Website Accessibility Checklist
Website Accessibility Checklist
Acronyms
• Write out acronyms in a document where it first occurs.
Audio file
• Don't play audio automatically.
• Provide a transcript.
Background
• Avoid contrasts of bright colors and strongly textured backgrounds.
• Avoid using backgrounds with images.
Buttons / Icons
• Provide a functional label.
• Position navigation buttons and icons consistently.
Colors
• Do not rely on color to convey information.
• Some color blind individuals see green and red as the same color.
Contrast
• The text and images are to have sufficient contrast with the background.
Files
• Give a meaningful filename.
• A link should indicate that it will open a file.
Font
• Arial and Verdana fonts are good options, 12 point size.
• Keep the usage of italics to a minimum and avoid blinking text.
Forms
• The layout of the form should follow a logical pattern.
Frames
• Name each frame to facilitate frame identification and navigation.
• Describe the purpose of frames and how frames relate to each other if it
is not obvious by frame titles alone.
Images / Graphical Content
• Provide a brief text alternative that provides equivalent information in
Alt tag.
• For some images, an extended text description may be needed.
• Graphical contents include: images, text that is part of an image, image
map regions, animated graphics, images used as list bullets, graphical buttons, sound
icons
Headers
• Use headers to convey document structure.
• Do not use bold or other text formatting to convey important information.
Screen reading software handles formatted text in the same as nonformatted text.
Help
• Provide detailed help and instructions.
Language
• Use the clearest and simplest language appropriate for a site's content.
• Tell users when the language on a page changes.
Links
• Clearly identify the target of each link.
• Replace the page address with words that relate to the webpage that is linked.
• Avoid ‘Click Here’ links.
• Group related links, and include a ‘Skip Contents" link as the first item
in a group of related links for screen reader users to have the option to skip reading
list of page contents.
• Create a logical tab order through links, form controls, and objects.
Mathematical or Scientific Notation
• Use the ALT tag to provide a text alternative.
• Convert equations in Microsoft Word to MathJax (advanced)
Menus
• Use consistent navigation.
Multimedia Elements
• Provide a description of the important information of the visual part of
a multimedia presentation.
Page Layout
• Provide information about the layout of the site in the form of a site map
or table of contents.
• Create a style of presentation that is consistent across pages.
• Use consistent navigation on each page.
Page Title
• Use a clear page title to describe the topic or purpose.
PDF Files
• Use text-based pdf files, making sure that all graphics are labeled.
• Links to PDF files should indicate that the link will open a PDF file.
Pop-Ups
• Do not cause pop-ups or other windows to appear and do not redirect the
current window without informing the user.
PowerPoint
• Convert PowerPoint files to HTML.
Tables
• Identify row and column headers in tables. Note that screen readers read
from left to right.
• Provide a text alternative that summarizes the content.
• When possible provide an alternative equivalent of a table, which may be
a linearized version.
Text
• Do not use images of text.
• When resizing text it should not be distorted.
Video
• Use videos that have captions.
• A transcript may be provided and accessed via a link.
Text
• Supplement text with graphic or auditory presentations where they will facilitate
comprehension of the page.
• Divide large blocks of information into more manageable groups.
Quotations
• Do not use indentation for formatting quotations.