Why this checklist matters
Accessibility compliance isn't a single setting. It's a set of specific technical requirements enforced across every page, every element, every interaction. Plaintiffs' scanners check against these requirements in seconds. A violation on any one of them is a potential $4,000 damages event under Unruh.
The good news: the checklist is finite. Work through it methodically and you close the primary exposure surface.
1. Color contrast
- Body text must have at least 4.5:1 contrast ratio against its background
- Large text (18pt+ or 14pt bold+) needs 3:1 minimum
- Interactive elements (buttons, links) need 3:1 minimum against adjacent colors
- Focus indicators need 3:1 minimum against the focused element's background
This is the #1 lawsuit trigger and the #1 violation in scans. 79.1% of small-business sites fail at least one contrast check. Fix it first.
2. Alt text
- Every content image must have a descriptive alt attribute
- Decorative images must have empty alt="" (not missing, empty)
- Alt text must describe the image's purpose in context, not just what's visible
- Complex images (charts, infographics) need both short alt and long-form description
Missing alt text is the easiest violation to prove in court because it's machine-detectable in seconds. 55.5% of sites fail.
3. Form labels and errors
- Every form field must have a visible, programmatically-associated label
- Labels must remain visible when the field is focused (no disappearing placeholder-only labels)
- Required fields must be marked with both visual and programmatic indicators
- Error messages must be associated with the field and announced to screen readers
- Error messages must describe how to fix the error, not just that there is one
Your contact form is usually the highest-conversion element on the site AND one of the most common violation sources. 48.2% of sites fail form accessibility checks.
4. Keyboard navigation
- Every interactive element must be reachable by Tab key in a logical order
- Every interactive element must be activatable by Enter or Space key
- Focus indicator must be visible (not removed with outline:none unless replaced)
- Tab order must match visual order
- No keyboard traps: every modal, dropdown, and overlay must let keyboard users exit
- Skip navigation link must be present and functional
Keyboard accessibility is what screen-reader users rely on. Test by unplugging your mouse and navigating the site with Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, Escape, and arrow keys.
5. Screen reader semantics
- Exactly one h1 per page, matching the page's primary purpose
- Proper heading hierarchy (h1 to h2 to h3, no skips)
- Landmark regions: header, nav, main, footer, aside
- ARIA labels on icon-only buttons ("Close menu", not just an X icon)
- Proper list markup (ul, ol, dl) for lists, not just visual bullets
- Language declared on html element (lang="en")
Screen readers rely on semantic HTML to navigate. A visually attractive page with bad semantics is invisible structure to the 7.3 million Americans who use screen readers.
6. Interactive components
- Accordions must be keyboard-accessible and announce expanded/collapsed state
- Tabs must be keyboard-accessible and announce selected state
- Modals must trap focus inside while open and return focus on close
- Dropdowns must be keyboard-accessible and announce expanded/collapsed state
- Carousels must have pause controls and keyboard-accessible navigation
- Tooltips must be accessible via keyboard focus, not just hover
Interactive components are where most contractor sites get creative and where most compliance violations live.
7. Media and animations
- Videos must have captions
- Videos must have audio descriptions if the visual content conveys meaning
- Auto-playing video must have pause controls
- Animations must respect prefers-reduced-motion media query
- No flashing content (3+ flashes per second is a seizure risk)
Most contractor sites don't have much video, but any that exists needs captions. Period.
8. Mobile accessibility
- Text must be readable without horizontal scrolling at 400% zoom
- Touch targets must be at least 44×44 pixels
- Tap targets must have adequate spacing (at least 8px between)
- Orientation must work in both portrait and landscape
- Content must not be restricted to a single orientation unless essential
Mobile accessibility is often overlooked and increasingly enforced.
9. Third-party content
- Embedded iframes must have descriptive title attributes
- Third-party widgets must meet all of the above standards
- Chat widgets must be keyboard-accessible and screen-reader friendly
- Review widgets must have sufficient contrast in all themes
- Map embeds must have text alternatives for locations
Every third-party embed inherits your compliance liability. Vet before installing.
10. Documentation
- Publish a public accessibility statement declaring your standard
- Archive every launch audit for at least 36 months
- Run quarterly re-audits and archive the reports
- Document remediation whenever a user reports a barrier
- Maintain contact information for accessibility concerns
Documentation is what wins ADA Title III cases when they happen. Build it from day one.
How to audit your own site
The minimum viable audit combines automated scanning with manual verification. Automated scanners catch roughly 30-40% of violations. The other 60-70% require manual testing with screen readers and keyboard-only navigation. Any vendor claiming their automated tool catches 100% is selling you a widget.
Webtoro33 runs this full audit on every site we build. If you want to know where your current site stands, request a free audit.