Web Content Accessibility Checklist
Please use this checklist before posting to ensure your content is accessible to everyone.
Structure
![Web browser with an HTML icon in the center](https://www.boisestate.edu/webguide/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2020/09/webpage-icon.png)
- Content is organized with headings and section titles (on WordPress, all panels have a title)
- Content is organized semantically and reads from top to bottom
- All headings are semantic (heading levels aren’t skipped. For example, H1, H2, H3, H3, H2)
- Page title describes the page and is no more than 150 characters
For tips, go to Using accessible panels on WordPress.
Text
![Page icon with text](https://www.boisestate.edu/webguide/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2020/09/document-icon.png)
- Headings are used to describe and organize content
- Text is clear and descriptive, following standard formatting conventions
- Text is not underlined
- When applicable, text uses strong tags instead of bold tags
- Bulleted and numbered lists are used when applicable and appropriately
Images
![Portrait photo graphic](https://www.boisestate.edu/webguide/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2019/05/photo-placeholder.png)
- All images have a descriptive alternative text
- Images do not contain text (images of flyers should have a full-text alternative clearly present on the page)
- Linked images use alt text to describe what page the image links to.
For additional information, go to Reviewing images guidelines and Using flyers on the web
Tables and Graphs
![Presenter in front of a TV graphic](https://www.boisestate.edu/webguide/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2020/09/presentation-icon.png)
- Tables are only used when absolutely necessary to display data
- Tables are not used for layout or formatting
- No rows or columns are merged
- Tables and graphs have a clear text alternative describing the purpose of the content
- Tables are made using Tablepress (university WordPress sites only)
For tips, go to Creating Accessible Data Visualization.
Links
![Link icon](https://www.boisestate.edu/webguide/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2022/07/LinkIcon.png)
- Link text is clear and descriptive for the user
- Link text makes sense when read out of context (avoid generic text like “Click here” and “Read More,” as it doesn’t provide any information to the user)
- Links are not just page URLs
- All links have been tested and are working as intended
Monitor your links and web content with Monsido.
Video and Audio Media
![Video play button graphic](https://www.boisestate.edu/webguide/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2022/07/VideoIconFilled.png)
- Media has a text alternative available on the page.
- Media does not rely on video or audio alone to present essential information
- Videos have captions and audio descriptions available (auto captions have been reviewed and edited for clarity)
- Videos and Audio have transcripts available
- Speakers in video/audio clearly identify themselves (this provides clarity when multiple speakers are present)
Details available at Video and Audio Content accessibility resources.
PDFs
![PDF icon](https://www.boisestate.edu/webguide/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2022/07/PDFIcon.png)
- PDFs have a web alternative (unless absolutely necessary, don’t publish PDFs on the web. Determine if PDFs are really needed for your site)
- PDFs have been reviewed and remediated using an accessibility checker (Adobe Acrobat, Commonlook PDF, Monsido)
Additional resources are available on the Publishing Documents webpage.
Quality Assurance Review
![Checklist graphic](https://www.boisestate.edu/webguide/wp-content/uploads/sites/16/2020/09/structure.png)
- No empty elements are on the page (no empty titles, links, or headings)
- All links are working as intended
- Content has been reviewed and tested before publishing
- Use the WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool or Perform Single Page Scan in Monsido
More Information
Contact the Web Accessibility Team for questions or additional information about any checklist item.