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# System prepended metadata
title: WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance Checklist for Websites (2026)
tags: [' Accessibility', ' ADA', ' Compliance', WCAG]
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---
tags: WCAG, Accessibility, ADA, Compliance
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# WCAG 2.1 AA Compliance Checklist for Websites (2026)
A practical reference checklist for developers, designers, and business owners to audit web accessibility against WCAG
2.1 AA — the standard referenced by the U.S. Department of Justice for ADA compliance.
> **Quick audit:** Run a free automated scan at [WCAGsafe](https://wcagsafe.com) to catch violations instantly.
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## 1. Images & Media
- [ ] All `` tags have descriptive `alt` text
- [ ] Alt text is not a filename (e.g., `IMG_4021.jpg`) or generic word (e.g., `image`)
- [ ] Decorative images use `alt=""` (empty, not missing)
- [ ] Videos have captions (auto-captions alone don't qualify)
- [ ] Audio content has a transcript
- [ ] No images of text (except logos)
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## 2. Keyboard & Focus
- [ ] All interactive elements reachable by Tab key
- [ ] Focus indicator is visible (not removed with `outline: none`)
- [ ] Logical tab order matches visual layout
- [ ] No keyboard traps (modal dialogs must be escapable)
- [ ] Skip navigation link present ("Skip to main content")
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## 3. Color & Contrast
- [ ] Normal text: contrast ratio ≥ 4.5:1
- [ ] Large text (18pt+ or 14pt bold): contrast ratio ≥ 3:1
- [ ] UI components and focus rings: contrast ratio ≥ 3:1
- [ ] Information is not conveyed by color alone (e.g., red = error must also have an icon or text)
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## 4. Forms
- [ ] Every input has a visible `