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How to Check Your Website for ADA Compliance: A Step-by-Step Process

Author : adina watson | Published On : 05 Oct 2026



Step 1: Run an Automated Scan (The Starting Point)

Automated tools are your first pass. They’re fast, free (mostly), and will catch the obvious issues.

What they find well:

  • Missing image alt text
  • Insufficient color contrast
  • Missing form labels
  • Basic HTML structure errors
  • Missing page language attributes

Popular free tools:

  • WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool)
  • axe DevTools (browser extension)
  • Lighthouse (built into Chrome DevTools)
  • Accessibility Checker by Siteimprove

Important Reality Check: Automated tools only catch 30–40% of WCAG issues. They’re a starting point, not the finish line.

Step 2: Conduct Manual Keyboard Testing (The Critical Layer)

This is where you catch the issues that automated scanners miss. It takes 15–30 minutes and requires no special tools.

The Test: Put your mouse aside. Navigate your entire site using only the Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, and Spacebar keys.

What to look for:

  • Can you reach every interactive element (links, buttons, forms)?
  • Is there a visible focus indicator showing where you are?
  • Are there any “keyboard traps” where you get stuck and can’t move forward?
  • Can you open and close menus and modals?
  • Can you complete a purchase or form submission?

If you get stuck anywhere, a keyboard user gets stuck there too. That’s a barrier.

Step 3: Test with a Screen Reader (The Real-World Experience)

This is the most accurate way to understand the experience of a blind or low-vision user.

Free screen readers to try:

  • NVDA (Windows)
  • VoiceOver (Mac, built-in)
  • TalkBack (Android)

What to listen for:

  • Does the screen reader announce images meaningfully, or just say “image” or read a filename?
  • Are form fields properly labeled?
  • Does the reading order make sense?
  • Are error messages announced when they appear?
  • Can you understand the page structure from the headings?

This can be humbling, but it’s the fastest way to find real barriers.

Step 4: Zoom and Reflow Testing

Users with low vision often zoom in significantly. Test your site at 200% zoom and even 400% zoom.

What to check:

  • Does content remain readable?
  • Does the layout break or require horizontal scrolling?
  • Is any text cut off?
  • Do interactive elements still work?

Step 5: Evaluate Color and Contrast

Color is a common barrier that’s easy to overlook.

The standards:

  • Body text: 4.5:1 contrast ratio
  • Large text (18pt+ or 14pt bold): 3:1
  • UI components and graphics: 3:1

Tools: WebAIM’s Contrast Checker, or the color contrast features in axe DevTools.

Critical rule: Never rely on color alone to convey information (e.g., “Required fields are in red”). Use text labels, icons, or patterns as well.

Step 6: Review Your Content Structure

Good structure is essential for both accessibility and SEO.

Check for:

  • One H1 per page that describes the content
  • Logical H2, H3, H4 hierarchy (no skipping levels for styling)
  • Semantic HTML (using <nav>, <main>, <button> instead of generic <div> tags)
  • Descriptive link text (not “click here” or “read more”)
  • Sufficient white space and readable line length

Step 7: Test with Real Users (The Gold Standard)

The most valuable feedback comes from people who actually use assistive technology every day.

If you’re serious about compliance, engage testers with disabilities. Their lived experience will reveal barriers that no automated tool or checklist can catch.

A Quick 15-Point ADA Compliance Checklist

Here’s a practical checklist to run through right now:

  1. Alt Text: Every meaningful image has descriptive alt text; decorative images are marked as such.
  2. Contrast: Body text meets 4.5:1; UI components meet 3:1.
  3. Keyboard Access: The entire site works with keyboard only—no traps, visible focus.
  4. Headings: Real HTML headings in logical hierarchy.
  5. Forms: Every field has a visible, programmatic label; errors explain how to fix.
  6. Links: Descriptive link text that makes sense out of context.
  7. Video: Captions for videos, transcripts for audio.
  8. Color: No information conveyed by color alone.
  9. Zoom/Reflow: Content works at 320px width and 400% zoom.
  10. Motion: Animations can be paused; nothing flashes more than 3 times per second.
  11. Page Titles: Every page has a unique, descriptive <title>.
  12. Language: Page language is declared (e.g., <html lang="en">).
  13. Dynamic Content: Updates (like cart changes or form errors) are announced to screen readers.
  14. PDFs: Documents are tagged and readable by assistive tech.
  15. Accessibility Statement: A public statement exists with a contact route for reporting barriers.

The Biggest Mistakes to Avoid

Mistake #1: Relying solely on an accessibility widget or overlay.

Data from 2025 shows companies using overlays were still targeted by lawsuits. The FTC has also scrutinized overlay providers. Real compliance requires code-level fixes, not just a JavaScript band-aid.

Mistake #2: Treating it as a one-time project.

Accessibility decays. Every new page, plugin, or design update can introduce new barriers. Continuous monitoring is essential.

Mistake #3: Ignoring third-party tools.

Your search provider, review platform, payment processor, and chat widget are all part of the user experience. If they create barriers, you may still be held responsible.

Mistake #4: Assuming “we’re too small to be sued.”

Of the 2025 lawsuits, a significant portion targeted small and mid-sized businesses. Plaintiff firms don’t discriminate by company size.

How Accessibility Drives SEO, Traffic, and Leads

This is where the digital marketer in me gets really excited.

Every accessibility fix you make sends positive signals to search engines and AI systems:

  • Semantic HTML and heading structure → Search engines understand your content hierarchy and topical authority
  • Descriptive alt text → Image search visibility and additional indexable content
  • Clear, consistent navigation → Lower bounce rates, higher engagement signals
  • Proper form labels → Better conversion tracking and user experience
  • Captions and transcripts → More content for search engines to index

For AI-driven search (like Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity), structure is everything. AI models need to parse meaning and context. Accessible, well-structured content is exactly what they’re designed to understand and cite.

In short: Accessibility is SEO for the next generation of search.

Your Next Steps

If you’re just starting, don’t panic. Here’s a practical action plan:

  1. Run a free automated scan (WAVE or axe DevTools) on your top 5–10 pages to get a baseline.
  2. Do a 15-minute keyboard test on your homepage and checkout/contact flow.
  3. Fix the quick wins (alt text, contrast, form labels, heading structure).
  4. Document what you find and fix—this becomes your evidence of good-faith effort.
  5. Plan for a professional audit if you’re in a high-risk industry (e-commerce, food service, healthcare) or have been contacted about accessibility.
  6. Build accessibility into your workflow—training, CMS standards, and regular testing.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is there an official “ADA certification”?

No. The ADA doesn’t offer certification. Compliance is demonstrated through conformance with WCAG standards, documented testing, and an accessibility statement. Third-party audits and VPATs/ACRs can provide evidence, but they’re not government-issued.

Can I just install an accessibility widget and be done?

No. While widgets can provide helpful user-facing tools, they don’t fix underlying code issues. Courts and experts agree that overlays alone are not sufficient for compliance.

How often should I test my website?

At minimum, annually. But best practice is continuous monitoring combined with testing after any major update, redesign, or new content deployment.

I’m a small business. Do I really need to worry about this?

Yes. Lawsuits target businesses of all sizes. And beyond legal risk, an inaccessible website means you’re excluding potential customers. The fixes also improve SEO—so it’s a win-win.

What’s the difference between WCAG 2.1 and 2.2?

WCAG 2.2 is the newer version with additional success criteria, particularly around focus visibility and cognitive accessibility. Building to 2.2 AA ensures you’re ahead of the curve and compliant with the current benchmark.