ADA Website & Digital Accessibility WCAG Audit Checklist [FREE PDF]

ADA Title III requires places of public accommodation—including websites and digital services—to be accessible to individuals with disabilities, a position affirmed by the Department of Justice's March 2022 guidance on web accessibility. WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the recognized technical standard for web accessibility compliance and is referenced in Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act (29 U.S.C. § 794d), which applies directly to federal agencies and contractors. Organizations that fail to meet the

• Industry: All Industries
• Frequency: Quarterly
• Estimated Time: 60-90 minutes
• Role: Accessibility Specialist
• Total Items: 39
• Compliance: ADA Title III, 42 U.S.C. § 12182 – Public Accommodations, WCAG 2.1 Level AA – W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Section 508, 29 U.S.C. § 794d – Rehabilitation Act, DOJ Web Accessibility Guidance, March 18, 2022, ADA Title II, 28 CFR Part 35 – State and Local Government Services

Perceivable – Text Alternatives & Adaptable Content

Verify that all non-text content has text alternatives and content can be presented in different ways without losing meaning.

• Do all meaningful images have descriptive, non-empty alt text attributes?
• Are all form inputs associated with descriptive labels via for/id attributes or aria-label?
• Is the reading and navigation order of the page meaningful when CSS is disabled?
• Are heading tags (H1–H6) used in a logical, hierarchical structure throughout all pages?
• Do all data tables use appropriate header markup (th elements with scope attributes)?

Perceivable – Time-Based Media & Contrast

Assess captioning of multimedia content, audio descriptions, and color contrast ratios.

• Do all prerecorded video files include accurate synchronized closed captions?
• Do all prerecorded videos with visual-only information include audio descriptions?
• Does all normal text (under 18pt) meet a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1 against its background?
• Does all large text (18pt or 14pt bold) meet a minimum contrast ratio of 3:1 against its background?
• Can all content be presented without loss of information when zoomed to 200% in the browser?

Operable – Keyboard Accessibility & Navigation

Verify all functionality is accessible via keyboard alone without requiring specific timing.

• Is all functionality on the website operable using only a keyboard without mouse interaction?
• Is there a visible focus indicator present when navigating through interactive elements via keyboard?
• Does the site include a skip navigation link that allows keyboard users to bypass repeated navigation menus?
• Are there any keyboard traps where a user cannot navigate away from a component using the keyboard?
• Do all pages have descriptive, unique title elements that identify the page topic or purpose?

Operable – Timing, Flicker & Focus Management

Review time limits on content, content that flashes, and management of focus in dynamic components.

• Does the website avoid content that flashes more than three times per second?
• If the site uses session timeouts, can users extend or disable the time limit?
• When a modal dialog opens, is keyboard focus moved into the dialog and trapped within it until dismissed?
• After a modal or overlay is dismissed, does focus return to the triggering element?

Understandable – Language, Predictability & Input Assistance

Verify language settings, predictable navigation behavior, and accessible error handling in forms.

• Does every page include a valid lang attribute on the HTML element specifying the primary language?
• Are navigation menus and interactive components consistent in order and appearance across all pages?
• Do all form error messages clearly identify the field in error and describe how to correct it?
• Do forms provide labels or instructions for all required fields before submission?
• Do important form submissions offer users the ability to review, confirm, or reverse their submission?

Robust – Compatibility with Assistive Technologies

Assess whether content is robust enough to be reliably interpreted by current and future assistive technologies.

• Does all HTML on the site pass validation with no parsing errors affecting accessibility (duplicate IDs, unclosed tags)?
• Do all custom interactive components use appropriate ARIA roles, states, and properties?
• Are ARIA attributes used correctly and only where native HTML semantics are insufficient?
• Are all dynamic status messages (alerts, notifications) programmatically exposed to screen readers via ARIA live regions?
• Has the site been tested with at least one major screen reader (NVDA, JAWS, or VoiceOver) in addition to automated tools?

Mobile & Touch Accessibility

Verify that the site is accessible on mobile devices and supports touch-based interaction patterns.

• Can all functionality be performed using single pointer gestures (tap) without requiring multi-finger or path-based gestures?
• Are all touch targets at least 44x44 CSS pixels in size to accommodate users with limited dexterity?
• Does the site support both portrait and landscape orientations without locking to a single orientation?
• Is the site fully functional and usable on a mobile device when tested with a mobile screen reader (TalkBack or VoiceOver)?
• Are all input fields that collect user data (name, email, address, payment) marked with appropriate autocomplete attributes?

Remediation Plan & Accessibility Statement

Assess whether the organization has a public accessibility statement, VPATs, and documented remediation plans.

• Does the website have a publicly accessible Accessibility Statement that describes the current conformance level?
• Does the Accessibility Statement include a mechanism for users to report accessibility barriers?
• Has a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) or Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) been completed for the site?
• Are all identified accessibility failures documented in a tracked remediation plan with assigned owners and target dates?
• Is accessibility testing integrated into the development pipeline so new content is reviewed before publication?

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Why Use This ADA Website & Digital Accessibility WCAG Audit Checklist [FREE PDF]?

This ada website & digital accessibility wcag audit checklist [free pdf] helps all industries teams maintain compliance and operational excellence. Designed for accessibility specialist professionals, this checklist covers 39 critical inspection points across 8 sections. Recommended frequency: quarterly.

Ensures compliance with ADA Title III, 42 U.S.C. § 12182 – Public Accommodations, WCAG 2.1 Level AA – W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Section 508, 29 U.S.C. § 794d – Rehabilitation Act, DOJ Web Accessibility Guidance, March 18, 2022, ADA Title II, 28 CFR Part 35 – State and Local Government Services. Regulatory-aligned for audit readiness and inspection documentation.

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