Accessibility checklist and guidance for designers
| Success criteria | Level | Description | Interaction | Severity | Responsibility | Knowledge to test | Time to test | Test procedure |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Success criteria 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) | Level A | Description A transcript is provided for audio only content (such as a podcast) | Interaction Cognition, Deafness | Severity Blocker |
Responsibility Content, Designer |
Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 1.2.1 Audio-only and Video-only (Prerecorded) | Level A | Description Essential content that is communicated visually in videos is also available as audio or text | Interaction Screen reader | Severity Blocker |
Responsibility Content, Designer |
Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 1.2.2 Captions (prerecorded) | Level A | Description Captions are provided for video with audio | Interaction Cognition, Deafness | Severity Blocker |
Responsibility Content, Designer |
Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 1.2.3 Audio Description or Media Alternative (Prerecorded) | Level A | Description When there is audiovisual content (video) you can work out what is going on from the audio or an audio description is provided | Interaction Screen reader | Severity Blocker |
Responsibility Content, Designer |
Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 1.2.4 Captions (Live) | Level AA | Description Captions are provided for video with audio | Interaction Cognition, Deafness | Severity Blocker |
Responsibility Content, Designer |
Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 1.3.1 Info and Relationships | Level A | Description Font icons are not used | Interaction Contrast | Severity Moderate |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure Manual, Request details, Web inspector tools |
| Success criteria 1.3.1 Info and Relationships | Level A | Description Inline CSS is not used | Interaction Contrast, Magnification | Severity Minor |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure Inspect code, Manual, Web inspector tools |
| Success criteria 1.3.3 Sensory Characteristics | Level A | Description Instructions provided for understanding and interacting with content does not solely rely on shape, size, sound, visual location or orientation | Interaction Screen reader | Severity Minor, Moderate |
Responsibility Content, Designer |
Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 1.4.1 Use of Colour | Level A | Description Colour has not been solely used as the only visual means of conveying information | Interaction Colour blindness, Screen reader | Severity Moderate, Severe | Responsibility Designer | Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick | Test procedure |
| Success criteria 1.4.2 Audio Control | Level A | Description Audio is not played automatically | Interaction Screen reader | Severity Minor, Moderate | Responsibility Designer | Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) | Level AA | Description There is decent contrast for reading text (minimum 4.5:1 ratio for standard text, 3:1 for large text) | Interaction Contrast | Severity Moderate | Responsibility Designer | Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure ARC Toolkit, Colour Contrast Analyser, Firefox, Manual, Some support from tools |
| Success criteria 1.4.5 Images of Text | Level AA | Description Graphics are not used for text (except logos) | Interaction Magnification | Severity Moderate, Severe |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure ARC Toolkit, Manual, Some support from tools |
| Success criteria 1.4.10 Reflow | Level AA | Description You can zoom in 400% without losing content/functionality or horizontal scrolling | Interaction Magnification | Severity Moderate, Severe |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure ARC Toolkit, Bookmarklet, Browser, Manual, Some support from tools |
| Success criteria 1.4.11 Non-text Contrast | Level AA | Description There is decent contrast for graphics (that don't have text) and inputs/controls/focus styles | Interaction Contrast | Severity Moderate, Severe | Responsibility Designer | Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure Colour Contrast Analyser, Manual, Some support from tools |
| Success criteria 2.1.4 Character Key Shortcuts | Level A | Description Keyboard short cuts are not used, unless the user can override them | Interaction Keyboard | Severity Blocker |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Medium |
Time to test Medium, Quick |
Test procedure Keyboard, Manual, Request details, Screen reader |
| Success criteria 2.2.1 Timing Adjustable | Level A | Description There is time to read and act on things | Interaction Cognition | Severity Blocker |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide | Level A | Description Any distracting flashes or movements are under user-control | Interaction Cognition | Severity Blocker | Responsibility Designer | Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 2.3.1 Three Flashes or Below Threshhold | Level A | Description Flashing content does not flash more than three times in any one second period, or the flash is below the general flash and red flash thresholds | Interaction Photosensitive seizure | Severity Blocker | Responsibility Designer | Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure Keyboard, Manual |
| Success criteria 2.4.1 Bypass Blocks | Level A | Description There is a mechanism to skip to content, or skip past navigation | Interaction Keyboard | Severity Moderate, Severe |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Keyboard, Manual |
