ADA Compliance Checklist
Use this WCAG 2.1 AA checklist to audit your website for ADA compliance. It covers all 50 success criteria organized by WCAG's four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.
This checklist covers every WCAG 2.1 AA success criterion US courts reference for ADA website compliance. Work through each section, check off what you've implemented, and note what needs attention.
Important: this checklist is for informational purposes. Automated tools catch only about 30% of accessibility issues — a manual audit by a specialist catches the rest.
Principle 1: Perceivable
Information and UI components must be presentable in ways users can perceive.
- 1.1.1 Non-text Content (A): All images, icons, charts, and buttons have meaningful alt text (or alt="" for decorative images).
- 1.2.1 Audio/Video-only (A): Pre-recorded audio has transcripts; pre-recorded video has descriptions.
- 1.2.2 Captions (A): Pre-recorded videos have synchronized captions.
- 1.2.3 Audio Description (A): Pre-recorded videos have audio description or a transcript.
- 1.2.4 Captions (Live) (AA): Live video content has real-time captions.
- 1.2.5 Audio Description (AA): All pre-recorded videos have audio description.
- 1.3.1 Info and Relationships (A): Semantic structure is programmatically determinable (headings, lists, tables, landmarks).
- 1.3.2 Meaningful Sequence (A): Content reading order makes sense without CSS.
- 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics (A): Instructions don't rely solely on shape, color, or location.
- 1.3.4 Orientation (AA): Content works in both portrait and landscape orientations.
- 1.3.5 Identify Input Purpose (AA): Form inputs for personal information use autocomplete attributes.
- 1.4.1 Use of Color (A): Color is not the only way to convey information or distinguish elements.
- 1.4.2 Audio Control (A): Auto-playing audio over 3 seconds has a pause/stop mechanism.
- 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) (AA): Text has at least 4.5:1 contrast ratio (3:1 for large text).
- 1.4.4 Resize Text (AA): Text can be resized to 200% without loss of functionality.
- 1.4.5 Images of Text (AA): Text in images is avoided unless essential (logos, etc.).
- 1.4.10 Reflow (AA): Content reflows to 320px width without horizontal scrolling.
- 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast (AA): UI components and graphical objects have 3:1 contrast ratio.
- 1.4.12 Text Spacing (AA): No loss of content when users adjust line height, spacing, or letter spacing.
- 1.4.13 Content on Hover/Focus (AA): Hover/focus content is dismissible, hoverable, and persistent.
Principle 2: Operable
Interface components and navigation must be operable by all users.
- 2.1.1 Keyboard (A): All functionality is operable via keyboard only.
- 2.1.2 No Keyboard Trap (A): Keyboard focus can move away from any component.
- 2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts (A): Single-character shortcuts can be turned off or remapped.
- 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable (A): Time limits can be turned off, adjusted, or extended.
- 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide (A): Moving, blinking, scrolling, or auto-updating content can be paused.
- 2.3.1 Three Flashes (A): Nothing flashes more than three times per second.
- 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks (A): Skip links or landmarks let users bypass repeated navigation.
- 2.4.2 Page Titled (A): Pages have descriptive titles.
- 2.4.3 Focus Order (A): Tab order is logical and preserves meaning.
- 2.4.4 Link Purpose (A): Link text describes its destination (no "click here").
- 2.4.5 Multiple Ways (AA): Multiple ways to find pages (search, sitemap, etc.).
- 2.4.6 Headings and Labels (AA): Headings and form labels describe topic or purpose.
- 2.4.7 Focus Visible (AA): Keyboard focus indicator is visible.
- 2.5.1 Pointer Gestures (A): Multi-point or path-based gestures have single-point alternatives.
- 2.5.2 Pointer Cancellation (A): Down-events don't trigger actions (click happens on up).
- 2.5.3 Label in Name (A): Visible labels match accessible names.
- 2.5.4 Motion Actuation (A): Motion-triggered functions have alternatives.
Principle 3: Understandable
Information and operation of UI must be understandable.
- 3.1.1 Language of Page (A): Page language is programmatically set (e.g., <html lang="en">).
- 3.1.2 Language of Parts (AA): Language changes within page are marked.
- 3.2.1 On Focus (A): Focus doesn't trigger unexpected context changes.
- 3.2.2 On Input (A): Input doesn't trigger unexpected context changes.
- 3.2.3 Consistent Navigation (AA): Navigation is consistent across pages.
- 3.2.4 Consistent Identification (AA): Components with the same function are identified consistently.
- 3.3.1 Error Identification (A): Errors are identified and described in text.
- 3.3.2 Labels or Instructions (A): Labels and instructions are provided for user input.
- 3.3.3 Error Suggestion (AA): Error corrections are suggested when possible.
- 3.3.4 Error Prevention (AA): For legal/financial data, submissions can be reviewed or reversed.
Principle 4: Robust
Content must be robust enough to work with current and future user agents.
- 4.1.1 Parsing (A) [Deprecated in 2.2]: HTML is parsed correctly (valid markup).
- 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value (A): UI components have programmatically determinable name, role, state, value.
- 4.1.3 Status Messages (AA): Status messages can be determined programmatically by assistive tech.
Most WCAG violations are found in Principle 1 (Perceivable) and Principle 2 (Operable). Focus your initial audit on these sections for the highest-impact fixes.
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Frequently asked questions
How many WCAG 2.1 AA criteria are there?+
There are 50 success criteria in WCAG 2.1 Level AA (30 at Level A + 20 at Level AA).
Do I need to meet WCAG AAA too?+
No. WCAG AAA is considered best-effort for specialized content. Courts reference AA as the accessibility standard.
Is it possible to automate this whole checklist?+
No. About 30% of WCAG criteria can be tested automatically. The rest require human judgment — keyboard testing, screen reader testing, logical reading order, etc.
What's the difference between WCAG 2.1 and WCAG 2.2?+
WCAG 2.2 (October 2023) adds 9 new success criteria. For ADA compliance, WCAG 2.1 AA remains the court-referenced standard in 2026. 2.2 is recommended but not legally required yet.
Key takeaways
- 50 WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria organized into 4 principles
- Principle 1 (Perceivable) and 2 (Operable) contain the most-cited failures
- ~30% of criteria can be tested automatically; the rest need a human
- Small violations compound — even "minor" issues can trigger lawsuits
- This checklist is a starting point — a specialist audit catches issues automated tools miss