A customer should not have to pinch-zoom through a form, guess what an icon does or abandon a purchase because a checkout cannot be used with a keyboard. Yet these are common barriers on business websites, and they cost more than goodwill. They can reduce enquiries, sales and trust in your brand. This website accessibility audit checklist gives Australian businesses a practical way to identify issues, prioritise fixes and make their digital experience work for more people.
Accessibility is not a separate design exercise applied at the end of a project. It is part of good information architecture, clear content, capable development and quality assurance. Done properly, it supports every customer – including people using screen readers, keyboard navigation, voice control, mobile devices, enlarged text or a slow connection.
Start with scope, goals and evidence
An audit is more useful when it starts with the pages that matter commercially. Review the pages that attract traffic and drive action: your home page, core service pages, lead forms, product and category pages, checkout, account areas and contact details. If your website has a portal, booking tool or complex calculator, include those too.
Record the platform, templates, plugins, forms and third-party systems involved. A WordPress website, for example, may have accessible page content but an inaccessible booking widget or popup supplied by another provider. Knowing what sits behind each customer journey helps you assign ownership and avoid fixes that create new problems elsewhere.
Set a benchmark using the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, generally referred to as WCAG. WCAG 2.2 Level AA is a sensible working target for many organisations. It is widely recognised, but it is not a substitute for legal advice or an automatic declaration of compliance. In Australia, accessibility also needs to be considered in the context of the Disability Discrimination Act and the services your organisation provides.
Website accessibility audit checklist
Check the keyboard journey first
Put the mouse aside and move through each priority page using only the Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space and arrow keys. You should be able to reach every interactive element, understand where the current focus sits and complete the intended task without becoming trapped in a menu, modal or embedded tool.
Look closely at visible focus indicators. A thin outline that disappears against a brand colour may technically exist but still be unusable. Navigation menus should open and close predictably, skip links should allow keyboard users to bypass repeated navigation, and modal windows should keep focus within the window until they are closed.
This is one of the fastest ways to uncover conversion blockers. If a prospective client cannot submit an enquiry form without a mouse, the issue is not merely technical – it is a lost opportunity.
Review headings, page structure and labels
A well-designed page needs a clear hierarchy beneath the visual layout. Each page should have one meaningful H1, followed by headings that reflect the structure of the content rather than styling choices. Do not select a heading level simply because it looks the right size. Use CSS to control appearance and semantic headings to communicate meaning.
Check that navigation landmarks, page regions and form fields are labelled clearly. Screen reader users often move through a page by headings, links, controls or landmarks. Generic labels such as Read more, Click here and Submit force people to hunt for context. Better labels explain the destination or action, such as View web design services or Send enquiry.
For forms, every input needs a persistent label. Placeholder text is not a replacement, because it often disappears once someone begins typing. Required fields, input formats and errors should be explained in plain language and connected to the relevant field.
Test colour, contrast and visual clarity
Brand consistency matters, but a carefully chosen palette must still provide readable contrast. Check text against its background, including text placed over imagery, coloured buttons, navigation states and error messages. Pale grey body copy and low-contrast text over photography are frequent issues on polished-looking websites.
Do not use colour as the only way to communicate meaning. A required field highlighted only in red, a chart explained only by coloured lines or a sale item identified only by a green badge leaves some customers without the full message. Add text, icons with labels or patterns where useful.
Also test browser zoom and enlarged text. At 200 per cent zoom, content should remain readable and usable without forcing people to scroll horizontally across ordinary page content. This can expose fixed-width layouts, clipped dropdowns and buttons that no longer fit their labels.
Assess images, video and moving content
Every meaningful image needs appropriate alternative text that conveys its purpose on the page. A photograph supporting a case study might describe the relevant setting or result; an icon used solely for decoration can be ignored by assistive technology. Avoid repeating surrounding copy or writing image names such as image123.jpg.
Video needs captions for spoken content. If the visuals communicate information not included in the audio, provide an audio description or a written alternative that covers those details. Check that video players can be operated by keyboard and do not start unexpectedly with sound.
Carousels, animated banners and auto-rotating testimonials deserve particular scrutiny. They can distract users, obscure content and create keyboard problems. In many cases, a static feature panel delivers a clearer message and is easier to maintain. If movement is necessary, give customers a straightforward way to pause, stop or hide it.
Validate forms, transactions and error handling
Forms are where accessibility and commercial performance meet. Test every key form with missing information, invalid email formats, incorrect postcode entries and server-side errors. The site should identify what went wrong, explain how to correct it and retain information the user has already entered where practical.
On ecommerce sites, check product variations, quantity controls, cart updates, promotional-code fields, payment steps and order confirmation. Status messages such as Added to cart or Payment declined must be announced to assistive technology, not shown only as a fleeting visual notification.
Be careful with security measures. Some CAPTCHA tools create serious access barriers. Consider less intrusive fraud controls where possible, and ensure customers have an accessible route to seek help if verification fails.
Inspect mobile behaviour and touch targets
A mobile-first website should work for customers with limited dexterity, temporary injuries and smaller screens, not just look good in a device preview. Check that buttons, links and form controls are large enough to tap accurately and not crowded together. Confirm that menus, sticky headers and cookie notices do not cover fields or prevent access to key controls.
Test portrait and landscape orientations, and ensure a customer can use the site without relying on drag-and-drop or complex gestures. Features should still work with simple taps, keyboard input and assistive technologies. Responsive design is not automatically accessible design.
Review content for clarity and predictable behaviour
Plain, purposeful language improves accessibility and helps busy buyers make decisions. Break dense explanations into short paragraphs, use descriptive headings and explain specialist terms when they first appear. For professional services and technical products, clarity builds confidence without oversimplifying the offer.
Check for unexpected changes. Selecting an option should not automatically send a user to another page, and opening a link should not trigger a new browser window without warning. Consistent navigation, buttons and terminology make the site easier to learn, particularly for customers returning to compare services or complete a purchase later.
Combine automated testing with human review
Automated tools are helpful for finding missing alt text, contrast failures, empty links and code-level errors across a large site. They are not enough on their own. A tool cannot reliably judge whether alt text is useful, whether a form instruction makes sense, or whether a keyboard journey is frustrating.
Use automated scans to identify patterns, then manually test priority journeys with a keyboard, screen reader and mobile device. Where the website serves a broad community or provides essential services, involving people with disability in testing provides insight no checklist can fully replicate.
Document each issue with the affected URL, the barrier, the likely customer impact, the relevant WCAG criterion where appropriate, a recommended fix and an owner. Prioritise issues that stop people from contacting you, buying, booking or accessing essential information. Then schedule structural improvements into the website roadmap rather than treating accessibility as a one-off clean-up.
A thoughtful accessibility audit can make a website easier to use, easier to trust and easier to grow. When it becomes part of your design and development process, every future page, campaign and feature starts from a stronger foundation.
