When you scan your website using the AccessibilityChecker.org platform, you may see a long list of issues, which can feel overwhelming, especially when you’re unsure where to begin.
To make remediation easier, issues are categorized by severity level, helping you prioritize the problems that have the biggest impact on accessibility.
Understanding Accessibility Issue Severity Levels
Our platform groups WCAG issues into four severity levels:
Critical. Blocks access or key functionality for users with disabilities. These issues should be addressed first.
Serious. Causes major difficulty when using the content but may still allow limited interaction.
Moderate. Creates some usability challenges but the content remains mostly usable.
Minor. Best practice improvements with low impact on usability.
Critical Accessibility Issues to Fix First
Below are some of the critical accessibility issues that we recommend you address first.
Add Missing Alternative Text
All of the images on your website should include alternative text.
Alternative text (alt text) allows screen readers to describe images to users who cannot see them. Without alt text, important visual information may be completely inaccessible.
Over an above general images, clickable regions within image maps should also have alt text.
Give Buttons Accessible Names
Buttons must have clear text labels so assistive technologies can announce their purpose. Buttons that rely only on icons or styling may not be understandable to screen reader users.
Form buttons must include labels or value attributes so users understand what action the button performs.
Lastly, make sure that image-based buttons have alt text that describes the action they perform (for example, “Search” or “Submit form”).
Add Labels to Form Fields
Every form input on your domain should have an associated label.
Labels help users understand what information is required in each form field. Screen readers rely on labels to announce the purpose of form inputs.
Make Your Dropdown Menus Accessible
Dropdown menus must be associated with a visible label or accessible name so users know what the dropdown controls.
Add Captions to Videos
Any videos on your website, even if they're hosted on YouTube, need to have captions enabled.
Captions allow users who are deaf or hard of hearing to understand video content. They also help users in sound-restricted environments.
Correct Invalid or Incorrect ARIA Attributes
ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes help assistive technologies understand dynamic or interactive elements. When used incorrectly, though, they can break accessibility rather than improve it.
Add Any Missing Required Child Roles
Make sure that any elements that require specific child roles contain them. For example, some widgets require specific internal structure to be correctly interpreted.
Add Any Missing Required Parent Roles
Some ARIA components must exist inside specific containers to function properly, so make sure that the necessary elements appear inside the correct parent role.
Avoid Automatic Page Refreshes
Automatic refreshes can disorient users and interfere with screen readers or keyboard navigation.
Make Zoom and Text Scaling Possible
The viewport meta tag should not disable zoom or scaling. Preventing zoom makes it difficult for users with low vision to enlarge content.
Ensure Frames and Iframes are Accessible
Any Frame or iFrame elements should be accessible and properly tested.
Frames should also be implemented in ways that allow assistive technologies to understand and navigate their content.
By working through issues in order of severity, you can quickly improve the accessibility of your domain and make your website usable for a wider audience.