Accessibility checklist

Accessibility is about more than checklists; it's about including everyone who needs to use your service. However, a checklist like the one below will give you an objective idea whether your service meets the minimum standard.

The following tests are a simplified version of the WebAIM checklist. They map to all of the mandatory Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1 at levels A and AA.

Navigation

Test	Guidelines
1. Zoom the browser to 200% and navigate through the service. Ensure the content remains readable and stays within page boundaries.	Resize
2. Navigate using only a keyboard. When tabbing, check that it's obvious where the focus lies and that it's impossible to get trapped.	Keyboard, No trap, Focus order, Focus visible
3. Check that there are no disorienting changes (such as popups or a loss of keyboard focus) without prior warning. Where hover-over content appears, ensure that the content itself can be hovered over, zoomed or dismissed, and remains visible until dismissed or no longer relevant.	Hover, On focus, On input
4. Spot check pages for a "Skip to main content" link at the top (use Shift+Tab), and access it. If there is no link, check that the headings are in a logical structure.	Bypass
5. Check that there are different ways to move between sections of the service, unless it's a linear process.	Multiple ways

Visual and audio

Test	Guidelines
1. Check colour and contrast throughout. Ensure colour (such as a red colour for errors) is never the only means of conveying information, and there are no low contrast words or icons. Use WAVE, or another contrast checker if unsure.	Colour, Text contrast, Non text contrast
2. Ensure no essential information is conveyed solely through images, sound, video, shapes, or screen location. For example, video-only content with no transcript or text stored as images.	Audio/video only, Prerecorded captions, Media alternative, Live captions, Audio description, Sensory, Audio control, Images of text

Content

Test	Guidelines
1. Check for plain English, with relevant information coming first, consistent use of terms, no unnecessary abbreviations or duplicated text.	Meaningful sequence, Consistent navigation, Consistent identification
2. Check for guidance text within form labels. For example, that a password must contain a digit before a user creates it.	Instructions
3. Check that text spacing can be reasonably adjusted to 1.5x line height.	Text spacing

Mobile

Test	Guidelines
1. Check pages in portrait and landscape modes. All content should be visible and the right way up, with no two-dimensional scrolling required.	Orientation, Reflow
2. Check that you can navigate the service without relying on gestures, such as dragging, pinching or shaking a device, and that these gestures can be disabled.	Gestures, Motion

Status

Test	Guidelines
1. Leave mandatory fields blank, or enter incorrect values. Ensure that it's clear what the error is, what the user needs to do to fix it, and that there is a link to the error.	Error identification, Error suggestion
2. Where a user submits financial, legal or test information, ensure they have a chance to check and amend it before submitting it.	Error prevention
3. Where the status of an action (such as a payment) changes, ensure the user receives confirmation of this without interrupting their flow.	Status messages
4. Ensure that actions don't take place as soon as the pointer is pressed down on a button, and can be easily cancelled by moving the pointer away.	Pointer cancellation

Markup

Test	Guidelines
1. Use WAVE on each page to help check for missing markup, poor contrast and any other "red flag" issues. (Best via a Chrome or Firefox extension on an off-network laptop).	Non-text content
2. Check that page (and frame) <title> tags match their headings rather than being generic (for example, "GOV.UK"). The title is usually visible at the top of the browser tab.	Page title
3. Check that headings and lists are correctly marked up, for example subheadings in a logical order as <h2> and <h3>, or <ul> and <ol> for bullets and numbered lists.	Information and relationships
4. Sample check pages for the language they're written in (for example, <html lang="cy"> for Welsh pages). If more than one language is used on a page, check subsection headings.	Page language, Section language
5. Copy and paste the HTML source for the most complicated pages into an HTML validator, and check for major errors.	HTML parsing
6. The service supports common fields being auto-filled in browsers, such as first name, postcode or birthday.	Input purpose

Screen reader

Test	Guidelines
1. Check that the screen reader identifies forms, headings, links and tables correctly and consistently. The names read out by the screen reader must contain the text shown on screen.	Headings and labels, Label in name, Name role and value
2. Spot check pages for unnecessary access keys, detected via the screen reader or searching the HTML for accesskey. Where used, ensure that they only work when that item is in focus, and can be deactivated or re-mapped.	Shortcuts
3. Check that multiple links with the same text (such as "Edit") can be uniquely understood out of context a screen reader. HTML that can be used to do this is <span class="visually-hidden">. Avoid "click here" links as they cannot be understood out of context.	Link context

Timeouts and motion

Test	Guidelines
1. Look for any timeouts under 20 hours. The user must be warned that a timeout exists, and able to extend it.	Timeouts
2. Check that any automatically updating or moving content can be paused and that there is no rapidly flashing content.	Pause, Flashing