Web Accessibility Checklist for Developers- The Ultimate Guide

Want to make your website's content 100% compliant? Letting each user experience every bit of what you have created on your web pages can make your website fully accessible and help you achieve this goal.

Web accessibility guidelines set a foundation for identifying and addressing accessibility barriers on your website. Thus, it is vital to follow a complete checklist that covers all the elements of website accessibility.

This blog will provide you with a comprehensive web accessibility checklist that will promote inclusivity and compliance with legal standards while also potentially improving the user experience for all your visitors.

What is Web Accessibility?

Web accessibility refers to the practice of designing and developing websites that function for people with various abilities and disabilities, such as motor limitations, visual impairments, and cognitive differences.

Web accessibility is all about providing a seamless, inclusive, and enhanced user experience. Adopting these practices can help you create a loyal following, increase website visitors, and engage users with your digital space.

What are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)?

WCAG is a set of guidelines published by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) for web content accessibility. It serves as an international standard for making web content more accessible for disabled people.

The primary objective of setting up these guidelines is to make the web usable for everyone, regardless of their disabilities. But how are these guidelines organized? Web content accessibility guidelines revolve around four principles:

1. Perceivable

Content should be accessible to people with disabilities, including those who are suffering from visual impairment or the ones who can't see at all

2. Operable

Users should be able to navigate to the website with controls they normally use, including a mouse or keyboard

3. Understandable

Content is written simply and clearly to ensure it is comprehensible to all users

4. Robust

Websites should be designed to ensure they work across a diverse range of platforms and browsers

How to Check Whether Your Website is WCAG Compliant?

Over the past decades, WCAG has undergone numerous iterations that have improved its web accessibility approach. Let's dig deeper into each version of the WCAG:

1. WCAG 1.0 (1999)

Released in 1999, it was the first version of Web Content Accessibility. This update introduced 14 guidelines with checkpoints at three priority levels and primarily focused on HTML-based websites. It emphasized clear navigation, alt text for images, and proper use of HTML.

2. WCAG 2.0 (2008)

Launched in 2008, this version set the accessibility benchmarks around four principles—Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust (POUR). It also introduced three levels of conformance- A, AA, and AAA.

• Level A- This level is the baseline level of accessibility compliance. A site that does not achieve this level is considered totally inaccessible
• Level AA- Level AA involves eliminating the most significant accessibility hurdles for those with various disabilities
• Level AAA- This level is challenging to reach for websites as it is a gold standard, but its not necessarily required 

3. WCAG 2.1 (2018)

Introduced in 2018, this version adds more guidelines to WCAG 2.0. The primary objective is to make websites more mobile-responsive and accessible to people with cognitive and low vision issues.

4. WCAG 2.2 (2023)

Published in 2023, this update includes new features to make the user experience smoother, inclusive, and responsive. WCAG 2.2 focuses on input assistance, navigation features, and ensuring web content works well with newer assistive technologies.

5. WCAG 3 (2024)

As of February 2025, this version has not been released. This update is in draft mode and is expected to impact websites starting in September 2025. When it's launched, the websites will have a different structure and conformance model to comply with the WCAG 3 version. You can take a look at its working draft till then, as it may take a while to come into effect.

How to Follow Web Accessibility Checklist?

Here's the web accessibility checklist you must follow to make your website content 100% compliant and accessible:

1. Provide substitutes for non-text content

Imagine trying to understand an infographic without being able to see it. Can't even think of that, right? That's why providing alternatives for non-text content is crucial. One of the best ways to ensure this is to include CAPTCHAs, emoticons, and ASCII art on your website.

Alternative texts, also known as alt texts, also play a vital role in increasing accessibility for the site. An alt text is a short description added to the HTML code for an image. The primary purpose of adding this text is to illustrate the image and what it represents.

Now, adding this alt text is supported by Screen Reader Software, which visually impaired people use to access the web. Another good part about alt text is that you can increase your website's search engine visibility by inserting relevant, high-volume keywords.

2. Provide viewers with distinctive ways to access media information

Audio and video content fall under the category of time-based media. If your site includes recording of sound or moving images, ensure that you upload them using other file formats. These formats will allow your visitors with visual or hearing impairments to access the content.

• Audio media guidelines- Provide an alternative format for your multimedia website by transcribing audio content. Providing transcription is the most common practice for giving information in various formats and recording speech that describes any other relevant audio in the tape, like music or sound effects.
• Video media guidelines- As per video media guidelines and meeting captioning requirements, a published video on your site must have synced subtitles. These captions can be embedded (open) or provide users with a choice to toggle on and off (close).

3. Make content easy to see and hear

Web accessibility is not just about providing alternatives but making the primary content itself more accessible. To ensure this, you should use appropriate color contrast between text and background.

To make this process easy, you can also leverage tools like the WebAIM Contrast Checker to verify your color choices. Another strategy is to use the Emulate vision deficiency feature in Chrome DevTools to ensure people with low vision have an exceptional experience on your site.

Also, italicize links in your text to make it easy for colorblind people to identify them. You can do this by providing a colorless indicator for both mouseover and keyboard focus—by underlining.

