Worksheet

Accessibility Quick-Check

A first pass for the most common, highest-impact barriers

Use this when: Reviewing any digital product
Time needed: 45–60 minutes
Who’s involved: Anyone; some checks need browser dev tools
You end up with: A list of barriers to fix

How to use it

A fast first pass for the most common, highest-impact accessibility issues, not a full WCAG audit. Passing it doesn’t make you compliant, but failing it means real people are being shut out. Work through each item on a representative set of pages.

Perceivable

Check	How to check	Result
Images have text alternatives	Every meaningful image has alt text; decorative images are marked empty	Result: Images have text alternatives Pass Fail N/A
Color contrast is sufficient	Body text is at least 4.5:1 against its background (use a contrast checker)	Result: Color contrast is sufficient Pass Fail N/A
Color isn’t the only signal	Errors, links, and states are shown with more than color alone	Result: Color isn’t the only signal Pass Fail N/A
Text resizes cleanly	Zoom to 200%: nothing is cut off or overlapping	Result: Text resizes cleanly Pass Fail N/A
Video has captions	Pre-recorded video provides captions or a transcript	Result: Video has captions Pass Fail N/A

Operable

Check	How to check	Result
Everything works by keyboard	Tab through the page; every control is reachable and usable	Result: Everything works by keyboard Pass Fail N/A
Focus is visible	The focused element has a clear visible outline	Result: Focus is visible Pass Fail N/A
No keyboard traps	You can tab out of every component, including menus and dialogs	Result: No keyboard traps Pass Fail N/A
Skip link present	A “skip to content” link lets keyboard users bypass the navigation	Result: Skip link present Pass Fail N/A
No surprise motion	Nothing flashes more than 3 times a second; moving content can be paused	Result: No surprise motion Pass Fail N/A

Understandable

Check	How to check	Result
Form fields have labels	Every input has a visible label that’s linked to it in the code	Result: Form fields have labels Pass Fail N/A
Errors are described in text	Error messages say what’s wrong and how to fix it, in words	Result: Errors are described in text Pass Fail N/A
Navigation is consistent	Menus and patterns stay in the same place across pages	Result: Navigation is consistent Pass Fail N/A
Link text makes sense alone	Links read meaningfully out of context, not “click here”	Result: Link text makes sense alone Pass Fail N/A
Language is plain	Content is written as simply as the subject allows	Result: Language is plain Pass Fail N/A

Robust

Check	How to check	Result
Headings are structured	One H1; headings nest in order (H2 under H1, and so on)	Result: Headings are structured Pass Fail N/A
Semantic HTML is used	Buttons are buttons, lists are lists, not styled divs	Result: Semantic HTML is used Pass Fail N/A
ARIA is correct or absent	ARIA roles and labels are accurate; no ARIA is better than wrong ARIA	Result: ARIA is correct or absent Pass Fail N/A
Screen-reader pass done	Listen through one key flow with a screen reader; it makes sense	Result: Screen-reader pass done Pass Fail N/A

Pass: 0
Fail: 0
Not applicable: 0

Used in Audit & Quick Wins · PDF version