How to test an agency website for accessibility

Automated tools find a minority of accessibility problems. The rest require a person to operate the site the way someone using assistive technology would. This sequence gives an agency a defensible picture of where it stands without needing a specialist for every step.

The technical standard for state and local government web content is WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Confirm the compliance dates that apply to your jurisdiction.

Steps

1. 1Inventory what is in scope

   List websites, web applications, mobile applications, and document repositories, including anything a vendor hosts on the agency's behalf. Note which services residents use most, because those are remediated first.

2. 2Run an automated scan across the site

   Use an automated checker on a representative sample of templates and on every high-traffic page. Treat the output as a starting list, not a verdict. Group findings by template, since one template fix resolves many pages.

3. 3Test with the keyboard only

   Unplug the mouse. Tab through each primary task. Check that every control is reachable and operable, that focus is always visible, that focus order follows the visual order, and that no component traps focus.

4. 4Check contrast and text resizing

   Verify text and interface contrast ratios. Zoom to 200 percent and confirm nothing is cut off or overlapping. Check that content reflows at narrow widths without horizontal scrolling.

5. 5Walk the primary tasks with a screen reader

   Pick the three tasks residents most need to complete. Work through each one with a screen reader, listening for unlabeled controls, images without meaningful alternatives, headings that do not describe the structure, and forms whose errors are not announced.

6. 6Test forms and error handling specifically

   Submit a form with missing and invalid data. Confirm that errors are announced, associated with the right field, described in text rather than color alone, and that the user can recover without losing entered data.

7. 7Review media and documents

   Check captions on video, transcripts for audio, and the tagging and reading order of PDFs and forms. Documents are usually the largest backlog an agency has.

8. 8Prioritize and record the findings

   Rank by the severity of the barrier and the traffic to the affected service. Fix shared templates and components first. Record each finding with the success criterion it relates to and the page where it was observed.

9. 9Close the loop in procurement and publishing

   Require conformance in new contracts and verify it at acceptance. Train content authors, add checks to the publishing workflow, and re-test on a schedule so the site does not regress.

What you end up with

A prioritized remediation backlog tied to specific success criteria, evidence of the testing performed, and a process that keeps new content accessible. Publish an accessibility statement with a way for people to report problems.