Is this checklist enough to be ADA compliant?

This 50-item checklist covers the WCAG 2.1 Level AA criteria most often cited in demand letters and DOJ enforcement actions, plus the four most-actionable WCAG 2.2 additions. Conformance requires meeting ALL Level A and AA criteria — see the W3C WCAG 2.1 specification for the canonical list. Manual assistive-technology testing (screen reader, keyboard-only) catches barriers automation misses.

How long does it take to remediate a website to WCAG 2.1 AA?

Depends entirely on site size, CMS, and content depth. A small marketing site (10-25 pages) typically takes 2-4 weeks. Mid-size sites (100-500 pages) take 1-3 months. Large e-commerce or media sites with thousands of pages take 6-12+ months. Plan for ongoing maintenance — accessibility is not a one-time fix.

Can I just use an automated scanner?

Automated scanners (axe-core, WAVE, Lighthouse) typically detect 30-40% of WCAG failures. The rest require manual testing — keyboard navigation, screen reader output, focus management, content meaning. Tools are a starting point, not a substitute for expert review.

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ADA Compliance Checklist

A practical, plain-English ADA website checklist mapped to WCAG 2.1 Level AA — the operative standard for ADA Title II and the de facto standard courts apply for Title III. 50 items grouped by the failure categories that account for 96% of detected accessibility errors (WebAIM Million 2026).

Quick Answer

Where should I start fixing my site?

Start with the WebAIM Big Six — low contrast text, missing alt text, missing form labels, empty links, empty buttons, missing document language. Together they account for 96% of all detected errors. The first three groups of this checklist cover those failures directly.

The WebAIM Big Six — 96% of all accessibility errors

Low contrast text — 83.9% of home pages
Missing alternative text — 53.1% of home pages
Missing form input labels — 51% of home pages
Empty links — 46.3% of home pages
Empty buttons — 30.6% of home pages
Missing document language — 13.5% of home pages

This is a structured walk-through. For a fully personalized checklist, use our Checklist Generator tool.

1. Color & contrast (Perceivable)

Low contrast text is the #1 detected failure on the open web — 83.9% of home pages.

Body text has a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against its background. (WCAG 1.4.3)
Large text (18pt regular / 14pt bold) has at least 3:1 contrast. (WCAG 1.4.3)
UI components and graphical objects have at least 3:1 contrast against adjacent colors. (WCAG 1.4.11)
Color is never the only way information is conveyed (links, errors, status). (WCAG 1.4.1)
Text remains readable when zoomed to 200% without horizontal scrolling. (WCAG 1.4.4, WCAG 1.4.10)

2. Text alternatives & media (Perceivable)

Missing alt text is the #2 detected failure (53.1%).

Every meaningful image has descriptive alt text that conveys its purpose. (WCAG 1.1.1)
Decorative images use alt="" or role="presentation" so screen readers skip them. (WCAG 1.1.1)
Icon-only buttons and links have an accessible name (aria-label or visible text). (WCAG 1.1.1, WCAG 4.1.2)
Pre-recorded video has synchronized captions. (WCAG 1.2.2)
Pre-recorded video has audio description or a text alternative. (WCAG 1.2.5)
Live video has captions. (WCAG 1.2.4)
Audio-only content has a transcript. (WCAG 1.2.1)

3. Forms (Perceivable + Understandable)

Missing form labels is the #3 detected failure (51%). Forms are also the highest-friction surface for lawsuits.

Every input has a programmatically-associated <label> (placeholder is not a label). (WCAG 1.3.1, WCAG 3.3.2, WCAG 4.1.2)
Required fields are indicated in text (not only by color or asterisk). (WCAG 3.3.2)
Errors are identified in text and associated with the offending field. (WCAG 3.3.1, WCAG 3.3.3)
Form fields use autocomplete tokens where applicable (name, email, address). (WCAG 1.3.5)
Time limits are user-controllable, can be extended, or there are none. (WCAG 2.2.1)
CAPTCHA has an accessible alternative (non-visual). (WCAG 1.1.1)

4. Links & buttons (Operable)

Empty links (46.3%) and empty buttons (30.6%) round out the WebAIM Big Six.

