WebAIM's WCAG 2 Checklist
The experts at WebAIM can audit your web site and provide a detailed report to help you remediate accessibility and WCAG compliance issues.
The following is NOT the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2. It is a checklist that presents our recommendations for implementing accessibility principles and techniques for those seeking WCAG conformance. The language used here significantly simplifies and condenses the official WCAG 2.1 specification and supporting materials to make it easier to implement and verify for web pages.
Guidelines for using this checklist:
- This checklist should not be referenced in policies or in policy adoption. While this is a useful resource for technical implementation of WCAG, it is not a comprehensive policy checklist. Official WCAG documentation provides much better mechanisms for implementing accessibility into policy or law.
- WCAG covers accessibility of all web content and is not technology specific. The language of this checklist has been simplified and targeted to identify most common techniques and failures for HTML and mobile content. It is, therefore, fairly limited and subject to technology changes, whereas WCAG is much less so.
- This checklist contains WebAIM's interpretation of WCAG guidelines and success criteria and our own recommended techniques for satisfying those success criteria. The first column of the table below links to the official WCAG 2.1 success criteria.
Success criteria added in WCAG 2.1 are marked as such and have a light green background.
A PDF version of this checklist is also available
Perceivable
Web content is made available to the senses - sight, hearing, and/or touch
Guideline 1.1
Text Alternatives: Provide text alternatives for any non-text content
Success Criteria | WebAIM's Recommendations |
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1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A) |
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Guideline 1.2
Time-based Media: Provide alternatives for time-based media
NOTE: If the audio or video is designated as an alternative to web content (e.g., an audio or sign language version of a web page, for example), then the web content itself serves as the alternative.
Success Criteria | WebAIM's Recommendations |
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1.2.1 Prerecorded Audio-only and Video-only (Level A) |
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1.2.2 Captions (Prerecorded) (Level A) |
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1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level A) |
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1.2.4 Captions (Live) (Level AA) |
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1.2.5 Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AA) |
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1.2.6 Sign Language (Prerecorded) (Level AAA) |
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1.2.7 Extended Audio Description (Prerecorded) (Level AAA) |
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1.2.8 Media Alternative (Prerecorded) (Level AAA) |
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1.2.9 Audio-only (Live) (Level AAA) |
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Guideline 1.3
Adaptable: Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure
Success Criteria | WebAIM's Recommendations |
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1.3.1 Info and Relationships (Level A) |
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1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence (Level A) |
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1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics (Level A) |
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1.3.4 Orientation (WCAG 2.1 Level AA) |
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1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (WCAG 2.1 Level AA) |
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1.3.6 Identify Purpose (WCAG 2.1 Level AAA) |
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Guideline 1.4
Distinguishable: Make it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background
Success Criteria | WebAIM's Recommendations |
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1.4.1 Use of Color (Level A) |
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1.4.2 Audio Control (Level A) |
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1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (Level AA) |
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1.4.4 Resize text (Level AA) |
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1.4.5 Images of Text (Level AA) |
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1.4.6 Contrast (Enhanced) (Level AAA) |
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1.4.7 Low or No Background Audio (Level AAA) |
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1.4.8 Visual Presentation (Level AAA) |
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1.4.9 Images of Text (No Exception) (Level AAA) |
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1.4.10 Reflow (WCAG 2.1 Level AA) |
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1.4.11 Non-text Contrast (WCAG 2.1 Level AA) |
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1.4.12 Text Spacing (WCAG 2.1 Level AA) |
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1.4.13 Content on Hover or Focus (WCAG 2.1 Level AA) |
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Operable
Interface forms, controls, and navigation are operable
Guideline 2.1
Keyboard Accessible: Make all functionality available from a keyboard
Success Criteria | WebAIM's Recommendations |
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2.1.1 Keyboard (Level A) |
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2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap (Level A) |
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2.1.3 Keyboard (No Exception) (Level AAA) |
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2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts (WCAG 2.1 Level A) |
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Guideline 2.2
Enough Time: Provide users enough time to read and use content
Success Criteria | WebAIM's Recommendations |
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2.2.1 Timing Adjustable (Level A) |
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2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (Level A) |
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2.2.3 No Timing (Level AAA) |
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2.2.4 Interruptions (Level AAA) |
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2.2.5 Re-authenticating (Level AAA) |
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2.2.6 Timeouts (WCAG 2.1 Level AAA) |
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Guideline 2.3
Seizures and Physical Reactions: Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures or physical reactions.
Success Criteria | WebAIM's Recommendations |
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2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshold (Level A) |
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2.3.2 Three Flashes (Level AAA) |
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2.3.3 Animation from Interactions (WCAG 2.1 Level AAA) |
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Guideline 2.4
Navigable: Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are.
Success Criteria | WebAIM's Recommendations |
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2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (Level A) |
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2.4.2 Page Titled (Level A) |
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2.4.3 Focus Order (Level A) |
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2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) (Level A) |
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2.4.5 Multiple Ways (Level AA) |
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2.4.6 Headings and Labels (Level AA) |
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2.4.7 Focus Visible (Level AA) |
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2.4.8 Location (Level AAA) |
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2.4.9 Link Purpose (Link Only) (Level AAA) |
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2.4.10 Section Headings (Level AAA) |
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Guideline 2.5
Input Modalities: Make it easier for users to operate functionality through various inputs beyond keyboard.
Success Criteria | WebAIM's Recommendations |
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2.5.1 Pointer Gestures (WCAG 2.1 Level A) |
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2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation (WCAG 2.1 Level A) |
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2.5.3 Label in Name (WCAG 2.1 Level A) |
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2.5.4 Motion Actuation (WCAG 2.1 Level A) |
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2.5.5 Target Size (WCAG 2.1 Level AAA) |
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2.5.6 Concurrent Input Mechanisms (WCAG 2.1 Level AAA) |
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Understandable
Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable.
Guideline 3.1
Readable: Make text content readable and understandable
Success Criteria | WebAIM's Recommendations |
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3.1.1 Language of Page (Level A) |
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3.1.2 Language of Parts (Level AA) |
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3.1.3 Unusual Words (Level AAA) |
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3.1.4 Abbreviations (Level AAA) |
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3.1.5 Reading Level (Level AAA) |
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3.1.6 Pronunciation (Level AAA) |
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Guideline 3.2
Predictable: Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways
Success Criteria | WebAIM's Recommendations |
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3.2.1 On Focus (Level A) |
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3.2.2 On Input (Level A) |
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3.2.3 Consistent Navigation (Level AA) |
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3.2.4 Consistent Identification (Level AA) |
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3.2.5 Change on Request (Level AAA) |
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Guideline 3.3
Input Assistance: Help users avoid and correct mistakes
Success Criteria | WebAIM's Recommendations |
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3.3.1 Error Identification (Level A) |
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3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (Level A) |
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3.3.3 Error Suggestion (Level AA) |
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3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) (Level AA) |
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3.3.5 Help (Level AAA) |
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3.3.6 Error Prevention (All) (Level AAA) |
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Robust
Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies
Guideline 4.1
Compatible: Maximize compatibility with current and future user agents, including assistive technologies
Success Criteria | WebAIM's Recommendations |
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4.1.1 Parsing (Level A) |
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4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (Level A) |
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4.1.3 Status Messages (WCAG 2.1 Level AA) |
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This checklist is provided as a resource to help implement Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 (W3C Recommendation 5 June 2018), which is Copyright © 2017-2018 W3C®.