The Free Accessibility Audit Checklist
50 points across WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA — plain English — spot-check your own site before hiring anyone.
This is the spot-check list we use as the first pass of any audit. It catches roughly 30% of real WCAG issues on its own (automated scanners catch the rest of the easy ones). Use it on your own site before paying anyone for a paid audit.
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The 50-point WCAG 2.1 AA self-audit
Images and visual content (8 points)
1. Does every meaningful image have descriptive alt text? 2. Are decorative images marked as decorative (alt="" or role="presentation")? 3. Do icon-only buttons have a text label (aria-label or visible text)? 4. Are infographics readable without seeing them (alt text or accompanying text version)? 5. Do video embeds have captions? 6. Do videos have a transcript available? 7. Are audio files transcribed? 8. Are color-only signals also conveyed by shape or text?Color and contrast (5 points)
9. Does body text have at least 4.5:1 contrast against its background? 10. Do large headings have at least 3:1 contrast? 11. Do buttons in their default state have contrast that meets 3:1 against adjacent colors? 12. Does focus state on interactive elements have at least 3:1 contrast? 13. Are link colors distinguishable from body text without color alone (e.g., underline)?Keyboard accessibility (6 points)
14. Can you tab through the entire page using only the keyboard? 15. Is the tab order logical (top to bottom, left to right)? 16. Is there a visible focus indicator on every interactive element? 17. Can you operate every dropdown, accordion, and modal with the keyboard? 18. Can you escape modals and dropdowns with the Escape key? 19. Is there a "skip to main content" link near the top?Forms (8 points)
20. Does every form field have a visible label? 21. Are labels programmatically associated with their fields? 22. Are required fields marked (and announced to assistive tech)? 23. Are error messages specific (not "error" but "phone number must be 10 digits")? 24. Are error messages associated with the field they refer to? 25. Is the form usable with only the keyboard (no mouse-only widgets)? 26. If the form requires a captcha, is there a non-visual alternative? 27. Does autocomplete attribute exist on personal-info fields (name, email, phone, address)?Navigation and structure (6 points)
28. Does every page have a unique, descriptive title (browser tab text)? 29. Is the page structured with proper heading hierarchy (h1 then h2 then h3, no skipping)? 30. Are navigation menus marked up as nav landmarks? 31. Is the main content marked up as main landmark? 32. Are link texts descriptive (not "click here" or "read more")? 33. Are there breadcrumbs or other location indicators on deep pages?Text and language (5 points)
34. Does the page have a lang attribute on the html element? 35. Is body text resizable to 200% without breaking the layout? 36. Are fonts at least 16px for body text? 37. Is line height at least 1.5 for body text? 38. Are paragraphs not justified (justified text creates uneven word spacing that's hard to read)?Media and dynamic content (5 points)
39. Does any auto-playing audio have a pause button? 40. Does any auto-rotating carousel have pause/stop controls? 41. Are session timeouts announced or extendable? 42. Does animation respect prefers-reduced-motion? 43. Does content avoid flashes more than 3 times per second?Tables and data (3 points)
44. Do data tables have header cells (th) with proper scope attributes? 45. Do tables have a caption or accessible name? 46. Are layout tables avoided (or marked with role="presentation")?Mobile and touch (4 points)
47. Are touch targets at least 44x44 pixels? 48. Does the site work in portrait and landscape? 49. Is content readable without horizontal scrolling at 320px width? 50. Are gestures (swipe, pinch) not the only way to operate features?Scoring
Add up the "yes" answers. 50/50: Better than 95% of NJ small-business sites. 40–49: Good baseline with specific gaps to fix. 30–39: Typical — meaningful work to do, not catastrophic. Under 30: Significant remediation needed, prioritize. This checklist is informational; passing it does not constitute WCAG conformance or ADA compliance.Frequently Asked Questions
Is this checklist a substitute for a real audit?
No. It's a spot-check. A real WCAG 2.1 AA audit goes deeper, uses automated tools, includes screen-reader testing, and produces a per-criterion score. This catches the obvious ~30%.
What if I pass everything?
You're ahead of most NJ small-business sites. Run an automated scan (axe DevTools, WAVE, Pa11y) as the next check. Then keyboard + screen-reader testing. Then a formal audit if you're Title II / Section 508 / or want the documented baseline.
How do I check contrast?
Free tools: WebAIM Contrast Checker, Stark (Figma/Chrome plugin), Chrome DevTools color picker. Aim for 4.5:1 on body text, 3:1 on large text and UI elements.
How do I test keyboard navigation?
Click on the page, then press Tab. Keep pressing Tab. Can you reach every interactive element? Is the focus visible? Can you operate every dropdown / modal / accordion? Press Shift+Tab to go backward.
Does fixing all 50 make me ADA compliant?
No. ADA compliance is a legal determination only courts and your counsel can make. Fixing these 50 makes your site significantly more accessible and is a strong good-faith signal — but the legal status is not ours to determine.