A checklist for the Americans with Disabilities Act: ADA topics and every WCAG 2.1 A and AA criterion, with web and mobile code examples.
65 criteria listed
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A checklist for ADA web accessibility: Title II and Title III, the Title II web rule, WCAG 2.1 Level AA, mobile apps and documents.
Review criterion: ADA checklist: Title II, Title III and WCAG 2.1 AAA plain overview of the Americans with Disabilities Act and which of its titles apply to websites and mobile apps.
Review criterion: What is the ADA? Titles I, II and III explainedWhat the Department of Justice web and mobile app rule requires from state and local governments: WCAG 2.1 Level AA.
Review criterion: The ADA Title II web rule: what it requiresThe extended compliance dates for the Title II web rule: 26 April 2027 for larger entities and 26 April 2028 for smaller ones.
Review criterion: ADA Title II compliance dates: April 2027 and 2028The five exceptions to the Title II web rule: archived content, older documents, third-party content, secured documents and old posts.
Review criterion: ADA Title II exceptions: what the web rule excludesWhen the ADA lets an entity limit what it does: fundamental alteration and undue burden, and what Title II requires to claim it.
Review criterion: Fundamental alteration and undue burden under the ADAWhat the ADA expects from businesses open to the public online, and why there is no detailed technical standard for them.
Review criterion: ADA Title III and websites: what businesses should knowWhat WCAG 2.1 Level AA means for the ADA, how many criteria it has, and how it relates to the criteria in this checklist.
Review criterion: WCAG 2.1 AA and the ADA: what the standard meansHow the ADA Title II rule treats mobile apps, including apps provided through vendors, and where to start testing.
Review criterion: ADA and mobile apps: what the rule coversHow the Title II web rule treats PDFs and other documents: what counts, which are excepted, and what must be accessible.
Review criterion: ADA and PDFs: documents under the Title II ruleWho is responsible when a vendor builds or hosts your website or app, and what to put in vendor contracts.
Review criterion: Vendors and third-party content under the ADAThe six web barriers named in DOJ guidance: contrast, color, alt text, captions, forms and keyboard access, with fixes.
Review criterion: Common web barriers DOJ lists, and how to fix themA practical order of work for ADA web accessibility, based on DOJ guidance: inventory, test, prioritize, train, vendors, policy.
Review criterion: First steps toward ADA web accessibility complianceThe HHS Section 504 rule that requires WCAG 2.1 Level AA from recipients of HHS funding, and its extended dates.
Review criterion: Section 504 and the HHS web accessibility ruleHow the ADA and the European Accessibility Act differ: who is covered, which standard applies and when.
Review criterion: ADA vs EAA: what is different?Every image, icon button and chart needs a text alternative that does the same job; purely decorative images must be hidden from assistive technology.
Review criterion: Alt Text for Images, Icons and Charts Under the ADARecorded meetings and silent clips need a transcript or description so deaf and blind residents get the same information as everyone else.
Review criterion: Transcripts for Audio-Only and Silent Video Under the ADARecorded meetings, tutorials and announcements need accurate captions with speakers and meaningful sounds, not only a transcript or raw auto-captions.
Review criterion: Captions for Recorded Video Under the ADAPrerecorded video with sound needs either audio description or a descriptive text version so blind users learn what the picture shows.
Review criterion: Audio Description or Text Alternative for How-To VideosStreamed council meetings, town halls and webinars need captions while they happen, not only after the recording is posted.
Review criterion: Live Captions for Public Meetings and StreamsAt Level AA, recorded videos whose pictures carry information need audio description; a text transcript alone no longer satisfies the requirement.
Review criterion: Audio Description for Prerecorded VideoStructure that sighted users infer from layout, such as headings, lists, tables and field labels, must also exist in the code for assistive technology.
Review criterion: Headings, Lists, Tables and Labels Under the ADAWhen order changes meaning, the code must follow it: steps, instructions and notices should read in the same sequence screen readers announce.
Review criterion: Reading Order in Forms, Steps and Notices Under the ADAInstructions such as 'click the green button on the right' fail people who cannot see color or position; name the control as well.
Review criterion: Instructions Without Color, Shape or Position CuesPeople who mount a tablet or phone in one position need apps and pages that work in portrait and landscape unless one orientation is essential.
Review criterion: Screen Orientation in Public Apps and Web AppsFields that collect a person's own details should say what they are for, using autocomplete tokens, so autofill and assistive tools can help.
Review criterion: Autocomplete for Enrollment, Sign-in and Payment FormsIf a status, error or link is shown only in color, some residents cannot use it. Here is how to add a second cue to forms, calendars and charts.
Review criterion: Color as the only cue on public service pagesSound that starts on its own for more than 3 seconds needs a pause, stop or volume control. See how to handle hero videos, kiosks and alerts.
Review criterion: Autoplay audio on public pages and the ADANormal text needs 4.5:1 and large text 3:1. See where pale gray text creeps into government pages and how to measure and fix it.
Review criterion: Text contrast ratios and the ADAText must stay readable and usable at 200 percent zoom. See what breaks on enrollment and filing pages and how to build forms and headers that scale.
Review criterion: Zooming text to 200 percent under the ADANotices, hours and menus saved as pictures cannot be resized or recolored. See when real text is required and the few exceptions that apply.
Review criterion: Real text versus text in images under the ADAContent must fit a single column at 320 CSS pixels without sideways scrolling. See what breaks court, permit and county pages and how to fix it.
