How to Check Website Accessibility: A Complete WCAG Compliance Guide

Is your website accessible to everyone? With over 1 billion people worldwide living with disabilities, website accessibility isn't just a nice-to-have—it's a business necessity and, in many cases, a legal requirement.

Whether you're concerned about ADA compliance, want to reach a wider audience, or simply believe in inclusive design, this guide will show you exactly how to check your website's accessibility and fix the most common issues.

What Is Website Accessibility?

Website accessibility means designing and developing websites that people with disabilities can use effectively. This includes users who are:

Visually impaired – Using screen readers or magnification software
Hearing impaired – Requiring captions or transcripts for audio content
Motor impaired – Navigating with keyboards, voice commands, or assistive devices
Cognitively impaired – Needing clear, simple content and consistent navigation

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), developed by the W3C, provide the international standard for web accessibility. Most legal requirements reference WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 at Level AA conformance.

Why Website Accessibility Matters

Legal Requirements

Accessibility isn't optional for many organizations:

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) – U.S. courts have consistently ruled that websites are "places of public accommodation"
Section 508 – Federal agencies and their contractors must meet accessibility standards
European Accessibility Act – EU requirements taking effect across member states
AODA (Ontario) – Canadian accessibility legislation for organizations operating in Ontario

Lawsuits over inaccessible websites have skyrocketed, with thousands of cases filed annually. The average settlement costs between $10,000 and $50,000—not including remediation costs.

Business Benefits

Beyond legal compliance, accessibility makes business sense:

Larger audience – 15-20% of the population has some form of disability
Better SEO – Many accessibility practices (alt text, proper headings, clean code) boost search rankings
Improved UX for everyone – Captions help users in noisy environments; keyboard navigation helps power users
Brand reputation – Demonstrates commitment to inclusion and social responsibility

How to Check Website Accessibility: Step-by-Step

Step 1: Run an Automated Accessibility Scan

Start with automated tools to catch the most obvious issues. While no tool catches everything (automated testing finds about 30-40% of issues), they provide an excellent starting point.

Free Tools to Use:

WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool) – Browser extension that overlays issues directly on your page
axe DevTools – Chrome/Firefox extension with detailed technical reports
Lighthouse – Built into Chrome DevTools, includes an accessibility audit
Pa11y – Command-line tool for CI/CD integration

What automated tools catch:

Missing alt text on images
Insufficient color contrast
Missing form labels
Heading hierarchy issues
Missing document language
Empty links and buttons

Run a scan on your homepage first, then check key pages: navigation paths, forms, and any interactive features.

Step 2: Test Keyboard Navigation

Many users can't use a mouse. Test your entire site using only your keyboard:

Press Tab to move through interactive elements (links, buttons, form fields)
Press Shift+Tab to move backward
Press Enter to activate links and buttons
Press Space to toggle checkboxes and buttons
Use Arrow keys for menus, sliders, and radio buttons

What to check:

Can you reach every interactive element?
Is the focus indicator visible? (You should always see where you are)
Does the tab order make logical sense?
Can you access dropdown menus and modal dialogs?
Can you close modals and return to the main content?
Are there any keyboard traps (places you can't escape)?

Step 3: Test with a Screen Reader

Screen readers convert on-screen content to speech or braille. Testing with one reveals issues that automated tools miss.

Free screen readers:

NVDA – Free, open-source for Windows
VoiceOver – Built into macOS and iOS (Cmd+F5 to activate)
TalkBack – Built into Android devices
Narrator – Built into Windows

What to test:

Do images have meaningful alt text? (Decorative images should have empty alt="")
Are headings used correctly and in order (h1, h2, h3...)?
Do links make sense out of context? ("Click here" is problematic; "Download the annual report" is clear)
Are form fields properly labeled?
Do dynamic content updates get announced?

Step 4: Check Color Contrast

Users with low vision or color blindness struggle with poor contrast. WCAG requires:

Normal text: 4.5:1 contrast ratio minimum
Large text (18pt+ or 14pt bold): 3:1 contrast ratio minimum
UI components and graphics: 3:1 contrast ratio minimum

Tools to check contrast:

WebAIM Contrast Checker – Enter hex colors, get pass/fail results
Color Contrast Analyzer (CCA) – Desktop app with eyedropper tool
Chrome DevTools – Hover over elements to see contrast ratios

Don't rely on color alone to convey information. Error states, required fields, and status indicators should use icons, text, or patterns in addition to color.

Step 5: Evaluate Content Structure

Proper structure helps screen reader users navigate efficiently:

Headings:

Use only one <h1> per page (your main title)
Don't skip levels (h1 → h3 without h2)
Use headings to create an outline, not for styling

Landmarks: Use semantic HTML5 elements or ARIA landmarks:

<header> or role="banner" – Site header
<nav> or role="navigation" – Navigation menus
<main> or role="main" – Primary content
<footer> or role="contentinfo" – Site footer
<aside> or role="complementary" – Related content

Lists: Group related items in <ul>, <ol>, or <dl> elements. Screen readers announce "list of 5 items," helping users understand content structure.