| Success criteria 2.4.3 Focus Order | Level A | Description The focus order is logical and intuitive | Interaction Keyboard | Severity Moderate |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Keyboard, Manual, Some support from tools |
| Success criteria 2.4.4 Link Purpose | Level A | Description Ambiguous link phrases have not been used. The purpose of the link can be determined from the link text alone or it has been programmatically defined. | Interaction Cognition, Screen reader | Severity Moderate |
Responsibility Content, Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Screen reader, Some support from tools, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 2.4.5 Multiple Ways | Level AA | Description More than one method is available to locate a Web page within a set of Web pages | Interaction Cognition | Severity Moderate | Responsibility Designer | Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 2.4.7 Focus Visible | Level AA | Description The location of the keyboard focus is visually obvious | Interaction Keyboard | Severity Moderate, Severe |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Keyboard, Manual, Some support from tools |
| Success criteria 2.4.11 Focus Not Obscured (Minimum) | Level AA | Description A focus indicator is not restricted in any way | Interaction Keyboard | Severity Moderate |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Keyboard, Manual, Some support from tools |
| Success criteria 2.4.13 Focus Appearance | Level AAA | Description The focus indicator has a clear thickness and colour contrast | Interaction Contrast, Keyboard | Severity Moderate | Responsibility Designer | Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure Keyboard, Manual, Some support from tools |
| Success criteria 2.5.1 Pointer Gestures | Level A | Description Touch gestures (e.g. swipe) are not relied on | Interaction Mobile | Severity Blocker | Responsibility Designer | Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Mobile, Request details |
| Success criteria 2.5.4 Motion Actuation | Level A | Description Motion sensors are not relied on for functionality (e.g. shake to undo) | Interaction Mobile | Severity Moderate, Severe | Responsibility Designer | Knowledge to test Easy |
Time to test Medium, Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Mobile, Request details |
| Success criteria 2.5.5 Target Size (Enhanced) | Level AAA | Description Touch targets are large enough to touch accurately (at least 44px x 44px) | Interaction Mobile | Severity Moderate |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Easy |
Time to test Medium, Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Some support from tools |
| Success criteria 2.5.7 Dragging Movements | Level AA | Description No click and drag function is required, or an alternative is provided | Interaction Mobile, Pointer control | Severity Moderate |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure Manual, Some support from tools |
| Success criteria 2.5.8 Target Size (Minimum) | Level AA | Description Components have a minimum target size | Interaction Mobile | Severity Moderate |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Medium |
Time to test Medium, Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Some support from tools |
| Success criteria 3.2.3 Consistent Navigation | Level AA | Description Navigation is consistently ordered across pages | Interaction Keyboard | Severity Moderate | Responsibility Designer | Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Keyboard, Manual |
| Success criteria 3.2.4 Consistent Identification | Level AA | Description Terms used for functionality are consistently used | Interaction Cognition | Severity Moderate |
Responsibility Content, Designer |
Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 3.2.6 Consistent Help | Level A | Description Any help provided is done so consistently | Interaction Cognition | Severity Moderate |
Responsibility Content, Designer |
Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 3.3.1 Error Identification | Level A | Description Where an error occurs, the issue can be identified and is described to the user in text | Interaction Cognition | Severity Moderate |
Responsibility Content, Designer |
Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 3.3.3 Error suggestion | Level AA | Description Error messages are actually useful, e.g. provide a useful next step or way of entering valid data | Interaction Cognition | Severity Medium |
Responsibility Content, Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 3.3.4 Error Prevention (Legal, Financial, Data) | Level AA | Description Legal and financial actions can be either reversed, checked or confirmed | Interaction Cognition | Severity Severe | Responsibility Designer | Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 3.3.7 Redundant Entry | Level A | Description Users do not have to enter the same information more than once | Interaction Cognition | Severity Moderate |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 3.3.8 Accessible Authentication (Minimum) | Level AA | Description Users are not required to complete a function test, except under certain conditions | Interaction Cognition | Severity Severe |
Responsibility Designer, Developer |
Knowledge to test Medium | Time to test Medium |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |
| Success criteria 1.4.10 Reflow | Level Best practice | Description Magnification software users do not have to unnecessarily scroll horizontal to find content | Interaction Magnification | Severity Minor, Moderate | Responsibility Designer | Knowledge to test Easy | Time to test Quick |
Test procedure Manual, Visual inspection |