Review criterion: Reflow at 320 pixels and the ADAField borders, icons, focus rings and chart marks need 3:1 contrast. See which controls on public pages fall short and how to fix them.
Review criterion: UI component contrast and the ADAPages must survive wider line, letter, word and paragraph spacing. Learn which fixed-height patterns clip content and how to replace them.
Review criterion: Text spacing overrides and the ADAContent that appears on hover or focus must be dismissible, hoverable and persistent. See how to build help icons and preview cards that pass.
Review criterion: Tooltips and pop-ups on public pages: ADAEvery function on a public-facing site has to work from a keyboard, not only with a mouse or touch. Here is how that plays out in permit, booking and transit tools.
Review criterion: Keyboard access and the ADAIf a keyboard user can tab into a component, they must be able to tab out. A look at forms, popovers and embedded widgets on public service sites.
Review criterion: Keyboard traps and the ADASingle-letter shortcuts can fire by accident for speech input and keyboard users. Offer a way to turn them off, remap them, or limit them to focus.
Review criterion: Single-key shortcuts and the ADAAppointment holds and session timeouts can shut people out. For each limit, WCAG 2.2.1 needs one of three fixes: turn off, adjust, or extend after a warning.
Review criterion: Time limits and the ADARotating banners, live arrival boards and looping animations need a pause, stop or hide control. Here is how to meet WCAG 2.2.2 on public sites and apps.
Review criterion: Moving and auto-updating content and the ADAContent that flashes more than three times a second can trigger seizures. WCAG 2.3.1 sets the limit and the exceptions for video, animation and alerts.
Review criterion: Flashing content and the ADAA mega menu repeated on every page forces keyboard users to tab through it each time. WCAG 2.4.1 asks for a way past repeated blocks.
Review criterion: Skip links and landmarks for the ADAEach page needs a title that says what it is. The tab label is the first thing a screen reader announces and how people find an open page again.
Review criterion: Page titles and the ADATab should move through a page in an order that makes sense. Misplaced error summaries, hidden drawers and lost focus after a step change break that.
Review criterion: Focus order and the ADALinks such as Agenda, Details or Click here do not say where they lead when read out of context. WCAG 2.4.4 asks that purpose be clear from text and context.
Review criterion: Link text and the ADAPeople find government pages in different ways: menus, search, an A to Z list, links from related pages. WCAG 2.4.5 asks for more than one.
Review criterion: Multiple ways to find pages and the ADAHeadings and labels should tell people what a section or field is for. Vague text such as Date, Info or Go slows everyone and blocks some users.
Review criterion: Headings, labels and the ADAKeyboard users need to see where they are. Hiding the focus outline, or styling it so it disappears on some backgrounds, makes a page unusable for them.
Review criterion: Visible keyboard focus and the ADAAnything done with a swipe or pinch must also work with a single tap or click. What this means for city and county apps.
Review criterion: Swipe and pinch gestures under the ADAActions should run when the pointer is released, so people can slide off a control to cancel. Examples from payments and filings.
Review criterion: Cancelling accidental taps and the ADAThe accessible name of a control must contain its visible text, so voice users can say what they see. Examples from civic forms.
Review criterion: Visible labels and spoken commandsFeatures triggered by shaking or tilting a device need an on-screen alternative and a way to switch the motion off.
Review criterion: Shake and tilt controls under the ADAEvery page needs a valid language code so screen readers pronounce text correctly. Examples for bilingual public portals.
Review criterion: Page language and the ADAMark phrases and passages written in another language so assistive technology can switch pronunciation. Notices and language choosers.
Review criterion: Foreign-language passages and the ADALanding on a field with the keyboard must not open windows, submit forms or move focus. Examples from permit and filing forms.
Review criterion: Focus without surprises and the ADAChanging a select, checkbox or field should not submit or navigate unless people are told first. Public form examples.
Review criterion: Controls that act on change and the ADARepeated navigation must keep the same relative order across pages. Examples for city sites built from several systems.
Review criterion: Same menu order on every page and the ADAControls that do the same thing should be named the same across pages and portals. Sign-in, search and icon examples.
Review criterion: Same function, same label and the ADAName the field in error and say what is wrong in text, not only with color. Examples from enrollment and booking forms.
Review criterion: Form error messages in text and the ADAEvery input needs a visible label, and unusual formats need instructions before the field. Public form examples.
Review criterion: Form labels and instructions and the ADAWhen the fix is known, say it: show the format, the valid options or the next open slot. Examples from reservations and lookups.
Review criterion: Helpful error suggestions and the ADAFilings, payments, deletions and exams need undo, error checking or a review step before they become final.
Review criterion: Review and undo before submitting, under the ADAWCAG 4.1.1 was removed in 2.2 but is part of 2.1, the Title II standard. For HTML it counts as always satisfied; clean markup still prevents other failures.
Review criterion: HTML parsing errors and the ADAEvery control must expose a name, role, state and value to assistive technology. See where vendor widgets and custom components fall short.
Review criterion: Custom controls and the ADA: name, role, valueConfirmations, progress and errors must reach screen readers without moving focus. See how to build live regions for forms, queues and apps.
Review criterion: Status message announcements and the ADACorpowid has been recognized by Gartner, a leading global research and advisory firm, for our innovation and performance in digital accessibility. These badges reflect our commitment to creating inclusive, AI-powered web experiences.
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