Basic Digital Accessibility Checklist

Not sure if your documents or web content meet ADA Title II and WCAG 2.1 AA requirements? Use this checklist to review your content and correct accessibility gaps. This checklist serves as a starting point and does not replace formal accessibility testing.

Page Structure & Organization

Descriptive Page Title:

Is the page or document title unique, clear, and descriptive? Ensure titles accurately reflect the content and purpose. Insert title into page properties.

Page Layout & Logical Flow:

Is the content presented in a logical reading order? Use built-in styles in Word or your content management system to properly tag headings, paragraphs, lists, tables, and other elements. Avoid manually formatting text to “look” like a heading.

Headings & Heading Order:

Are section headings used to organize content? Do headings follow a logical hierarchy (Heading 1 → Heading 2 → Heading 3) without skipping levels?

Reading Order (Especially for PDFs):

Does the content read in the correct order when using a screen reader? Verify reading order in the Tags or Reading Order pane (PDF).

Lists:

Are bulleted and numbered lists created using built-in list tools rather than typed manually?

Tables:

Are tables used only for data (not layout)?

• One header row (and column headers if needed).
• No blank, split, or merged cells.
• Properly designated header cells are recognized by assistive technology.
• For complex data, ensure headers are clearly associated with their data cells.

Visual Accessibility

Color Contrast:

Does the text have sufficient contrast against the background? Use a contrast checker (e.g., WebAIM Color Contrast Checker (https://webaim.org/resources/contrastchecker/)) to verify compliance. Adjust colors as needed.

Use of Color:

Is information conveyed by more than color alone? Pair color with text labels, patterns, icons, or other indicators.

Font & Readability:

Is the text easy to read, with adequate font size and spacing? Avoid decorative or overly stylized fonts.

Plain Language:

Is the content clear and concise?

• Avoid jargon where possible.
• Spell out acronyms on first use.
• Break complex instructions into steps.

Images, Graphics, & Data

Alt Text/Image Descriptions:

Do meaningful images include concise, descriptive alt text? Does the alt text convey the image’s purpose (not just what it looks like)?

Images of Text:

If text appears in an image (e.g., an infographic), is the same information provided in accessible text nearby (alt text or in the body of the document)?

Charts & Graphs:

Are charts described in the surrounding text? Is key data also presented in a table format?

Are patterns or labels used in addition to color to distinguish data?

Links & Navigation

Descriptive Links:

Does each link clearly describe its destination?

Can users understand the link’s purpose without the surrounding context? Avoid vague phrases like “click here” or displaying full URLs.

Keyboard Accessibility (Web Content):

Can all interactive elements (links, buttons, forms, menus) be accessed using only a keyboard? Is the keyboard focus indicator clearly visible when tabbing?

File Names:

Are linked files named clearly and descriptively (e.g., “2025-Soil-Test-Guide.pdf” rather than “Final_v3.pdf”)?

Forms

Form Labels:

Are all form fields clearly labeled?

Required Fields & Instructions:

Are required fields identified using text (not color alone)? Are instructions provided before the form begins?

Error Messages:

Are error messages specific and clearly associated with the relevant field?

Multimedia

Captions:

Do videos include accurate captions (not auto-generated only)?

Transcripts:

Are transcripts provided for audio-only or video content?

Audio Descriptions:

If visual information is not conveyed in audio, is audio description provided?

Flashing or Moving Content:

Does the content avoid flashing more than three times per second? Can users pause or stop moving or animated content?

Language & Technical Settings

Document Language:

Is the primary language of the document or web page defined (e.g., English, Spanish) in the document or page properties?

Native Files:

Are original file formats (DOCX, PPTX) provided in addition to PDFs when possible?

Scanned PDFs:

Are PDFs text-based and searchable (not scanned images of text)?

Testing & Verification

Automated Accessibility Checker:

Have you run the built-in accessibility checker (Word, PowerPoint, Adobe Acrobat, etc.)?

Manual Review:

Have you reviewed the reading order, heading structure, and alt text manually?

Screen Reader Testing:

Have you tested the content using a screen reader such as NVDA, JAWS, or Voiceover to ensure it reads logically?

Where to Start?

Take some training.

Accessibility Champion Pathway (TLOS) + other specific accessibility topics. https://profdev.tlos.vt.edu/?query=accessibility.

Digital Accessibility for the Modern Workplace (LinkedIn Learning)

Check out other accessibility resources on the VCE intranet.

https://sites.google.com/view/extintranet/publications/accessibility-resources

Use the VCE non-peer-reviewed Word template as a starting point. https://www.pubs.ext.vt.edu/VCE/VCE-946/VCE-946.html

Need Help?

Contact Virginia Tech Technology-Enhanced Learning and Online Strategies (TLOS) (https://tlos.vt.edu/digital-accessibility.html) for general digital accessibility questions. Schedule an appointment with a consultant.

Contact Virginia Cooperative Extension Publications and Resources for questions regarding peer-reviewed and non-peer-reviewed publications (vceresoruces@vt.edu)