Another important aspect you must not overlook is giving users audio control on your site. You can ensure this by installing a button on your auto-play audio so that they can silence it anytime or adjust the volume.

4. Conduct automated accessibility scans

WCAG keeps on updating its guidelines based on tech advancements and developments. Moreover, most of the websites keep on changing their content after some interval, making it challenging to achieve and maintain web accessibility levels after meeting them once.

Thus, it is a strategic choice to monitor and scan your digital space consistently for accessibility compliance.

Integrating Google Lighthouse, you can use tools to automate accessibility audits based on WCAG guidelines. The platform you choose will enable you to scan the website for common accessibility issues, like missing alt text, improper use of ARIA attributes, or low contrast ratios.

5. Accommodate different input methods

Allow your users to use a variety of input options beyond the traditional keyboard and mouse. Following these tips, while building your website makes it easy for your visitors to navigate web pages:

• Include tapping and gestures on touch devices and speech input
• Implement voice input compatibility for form fields and navigation
• Support alternative input devices like eye-tracking systems and switch controls

6. Ensure the keyboard is available for all operations

Always integrate keyboard testing throughout the development process to build a user-friendly experience for your visitors. Remember, not all users use a mouse because of problems with fine motor touch, such as muscle spasms, pain in the hands or arms, etc.

Implementing these practices on your site will enable your visitors to find their way around your web pages using the keyboard: 

• Ensure all interactive elements are operable via the keyboard
• Add skip links to enable users to bypass content that seems repetitive to them
• Implement a logical tab order that follows the visual layout
• Provide visible focus indicators for all interactive elements

7. Offer navigational aid on your web pages

No one wants their visitors to feel they have been redirected to some poorly designed website. Remember, providing clear navigational aid serves as a map and a compass for your web pages. This is how you can make navigation easy for your users:

• Use a descriptive page title- Define the page title that provides an overview of its content in the title tag. It will not only help boost your SEO rankings but also provide more clarity to search engines about the page's topic and show it to the relevant users. To check the title tag, you can hover your mouse over the browser tab 
• Insert descriptive links- Using screen reader technology, visually impaired people can read the pages quickly. However, it would help them save more time if they browse a page with a list of headings or links. 

So, rather than making them listen to the whole page, add descriptive links that describe the purpose and why a user should click them. For example- instead of using a 'learn more' link, it is better to use screen reader text that makes the connected button more accessible, like 'learn more about CRM.'

• Use descriptive and logical headings- Using section headers is an excellent way to break up the page and increase readability. These headings act as a wall of text and bring readers' attention to the pertinent topic they are going to read.

8. Avoid using flashy content or the one that blinks

People with seizure disorders face challenges processing information that blinks or flashes. This is why you should refrain from using these effects, which many users also find distracting.

9. Ensure you use grammatically correct content

Your visitors must easily digest and understand your website content. Ensure this by using plain language and avoiding jargon. Also, focus on pronunciation rules and structuring content with short paragraphs and bullet points.

10. Provide support when users make mistakes

Many users might make mistakes while submitting online forms. Providing them with tips and descriptive error messages will prevent them from making any blunders and make your form more accessible. Here are some tips for its implementation:

• Use form labels with placeholder texts- Placeholder text disappears as soon as the user starts filling in the information. This is where form labels prevent them from entering the wrong data in case they forget what information they were supposed to enter.
• Highlighting form fields with specific errors- If the email address of a user is invalid, notify them that the email is invalid alongside the error. For instance- if @symbol is missing in an email, give specific feedback on how to fix that error
• Mark required form fields- Before filling out the form, let your users know which fields are mandatory and which ones are optional.

Web Accessibility Examples- Websites Worth Taking a Look!

Here are some of the winning examples of websites that are 100% compliant with the web accessibility checklist:

1. BMW

Already familiar with this brand? Ask me; there's no doubt about that! You can take a ride on its accessibility side as soon as you visit its website. Its homepage provides the best user experience by empowering users to choose if scrolling content pauses or runs.

Their website developers created it according to WCAG guidelines by indicating that the video or animation should be able to pause, stop, or be hidden.

2. Patagonia

Visiting Patagonia's website, you will notice that its developers have followed a web accessibility checklist. This website offers outdoor clothing and gear for silent sports for all its users. Needless to say, Patagonia features easy-to-navigate web pages that are organized with a clear, intuitive, and logical structure.

The best part? This website makes it easy for users to explore products based on geographical zones or other distinct categories. Moreover, it provides simple forms that users can submit easily. The source code is also loaded with ARIA tags. Hats off to the team for building a stellar website offering exceptional UX.

Enter Web Accessibility at its Finest!

Following the web content accessibility guidelines may feel like a challenge, but its worth the effort.

If you want to avoid the hassle of ensuring that your website complies with WCAG guidelines, hiring a professional website development company can help. LN Webworks delivers accessible, inclusive digital experiences with ADA-compliant websites.

We strive to provide innovative features on your website that benefit users with various disability profiles. Our mission also extends to simplifying and enhancing users' experiences with easy integration, minimal code required, and AI-powered automation.

Ready to build an inclusive and user-friendly website accessible to all?