Website accessibility first-review worksheet

Find barriers and prepare a useful handover

This sheet helps a business owner record an initial review of important customer tasks. It does not cover every WCAG criterion, determine ADA compliance, or predict lawsuit risk. A clean automated scan does not replace knowledgeable human evaluation. W3C evaluation guidance

Work on your own site or one you are authorized to review. Do not make a real purchase or booking, submit sensitive information, or trigger customer messages just to complete a test. Agree on a safe test method first.

Website / reviewer / date:

Browser and version / device / assistive technology if used: ______

Provider or person receiving findings:

1. Choose real customer tasks

Pick two or three important journeys. Include any third-party booking tool, payment step, or document needed to complete them. List exactly what is and is not being reviewed.

Customer task	Starting page and necessary steps	Included / excluded parts
Example: find a service and request a quote	Service page, menu, form, confirmation

Safe form, booking, or checkout test method agreed with:

Date / restrictions:

2. Make and record initial checks

Use no barrier observed in this check, barrier found, not tested, or not applicable. “No barrier observed” is deliberately narrower than “passes accessibility.” Explain skipped items.

A. Keyboard navigation

Put the mouse aside. Use Tab and Shift+Tab to move through links and controls; use Enter, Space, or arrow keys as appropriate. Can you open and close the menu, reach the form, and leave each control? Can you see where focus is? If browser settings prevent keyboard navigation, record that limitation and ask for help rather than declaring a pass. W3C Easy Checks

Task / result / exact stopping point:

B. Enlarged content

Set browser zoom to 200%. Look for clipped text, overlapping content, or controls you can no longer use. Record the viewport or window size. This is one preliminary check, not a full text-resizing or responsive-layout assessment. W3C resize-text guidance

Page / result / screenshot reference:

C. Form instructions and feedback

Check that fields have meaningful labels and required information is clear. Using the agreed safe method, try leaving a required field blank. Does the error explain the problem and how to fix it? Can the task then be completed? Ask a qualified tester to verify that labels, errors, and confirmation are also conveyed appropriately by assistive technology. W3C forms tutorial

Form / result / issue to investigate:

D. Images and video

Ask the provider to show the text alternatives for meaningful images. Do they convey the relevant information or action? Decorative images should be handled differently, not filled with irrelevant descriptions. W3C images tutorial

For videos with speech or meaningful sounds, check available captions for accuracy. Flag essential visual information that is not explained in the audio for specialist review too. W3C captions guidance

Image or video / result / missing information:

E. Contrast and information conveyed by color

Flag faint text and instructions that rely only on color, such as an unexplained red field outline. Ask the provider to measure contrast; visual preference alone cannot establish the result. WCAG’s usual minimum for normal text is 4.5:1, with different provisions for large text and specified exceptions. W3C contrast guidance, DOJ barrier examples

Text or control / measured result or pending check:

3. Give each finding enough detail to reproduce

Complete one record per problem. Keep customer information and credentials out of screenshots and notes.

Page address and affected control:
Task the customer was trying to complete:
Steps taken / what happened / expected behavior:
Impact: ☐ Task blocked ☐ Task difficult ☐ Needs investigation
Evidence reference and test conditions:
Fix owner / due date:
Retest date / same task repeated / result:
Remaining limits or unanswered questions:

Fictional example: On the booking page, keyboard focus reaches the date picker, but following its keyboard instructions still does not let the customer select a date. The customer cannot choose an appointment. Record the browser, the steps, and the provider responsible for the booking component; retest the same path after a fix.

4. Agree on the next review

☐ Prioritize blocked essential tasks and investigate remaining barriers.
☐ Define the pages, journeys, documents, and third-party tools for qualified assessment.
☐ Name the WCAG version and level used for technical evaluation.
☐ Include manual and assistive-technology testing; consider feedback from people with disabilities.
☐ Identify who receives accessibility reports and monitors that contact route.
☐ Recheck after relevant content, design, or provider changes.

Next action / owner / date:

How customers can report difficulty while work continues:

A contact option helps receive and respond to problems; it is not automatically an adequate replacement for accessible online service. Do not describe this worksheet, a widget, or an audit as a guarantee against a lawsuit. Ask a qualified attorney about your specific legal obligations or a complaint. The companion Note explains why private-business Title III responsibilities must not be confused with the separate government Title II rule.