WCAG 2.1 AA has 50 success criteria. That can feel overwhelming, especially if you are not a web developer. This checklist focuses on the items that matter most for small business websites — the failures that appear most frequently in ADA demand letters and that automated scans most commonly detect.
Important: This checklist covers the most common issues but is not a substitute for a full WCAG 2.1 AA audit. Automated scans and self-checks catch roughly 30–40% of barriers. A complete assessment requires manual expert testing with assistive technologies.
Images & Media
Alt text on every meaningful image. Every image that conveys information needs a descriptive alt attribute. Decorative images should have an empty alt attribute (alt="") so screen readers skip them. This is WCAG Success Criterion 1.1.1 and is the single most common failure found on websites.
Video captions. Any video content on your website should have accurate captions. This includes embedded YouTube videos, product demos, and testimonial videos. This is WCAG Success Criterion 1.2.2.
Color & Visual Design
Color contrast ratios. Normal text must have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background. Large text (18px bold or 24px regular) requires at least 3:1. Insufficient contrast is the second most common WCAG failure across all websites. This is Success Criterion 1.4.3.
Color is not the only indicator. Information should not be conveyed by color alone. For example, form errors should not just turn a field red — they should also include a text message. This is Success Criterion 1.4.1.
Navigation & Keyboard Access
Full keyboard navigability. Every interactive element on your site — links, buttons, form fields, dropdown menus, modal dialogs — must be reachable and operable using only a keyboard (Tab, Enter, Space, Escape, Arrow keys). Try navigating your entire site without a mouse. If you get stuck anywhere, that is a keyboard trap. This is Guideline 2.1.
Visible focus indicators. When tabbing through your site, there should be a clear visual indicator showing which element is currently focused. If focus is invisible, keyboard users cannot tell where they are on the page. This is Success Criterion 2.4.7.
Skip navigation link. A “Skip to main content” link should be the first focusable element on every page, allowing keyboard users to bypass the navigation menu. This is Success Criterion 2.4.1.
Forms
Every form field has a label. All input fields, select dropdowns, and textareas must have an associated <label> element. Placeholder text alone is not sufficient — screen readers may not read it. This is Success Criterion 1.3.1.
Error identification. When a form submission fails, the errors must be clearly identified in text — not just indicated by color or icon. The error message should describe what went wrong and how to fix it. This is Success Criterion 3.3.1.
Page Structure
Proper heading hierarchy. Pages should use headings (H1, H2, H3) in logical order. There should be exactly one H1 per page. Do not skip heading levels (e.g., jumping from H2 to H4). Screen readers use headings to navigate page structure. This is Success Criterion 1.3.1.
Page language declared. Your HTML should include a lang attribute (e.g., <html lang="en">). This tells screen readers which pronunciation engine to use. Missing language declarations are among the top 5 most common WCAG failures. This is Success Criterion 3.1.1.
Descriptive link text. Links should make sense out of context. Avoid “Click here” or “Read more” — instead use descriptive text like “View our pricing” or “Read the full WCAG guide.” This is Success Criterion 2.4.4.
What This Checklist Cannot Cover
This checklist covers the most commonly cited WCAG failures, but WCAG 2.1 AA has 50 success criteria in total. Many of the remaining criteria require expert manual testing with real assistive technologies — testing that cannot be replicated by a checklist or automated tool alone. If your business is at risk of an ADA demand letter, a comprehensive manual audit is the most effective next step.
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