Accessibility Audit Checklist

A comprehensive checklist for screen readers and keyboard navigation, aligned with WCAG 2.1 AA. Use this page-by-page or flow-by-flow.

Structure & Semantics

• Page has one <h1> describing the page purpose
• Headings follow a logical order (no skipping levels)
• Landmarks exist (<main>, <nav>, <header>, <footer>)
• Landmark names are meaningful (e.g., "Main content")
• Reading order matches visual order
• Content makes sense when CSS is disabled

Keyboard Navigation

• All interactive elements reachable by Tab
• Tab order is logical and predictable
• No keyboard traps
• Focus indicator is clearly visible
• Custom components (dropdowns, sliders, modals) are keyboard-operable
• Enter / Space activates buttons appropriately
• Escape closes modals / dialogs
• Focus is trapped inside open dialogs
• Focus returns to triggering element after dialog close
• Skip link exists and works

Screen Reader - General

Test with NVDA + VoiceOver if possible

• Page title is descriptive
• All buttons and links have accessible names
• Icon-only controls have labels (aria-label or text)
• Links are meaningful out of context
• Decorative elements are hidden (aria-hidden="true")
• Content is not announced twice
• Dynamic updates are announced (ARIA live regions where needed)

Forms & Inputs

• Every input has a <label>
• Placeholder is not the only label
• Required fields announced by screen reader
• Error messages announced automatically
• Errors are programmatically linked to inputs
• Instructions are read before the input
• Fieldsets and legends used for grouped inputs
• Validation does not rely on color alone

Modals, Alerts, Notifications

• Modals are announced as dialogs
• Background content is inaccessible when modal is open
• Focus moves into modal on open
• Alerts are announced automatically
• Toasts don't steal focus unexpectedly

Links & Buttons

• Buttons used for actions, links for navigation
• No div/span used as buttons without roles + keyboard support
• Button labels clearly describe the action
• Disabled buttons are announced correctly

Images & Media

• Informative images have meaningful alt text
• Decorative images have empty alt=""
• Complex images have long descriptions
• Videos have captions (if applicable)
• Auto-playing media can be paused

Visual (Relevant to SR/Keyboard)

• Focus styles meet contrast requirements
• Content does not rely solely on color
• Zoom to 200% works without loss of content
• Reflow at small widths works logically

Responsive & Platform

• Screen reader works on mobile
• Touch targets accessible via SR
• Orientation changes handled correctly

Severity Scale

Level	Description
Critical	Blocks task completion (must fix)
High	Major frustration / fails WCAG
Medium	Confusing but workaround exists
Low	Minor annoyance / improvement