Recipe
WCAG a11y audit playbook
A repeatable checklist-driven workflow for auditing any web application against WCAG 2.2 AA success criteria.
Phase 1 — Automated scan
- Run axe-core or Lighthouse on every unique route.
- Capture violations, incomplete, and passes in a CSV.
- Mark false positives with a triage reason.
Phase 2 — Keyboard walk
- Tab through every interactive element without a mouse.
- Verify visible focus ring on every control.
- Ensure no focus traps outside modals or drawers.
- Test Escape, Enter, Space, and arrow key behavior.
Phase 3 — Screen reader pass
- NVDA + Firefox on Windows; VoiceOver + Safari on macOS.
- Confirm landmarks, headings, and live regions are announced.
- Verify alt text, aria-labels, and form error announcements.
Phase 4 — Visual & content review
- Check contrast ratios with a color picker (min 4.5:1).
- Resize text to 200% — no loss of content or function.
- Review link text for clarity out of context.
Phase 5 — Report & remediate
- Group findings by WCAG SC number and severity.
- File tickets with before/after screenshots and code snippets.
- Re-audit fixed items before closing.
Pro tip: Run Phase 1 in CI on every PR. Block merges on new critical or serious a11y violations to prevent regressions.