Skip to main content
Checklist
Accessibility

Use this list as a starting point with your stakeholders to make sure you're creating fully accessible interfaces.

Layout & Structure

  • Have you used standardized controls and components in a very intentional way?
  • Have you provided styles for all interactive states, including focus states?
  • If you haven't used standardized controls, do you have a very good reason? And have you talked to your developer about implementing them in an accessible way?
  • Can a user visually navigate what you've designed in a logical way?
  • Is there a clear page title that states the purpose of the page?
  • Do the headers h1, h2, h3, etc. accurately convey the proper structure of information?
  • Does the visual order match the reading order? Left to right, top to bottom.
  • Do the interface elements have appropriate labels? Inputs, checkboxes, radio buttons, etc.
  • Do the clickable actions have clear action-oriented labels? Download, Sign Up, etc.

Typography

  • Is the text at a readable size? Primary body copy no smaller than 16px.
  • Do the titles and body copy in your designs have optimal line height?
  • Do the paragraphs fall within the optimal character width of 45 to 75 characters?
  • Have you considered how your design will read if you closed your eyes and had someone describe what they see in a logical order?
  • Have you considered the responsive nature of text-based content and created rules around how to handle truncation and or change of layout based on viewport?

Color & Contrast

  • Is information conveyed by means other than color alone? Color coding is possible as long as the color information is supplemented with differences in shape or text.
  • Does the text meet the minimum color contrast ratio requirements?

Imagery & Media

  • Have you avoided text inside of bitmap graphics whenever possible?
  • Have you made transcripts available for any audio files? Helpful for the deaf and for people who aren't in a suitable environment to listen.
  • Have you provided closed-captions and/or transcriptions for any video content?

Functionality

  • Have you provided feedback for user specific user interactions? Clearly communicate what's happened, what can be done next, validation and error messages, etc.
  • Have you made sure that no part of your interface flashes more than three times per second? This can cause seizures.
  • Make sure your site or app doesn't change context or activate functionality automatically. Newsletter popups anyone?

Please remember that even the most well-intentioned project is prone to have mistakes, even this one. You will very likely never achieve a perfectly universal solution that works for every single person in every single situation, but don't let that stop you from trying.

More Resources