Accessibility Audit Checklist
In today’s digital world, accessibility is more than just a buzzword—it’s a crucial aspect of creating content that is inclusive and available to everyone.
Whether you’re developing a website, designing a PDF, or producing online content, ensuring that your work is accessible to people with disabilities is essential.
This blog post will guide you through an accessibility audit checklist to help you make sure your digital content meets the necessary standards.

Accessibility Audit Checklist
Here’s a comprehensive checklist to guide you through the process of auditing your digital content for accessibility:
1. Text Content
- Use Clear and Simple Language: Ensure that your text is easy to read and understand. Avoid industry jargon and complex sentences.
- Text Alternatives for Non-Text Content: Provide alt text for images, charts, and other non-text elements to describe their purpose and content.
- Readable Fonts: Choose fonts that are easy to read and scalable. Avoid using fonts that are overly decorative or difficult to discern at smaller sizes.
2. Images and Media
- Alt Text: Every image, icon, and graphic should have descriptive alt text that conveys the same information to users who cannot see the image.
- Captions for Videos: Ensure that all videos include captions for those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
- Transcripts: Provide transcripts for audio content, such as podcasts or voiceovers, to make them accessible to users who cannot hear the audio.
3. Navigation
- Keyboard Navigation: Ensure that all interactive elements (e.g., forms, links, buttons) can be accessed and operated using a keyboard alone, without requiring a mouse.
- Skip Navigation Links: Include “skip to content” links to allow users to bypass repetitive navigation menus.
- Consistent Navigation: Maintain a consistent navigation structure across your website or digital content to help users with cognitive disabilities navigate more easily.
4. Color and Contrast
- Sufficient Contrast: Text should have sufficient contrast against its background. Tools like contrast checkers can help you ensure that your colors meet accessibility standards.
- Color Independence: Do not rely solely on color to convey information. For example, ensure that color-coded charts and graphs have text labels or patterns.
5. Forms and Inputs
- Label All Form Elements: Ensure that every form field has a clear and descriptive label.
- Error Identification: Provide clear instructions and error messages that guide users in correcting mistakes in form submissions.
- Accessible Dropdowns and Checkboxes: Make sure that all form controls, such as dropdowns and checkboxes, are accessible via keyboard and screen readers.
6. Links
- Descriptive Link Text: Use clear and descriptive text for links rather than generic phrases like “click here” or “read more.”
- Visible Focus Indicators: When a link is focused (e.g., when tabbing through a page with a keyboard), ensure it is visually distinct from other text.
7. Tables
- Use for Tabular Data Only: Tables should only be used for presenting data, not for layout purposes.
- Accessible Headers: Ensure that table headers are correctly marked with
<th>
tags and that they accurately describe the content of their corresponding columns or rows.
8. PDF Accessibility
- Tagged PDFs: Make sure that your PDF documents are tagged, which helps screen readers interpret the document structure correctly.
- Readable Text: All text in PDFs should be selectable, not scanned images of text, to ensure that it can be read by assistive technologies.
- Logical Reading Order: Check that the reading order of your PDF content makes sense and follows the intended flow of the document.
9. Multimedia Content
- Audio Descriptions: For videos, include audio descriptions that explain what is happening on screen for those who are blind or visually impaired.
- User Controls: Provide accessible controls for playing, pausing, and adjusting the volume of multimedia content.
10. Testing and Validation
- Automated Tools: Use automated accessibility checkers to scan your website or digital content for common accessibility issues. However, note that these tools can’t catch everything.
- Manual Testing: Conduct manual testing with a keyboard, screen reader, and other assistive technologies to ensure your content is accessible.
- User Feedback: Consider gathering feedback from users with disabilities to identify any barriers they might face when interacting with your content.
Conclusion
Creating accessible digital content is not only a legal and ethical responsibility, but it also enhances the overall user experience, making your content more inclusive and easier for everyone to use. By following this accessibility audit checklist, you can ensure that your digital content is accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities.
Remember, accessibility is an ongoing process. Regular audits and updates will help you maintain compliance and keep your content accessible as technologies and standards evolve.
Let’s work together to make the digital world a more inclusive place! If you need help with an accessibility audit or have any questions, feel free to reach out.