Accessibility Audit

# Accessibility Audit

Perform a comprehensive accessibility audit following WCAG 2.1 Level AA guidelines, identifying issues and providing specific remediation steps.

## Audit Scope

### 1. Perceivable
- Text alternatives for non-text content
- Captions and transcripts for media
- Content adaptability
- Color contrast ratios
- Text resize capability

### 2. Operable
- Keyboard accessibility
- Focus indicators
- Navigation consistency
- Timing and animations
- Seizure-safe content

### 3. Understandable
- Readable and predictable content
- Input assistance
- Error identification and suggestions
- Clear instructions
- Consistent navigation

### 4. Robust
- Valid HTML markup
- ARIA usage
- Assistive technology compatibility
- Future compatibility

## Testing Methods

### Automated Testing
- Run axe DevTools or Lighthouse
- Check with WAVE browser extension
- Use Pa11y or similar CLI tools
- Validate HTML markup

### Manual Testing
- Test with keyboard only (Tab, Enter, Space, Arrow keys)
- Test with screen reader (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver)
- Test with browser zoom (up to 200%)
- Test with high contrast mode
- Test with keyboard navigation only

### User Testing
- Test with users with disabilities
- Document pain points and confusion
- Gather feedback on improvements

## Issue Report Format

For each issue:

Issue #1: Missing Alt Text on Images

WCAG Criterion: 1.1.1 Non-text Content (Level A) Severity: Critical Impact: Screen reader users cannot understand image content

Location:

• Homepage: 12 images
• About page: 5 images
• Product gallery: 45 images

Current State:

<img src="product.jpg">

Required Fix:

<img src="product.jpg" alt="Blue cotton t-shirt with round neck">

Effort: Small (30 minutes) Priority: High

Testing: Verify with screen reader

## Common Issues and Fixes

### Critical Issues

**Missing Form Labels**
```html
<!-- Bad -->
<input type="email" name="email">

<!-- Good -->
<label for="email">Email Address</label>
<input type="email" id="email" name="email">

Insufficient Color Contrast

/* Bad - 2.5:1 ratio */
color: #767676;
background: #ffffff;

/* Good - 4.5:1 ratio */
color: #595959;
background: #ffffff;

Missing Keyboard Focus

/* Bad */
*:focus {
  outline: none;
}

/* Good */
*:focus-visible {
  outline: 2px solid #0066cc;
  outline-offset: 2px;
}

High Priority

Non-Semantic HTML

<!-- Bad -->
<div class="heading">Page Title</div>
<div onclick="submit()">Submit</div>

<!-- Good -->
<h1>Page Title</h1>
<button type="submit">Submit</button>

Missing ARIA Labels

<!-- Bad -->
<button><svg>...</svg></button>

<!-- Good -->
<button aria-label="Close dialog"><svg>...</svg></button>

Remediation Plan

Phase 1: Critical Fixes (Week 1)

• Add alt text to all images
• Fix color contrast issues
• Add form labels
• Ensure keyboard navigation works

Phase 2: High Priority (Week 2-3)

• Implement focus indicators
• Fix heading hierarchy
• Add ARIA labels where needed
• Test with screen readers

Phase 3: Medium Priority (Week 4-6)

• Improve error messages
• Add skip links
• Enhance form validation
• Test responsive accessibility

Phase 4: Ongoing

• Regular audits (quarterly)
• Team training
• Documentation updates
• User feedback integration

Compliance Checklist

• All images have alt text
• Color contrast meets 4.5:1 ratio
• All forms have labels
• Keyboard navigation works
• Focus indicators visible
• Heading hierarchy logical
• ARIA used correctly
• Screen reader tested
• Mobile accessibility verified
• Documentation updated