Every link has discernible text that describes its destination. (WCAG 2.4.4)
Link text is unique and meaningful out of context (avoid "click here", "read more"). (WCAG 2.4.4, WCAG 2.4.9)
Buttons have visible labels or aria-label. (WCAG 4.1.2)
Skip-to-content link is the first focusable element. (WCAG 2.4.1)

5. Keyboard & focus (Operable)

All interactive controls are reachable and operable via keyboard alone. (WCAG 2.1.1)
Focus never gets trapped in any widget (modal, carousel, menu). (WCAG 2.1.2)
A visible focus indicator is shown on every focusable element. (WCAG 2.4.7)
Logical focus order follows visual reading order. (WCAG 2.4.3)
No content requires a multi-finger or drag gesture without a single-pointer alternative. (WCAG 2.5.1, WCAG 2.5.7)
Single-character keyboard shortcuts can be disabled or remapped. (WCAG 2.1.4)

6. Structure & semantics (Robust)

The <html> element has a valid lang attribute. (WCAG 3.1.1)
Headings (h1–h6) form a logical, non-skipping outline. (WCAG 1.3.1, WCAG 2.4.6)
Page has exactly one <h1> that matches the page title intent. (WCAG 2.4.6)
Landmarks (header/nav/main/footer/aside) are used to structure the page. (WCAG 1.3.1, WCAG 2.4.1)
Lists use <ul>/<ol>/<li>; tables use <th> with scope; quotes use <blockquote>. (WCAG 1.3.1)
ARIA is used only where native HTML cannot express the semantics. (WCAG 4.1.2)
ARIA roles, states, and properties pass schema validation (no invalid combinations). (WCAG 4.1.2)
Status messages are exposed via role="status", role="alert", or aria-live. (WCAG 4.1.3)

7. Content & language (Understandable)

Page title is descriptive and unique within the site. (WCAG 2.4.2)
Foreign-language passages use lang on their parent element. (WCAG 3.1.2)
Abbreviations and jargon are expanded on first use or via <abbr>. (WCAG 3.1.4)
Navigation is consistent across pages. (WCAG 3.2.3)
Components are identified consistently across pages. (WCAG 3.2.4)
Help is available in a consistent location across pages. (WCAG 3.2.6)

8. Motion, timing, and triggers (Operable)

Auto-playing media >5s can be paused or muted. (WCAG 1.4.2)
Motion animation can be turned off via prefers-reduced-motion. (WCAG 2.3.3)
Nothing flashes more than 3 times per second. (WCAG 2.3.1)
Reflow at 320 CSS px width without 2D scrolling (except data tables). (WCAG 1.4.10)

9. Authentication & input (WCAG 2.2)

Authentication does not require a cognitive function test (no copy-paste-the-password puzzles). (WCAG 3.3.8)
Redundant entry: previously entered info is auto-filled or available. (WCAG 3.3.7)
Drag operations have a single-pointer alternative. (WCAG 2.5.7)
Target size of pointer inputs is at least 24x24 CSS pixels (or has spacing exception). (WCAG 2.5.8)

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FAQ

Is this checklist enough to be ADA compliant?: This 50-item checklist covers the WCAG 2.1 Level AA criteria most often cited in demand letters and DOJ enforcement actions, plus the four most-actionable WCAG 2.2 additions. Conformance requires meeting ALL Level A and AA criteria — see the W3C WCAG 2.1 specification for the canonical list. Manual assistive-technology testing (screen reader, keyboard-only) catches barriers automation misses.
How long does it take to remediate a website to WCAG 2.1 AA?: Depends entirely on site size, CMS, and content depth. A small marketing site (10-25 pages) typically takes 2-4 weeks. Mid-size sites (100-500 pages) take 1-3 months. Large e-commerce or media sites with thousands of pages take 6-12+ months. Plan for ongoing maintenance — accessibility is not a one-time fix.
Can I just use an automated scanner?: Automated scanners (axe-core, WAVE, Lighthouse) typically detect 30-40% of WCAG failures. The rest require manual testing — keyboard navigation, screen reader output, focus management, content meaning. Tools are a starting point, not a substitute for expert review.

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Written by

Kaden, Grow Wild Agency

This guide was written by Grow Wild Agency, a federally-certified ADA-compliant web design studio. The team holds 8 DHS Section 508 certifications, 10 GSA accessibility certifications, and is pursuing IAAP CPACC → WAS → CPWA accreditation. We build and remediate websites to WCAG 2.1 Level AA conformance and have shipped against Title II, Title III, Section 504, and EAA requirements.