Compliable
U.S. COMPLIANCE CHECKLIST

ADA Compliance Checklist

A practical checklist for websites serving U.S. customers, based on WCAG 2.2 Level AA, the benchmark most commonly used for ADA website accessibility. Serving Ontario too? WCAG 2.2 builds on WCAG 2.0 Level AA, the standard the AODA requires.

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36 Items

Based on WCAG 2.2 Level AA

Priority Levels:
CriticalMust fix immediately
HighFix as soon as possible
MediumAddress in next update

1. Perceivable

Information and UI components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive

All images have descriptive alt textCritical
Decorative images have empty alt attributes (alt="")Critical
Complex images have long descriptionsHigh
All videos have captionsCritical
All audio content has transcriptsCritical
Color is not the only means of conveying informationCritical
Text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1Critical
Large text has a contrast ratio of at least 3:1High
Text can be resized up to 200% without loss of functionalityHigh
Content does not require horizontal scrolling at 320px widthHigh

2. Operable

UI components and navigation must be operable by all users

All functionality is accessible via keyboardCritical
No keyboard traps exist on the pageCritical
Focus order is logical and intuitiveCritical
Focus indicators are clearly visibleCritical
Skip navigation link is providedHigh
Page titles are descriptive and uniqueHigh
Link text is descriptive (no "click here")High
Multiple ways to find pages (search, sitemap, navigation)Medium
No content flashes more than 3 times per secondCritical
Users can pause, stop, or hide moving contentHigh

3. Understandable

Information and operation of the UI must be understandable

Page language is identified in HTMLCritical
Language changes within content are markedMedium
Navigation is consistent across pagesHigh
Components are identified consistentlyHigh
Form inputs have visible labelsCritical
Form errors are clearly identifiedCritical
Error messages provide suggestions for fixingHigh
Required fields are clearly indicatedHigh
Instructions do not rely solely on sensory characteristicsHigh
Context changes are initiated only by user requestMedium

4. Robust

Content must be robust enough to be interpreted by assistive technologies

HTML is valid and well-formedHigh
All IDs are unique on the pageCritical
ARIA roles and attributes are used correctlyHigh
Custom controls have appropriate rolesHigh
Status messages are announced to screen readersMedium
Dynamic content changes are announcedHigh

Recommended testing tools

Combine automated tools with manual testing: automated scanning finds only part of all barriers

Automated Testing

  • • Compliable free scan (built on axe-core)
  • • WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluator
  • • axe DevTools browser extension
  • • Lighthouse accessibility audit

Manual Testing

  • • Keyboard-only navigation testing
  • • Screen reader testing (NVDA, VoiceOver, JAWS)
  • • Color contrast analyzers
  • • Browser zoom testing (up to 200%)

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