ADA Website Compliance Checklist 2026
Making your website ADA compliant is not optional in 2026. With over 4,000 federal lawsuits filed annually and the DOJ explicitly pointing to WCAG 2.1 AA as the standard, every business with a website needs a clear compliance roadmap. For a comprehensive breakdown of every WCAG criterion, see our complete WCAG 2.1 AA checklist. This checklist covers the essential requirements organized by priority.
Critical: Fix These First
- Image alt text -- Every
<img>element needs a descriptivealtattribute. Decorative images usealt="". This is the single most common WCAG violation. - Color contrast -- Normal text requires a 4.5:1 contrast ratio against its background. Large text (18pt or 14pt bold) requires 3:1. Check every text/background combination.
- Form labels -- Every input needs a programmatically associated
<label>. Placeholder text alone does not count. - Keyboard navigation -- All interactive elements must be reachable and operable via keyboard alone. No keyboard traps.
- Page language -- Add
lang="en"to your<html>tag.
High Priority: Structure and Navigation
- Heading hierarchy -- Use one
h1per page. Headings must follow logical order (h1, h2, h3) without skipping levels. - Skip navigation -- Add a "Skip to content" link as the first focusable element on every page.
- Link text -- Avoid "click here" and "read more." Links should describe their destination.
- Focus indicators -- Visible focus outlines on all interactive elements. Never use
outline: nonewithout a replacement. - ARIA attributes -- Use native HTML elements when possible. When ARIA is needed, validate roles, states, and properties.
Medium Priority: Content and Media
- Video captions -- All pre-recorded video needs synchronized captions. Live video needs real-time captions.
- Audio transcripts -- Pre-recorded audio content requires text transcripts.
- Text resizing -- Content must remain functional when text is resized to 200%.
- Reflow -- Content must reflow at 320px width without horizontal scrolling.
- Auto-playing media -- Any auto-playing audio or video must have a visible pause/stop control.
Ongoing: Monitoring and Maintenance
- Automated scanning -- Run weekly WCAG scans to catch regressions as content changes.
- New content review -- Every new page, blog post, or landing page should be checked before publishing.
- Third-party widgets -- Chat widgets, forms, and embedded content must also be accessible.
- Annual manual audit -- Automated tools catch 30-40% of issues. Schedule a manual audit for the rest.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Relying on overlay widgets. Products like accessiBe and UserWay have been widely discredited. The National Federation of the Blind opposes them. Courts have not accepted overlay usage as a defense. Fix your actual code.
Treating compliance as a one-time project. Accessibility is ongoing. Every content update, design change, or new feature can introduce violations. You need continuous monitoring.
Ignoring mobile. WCAG applies to all screen sizes. Touch targets must be at least 44x44 pixels. Orientation must not be locked.
Start Your Audit
Litmus scans your entire website against WCAG 2.1 AA using axe-core. You get a prioritized list of violations with element-level detail, WCAG references, and actionable fix guidance. Use this checklist alongside your scan results to systematically work through every issue.
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Start Your Free TrialRelated guides
WCAG Color Contrast Requirements Explained
Understanding color contrast ratios for web accessibility. Tools and techniques to fix violations.
Why Accessibility Overlays Dont Work
The problems with overlay widgets like accessiBe and UserWay. Why real audits matter.
How to Prevent ADA Website Lawsuits
Protect your business from ADA lawsuits with proactive compliance monitoring.