Step 6: Test Forms and Error Handling

Forms are critical interaction points and common accessibility failure points:

Required elements:

Every input needs a visible <label> element (or aria-label)
Labels must be programmatically associated using for and id attributes
Required fields should be clearly indicated (not just with color)
Error messages should identify the problem and suggest a fix

Test these scenarios:

Submit an empty required field—is the error clear and accessible?
Enter invalid data—does the error explain what's wrong?
Can you identify which fields have errors?
Are success messages announced to screen readers?

Step 7: Check Multimedia Accessibility

Video and audio content need alternatives:

Videos need:

Captions – Synchronized text for spoken content (not auto-generated—review for accuracy)
Audio descriptions – Narration of important visual information for blind users
Transcript – Full text version of audio and visual content

Audio content needs:

Transcript – Text version of spoken content

Animations and motion:

Provide controls to pause, stop, or hide moving content
Avoid content that flashes more than 3 times per second (seizure risk)
Respect prefers-reduced-motion user preferences

Step 8: Test Mobile Accessibility

Mobile accessibility has unique considerations:

Touch targets – Buttons and links should be at least 44x44 pixels
Zoom – Users should be able to zoom to 200% without horizontal scrolling
Orientation – Content should work in both portrait and landscape
Mobile screen readers – Test with VoiceOver (iOS) or TalkBack (Android)

Common Accessibility Issues and How to Fix Them

Missing Alternative Text

Problem: Images without alt attributes are invisible to screen reader users.

Fix: Add descriptive alt text that conveys the image's purpose:

<!-- Bad -->
<img src="team-photo.jpg">

<!-- Good -->
<img src="team-photo.jpg" alt="Our customer support team at the 2024 company retreat">

<!-- Decorative image -->
<img src="decorative-line.png" alt="">

Insufficient Color Contrast

Problem: Light gray text on white backgrounds is hard to read.

Fix: Use tools like WebAIM's Contrast Checker to verify ratios. When in doubt, make text darker or backgrounds lighter.

Missing Form Labels

Problem: Screen readers can't identify what information an input field needs.

Fix: Always use the <label> element:

<!-- Bad -->
<input type="email" placeholder="Email">

<!-- Good -->
<label for="email">Email Address</label>
<input type="email" id="email" placeholder="you@example.com">

Non-Descriptive Links

Problem: "Click here" and "Read more" links don't make sense out of context.

Fix: Use descriptive link text:

<!-- Bad -->
<a href="/pricing">Click here</a> to see our pricing.

<!-- Good -->
<a href="/pricing">View our pricing plans</a>

Missing Skip Links

Problem: Keyboard users must tab through the entire navigation on every page.

Fix: Add a skip link as the first focusable element:

<a href="#main-content" class="skip-link">Skip to main content</a>
<!-- Navigation here -->
<main id="main-content">

Inaccessible Custom Components

Problem: Custom dropdowns, modals, and sliders often lack keyboard support and ARIA attributes.

Fix: Use native HTML elements when possible. For custom components, follow the WAI-ARIA Authoring Practices.

Creating an Accessibility Audit Report

Document your findings systematically:

Issue description – What's the problem?
Location – Which page(s) and element(s)?
WCAG criterion – Which guideline does it violate?
Severity – Critical, major, or minor?
Recommendation – How should it be fixed?
Priority – What should be fixed first?

Focus on critical issues first: keyboard traps, missing alt text on important images, and inaccessible forms. Then work through major and minor issues systematically.

Tools for Ongoing Accessibility Monitoring

Accessibility isn't a one-time fix—it requires ongoing attention:

SiteScore – Get a comprehensive website audit including accessibility checks with a single scan
axe Monitor – Automated scanning across your site
Siteimprove – Enterprise accessibility monitoring
Google Lighthouse CI – Integrate accessibility checks into your build process

Take Action: Check Your Website Today

Website accessibility protects your business legally, expands your audience, and demonstrates your commitment to inclusion. Start with an automated scan, then work through manual testing to uncover deeper issues.

Ready to check your website's overall health? Run a free website audit with SiteScore to get instant insights into your site's accessibility, SEO, performance, and security. Our comprehensive scan identifies issues and provides actionable recommendations to improve your site for all users.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does an accessibility audit take?

A basic audit using automated tools takes 30-60 minutes. A comprehensive manual audit of a medium-sized website typically takes 2-5 days, depending on complexity.

Do I need to be 100% WCAG compliant?

Aim for Level AA compliance on WCAG 2.1 or 2.2. Perfect compliance is difficult, but addressing major issues significantly reduces legal risk and improves user experience.

Can I get sued for an inaccessible website?

Yes. ADA lawsuits against websites have increased dramatically. Even if you're not sued, demand letters seeking settlements are common. Proactive accessibility work is far cheaper than reactive legal defense.

Should I use an accessibility overlay widget?

Accessibility overlays (those toolbar widgets promising instant compliance) are controversial. They don't fix underlying code issues, can interfere with assistive technology, and provide a false sense of security. Genuine accessibility requires fixing your website's code.

How often should I audit for accessibility?

Review accessibility whenever you launch new features or pages. Conduct a full audit quarterly or annually, depending on how frequently your site changes. Automated monitoring can catch regressions between audits.