The accessibility checks we run on every page
Automated tools catch about a third of real problems. These twelve manual checks catch most of the rest, and they take less than an hour per template.
Keyboard
- Unplug the mouse. Can you reach and use every link, button and form field with Tab, Enter and Space?
- Watch the focus. Is it always clear where you are? A faint outline on a busy background doesn't count.
- Check the order. Focus should follow the visual reading order, not jump around the page.
- Escape works. Menus and dialogs close with Escape and return focus to the button that opened them.
Screen readers
- Read the headings. Pull up the headings list. Does it read like a sensible outline of the page?
- Links make sense out of context. "Read more" five times tells a screen reader user nothing.
- Images are described, or hidden. Useful images get alt text; decorative ones are skipped.
Seeing
- Contrast. Body text at 4.5:1 or more, large text at 3:1, in both light and dark themes.
- Zoom to 200%. Nothing overlaps, clips or forces sideways scrolling.
- Colour isn't the only signal. Errors and states also use text or icons.
Motion and forms
- Turn on reduced motion. Animations stop, and nothing important disappears with them.
- Break the form. Submit it empty. Each error should say what's wrong, sit next to its field and be announced.
We run these checks on every template before launch, and again after any big content change. On this site, every animation switches off under reduced motion and every page works without JavaScript.