The order of links is clear and follows a logical, intuitive order.

Users can understand the purpose of the link from the text alone. Links with similar text that redirect to different locations are easily distinguishable.

User actions can be performed with a single pointer gesture.

Inadvertent activation of controls is avoided by non-use of the ‘onmousedown’ activation.

Functionalities triggered by user movement or moving the device can be disabled, and similar functionality can be achieved via standard controls like buttons or controls.

Form validation or input errors are clearly identified, and access to the error is quickly provided.

Live media with audio contain synchronized captions.

Users have access to audio descriptions for non-live video.

Web page orientation is not limited to portrait or landscape; users can adjust as needed.

Fields that collect certain user information have an ‘autocomplete’ attribute defined.

Both text and images have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1. Large text has a ratio of at least 3:1.

Page elements are still readable and functional when zoomed to 200%.

If a visual representation can be portrayed through text alone, an image alone is not used to present text.

Functionality is not lost when content is presented at a width of 320 pixels. Horizontal scrolling is avoided as much as possible.

A minimum contrast ratio of 3:1 is available for different objects, such as icons, charts, or graphs.

Content or functionality is not lost when users adjust paragraph spacing.

Content presented in hover or focus can be dismissed without moving the keyboard or pointer.

Users have more than one way to find other web pages on a site.

Page headings and labels are informative and are not duplicated unless absolutely necessary.

A visible indicator is present for page elements when they receive keyboard focus.

Elements with keyboard focus are entirely visible.

Actions that require pointer dragging can also be done with a single pointer.

Pointer sizes are at minimum 24 by 24 pixels unless specified otherwise.

Language of pages is easily identifiable via the ‘lang’ attribute.

Elements that repeat across a web page (e.g., a search bar) are consistently labeled as such across individual web pages.

When an error is detected, suggestions are provided for how to remedy the issue in a timely, accessible way.

If a user changes or deletes financial, legal, or test data, the action can be reversed, confirmed, or verified as needed.

Cognitive functions are not required during authentication processes unless it can be completed in another way, bypassed, or identification of non-text content is provided by the user (e.g., user-provided image).

Status messages are announced to screen readers via live region or ARIA alerts.

Sign language interpretation is provided for media with audio.

When the original video contains insufficient pauses and is not optimized for audio description, a separate video with sufficient pauses and audio descriptions is provided.

Pre-recorded media includes a descriptive transcript.

Descriptive text is provided for live content that contains audio.

ARIA is used to enhance HTML semantics, enabling users to more easily understand the purpose of interface elements.

Images and text have a color contrast ratio of 7:1.

Audio content has little to no background noise, ensuring it is easily distinguished.

Blocks of text over one sentence in length are: Less than 80 characters wide, not fully justified, have adequate line spacing, include appropriate foreground and background colors, and does not require horizontal scrolling if size is doubled.

Text within an image is used only for decoration, or if the information cannot be presented through text alone.

All functionalities are available via the keyboard.

There are no time limits or constraints to page content or functionality.

Interruptions such as alerts or updates can be postponed by the user.

Users can re-authenticate a page and continue activities without losing data.

Users are adequately warned of timeouts that can result in data loss (unless data can be preserved for more than hours of user inactivity).

No page content flashes three times per second.

Non-essential animations and movements can be disabled by users.

 A web page that’s part of a sequence of web pages is indicated as such through breadcrumbs or specifying sequence steps.

Users can distinguish the purpose of each link through link text alone.

Sections of content are designated using headers.

Elements with keyboard focus are entirely visible.

Instances where custom indicators or backgrounds are in place have at least a 3:1 contrast between focused/unfocused states, and are at least as large as the area of a 2-pixel-thick perimeter surrounding the element.

Clickable targets are 44 by 44 pixels in size unless an alternative target size is provided.

Content is not limited to one specific input type (i.e., keyboard-only or touch-only) and supports alternative inputs.

Unfamiliar or ambiguous words are defined through an index, definition list, or other appropriate method.

Unfamiliar abbreviations are expanded and defined the first time it is used.

More understandable alternatives are provided for advanced content (typically provided for content above a ninth-grade reading level).

Pronunciation guides are provided for words that are vital to the comprehension of the page.

Substantial changes (i.e., spawning of pop-up windows or changes in keyboard focus) are initiated by the user and can disable options if desired.

Instructions or cues are provided to users who need assistance to complete tasks.

Users can reverse, verify, or confirm submissions after information is submitted.

Cognitive function tests are not required for any step in the authentication process unless the test can be bypassed or completed with assistance from another mechanism.