Use this checklist to find barriers on a business website. The reference is WCAG 2.2, Level AA, which is a set of success criteria, not a score and not a legal certificate. An automated tool can flag some failures. It cannot prove the site conforms. The W3C’s own notes on evaluating accessibility say the same: combine automated checks with manual review.

Page structure

  • One H1 describes the page.
  • Later headings follow the sections in order. Do not skip a level only to make text look smaller. WCAG 2.2 does not number that as its own success criterion, but a skipped level makes the page harder to scan.
  • Navigation, main content, and footer are separate regions.
  • The language of the page is set on the html element.
  • The tab order follows the visual order.

Keyboard and focus

  • Every link, button, and field works without a mouse.
  • A visible focus style is not removed in CSS.
  • Menus can be closed with the keyboard, and focus is not trapped unless a dialog is open.
  • Dialogs, if you use them, return focus to the control that opened them.
  • Nothing moves or flashes on a timer unless the user can stop it. Honor prefers-reduced-motion.

Forms

  • Every field has a visible label, not only placeholder text.
  • Required fields are marked in text, not only by color.
  • Error messages name the field and how to fix it, and they are associated with that field.
  • The submit control is a button with a clear name.

Contrast, images, and media

  • Normal text needs a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1, and large text at least 3:1, under WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3. Interface components and meaningful graphics need at least 3:1 under 1.4.11. Do not rely on a brand gradient that makes white text hard to read.
  • Informative images have alternative text that states the information. Decorative images have an empty alternative so they are skipped.
  • Charts are not the only place a number appears.
  • Video that carries meaning needs captions. This article does not pretend a transcript is optional when the soundtrack is the content.

Automated and manual testing

Run an automated checker to catch missing labels, some contrast failures, and broken structure. Then do this by hand on the homepage, a service page, and the contact form:

  1. Tab from the top of the page to the end.
  2. Submit the form empty and read the errors.
  3. Zoom text to 200% and check that content still reflows.
  4. Inspect the accessibility tree, or listen to the form in a screen reader, and check that informative images have useful alternative text.

Zylora’s accessibility service follows this pattern and states that it is not a conformance certificate. A redesign is a good time to fix templates once, which is why the redesign checklist includes the same keyboard and form checks. Performance work should not remove focus styles to chase a visual score. See Core Web Vitals.

Limitations

Passing this list on three templates does not mean every future blog post will be accessible. Conformance is about the whole site over time. This article is not legal advice, and a single vendor score such as “98” does not prove WCAG conformance.