Web development
Web accessibility: 36 essential checks for a professional website
Part of the Edikka instrument libraryv1.1 · CC BY 4.0
Professional website accessibility foundation
Prepare a journey assessment and identify checks needing further review.
Preview, files and citation
Inside the instrument
| ID | Check | Expected evidence |
|---|---|---|
| A11Y01 | Identifiable page title | Browser-tab screenshot and head extract. |
| A11Y02 | Declared primary language | DOM extract and test log. |
| A11Y03 | Coherent heading hierarchy | Exported heading outline. |
Read the original file — Professional website accessibility foundation · v1.1
Cite this version
Edikka (2026). Professional website accessibility foundation (v1.1). https://www.edikka.com/en/insights/web-development/web-accessibility-professional-website-basics#library-source-professional-website-accessibility-foundation. Accessed 2026-09-11. CC BY 4.0.
Version history: this catalogue documents the version shown above. No earlier change log is provided here.
Report an issue with this version by email — Professional website accessibility foundation- socle-accessibilite-site-professionnel-edikka-v1-1.json · JSON · fr + en
- schema-socle-accessibilite-site-professionnel-edikka-v1-1.json · JSON Schema · zxx
- socle-accessibilite-site-professionnel-edikka-v1.xlsx · XLSX · fr + en
- auto-evaluation-socle-accessibilite-edikka-2026-08-26.json · JSON · fr
- auto-evaluation-socle-accessibilite-edikka-2026-08-26.xlsx · XLSX · fr
Interpretation limit. A public candidate for journey diagnosis; the distributed workbook remains edition 1.0 and the package is neither a certification nor an RGAA conformance audit.
Find this instrument in the catalogueShort answer
An accessible website is not identified by a score: it is verified through journeys, criteria and evidence.
Web accessibility removes barriers that prevent a person from perceiving content, understanding an interface, navigating or taking action. On a professional website, the useful starting point is neither a vague statement nor an automated score. It is a bounded, replayable check linked to evidence.
This edition publishes the Edikka foundation v1.0: 36 checks across 8 families, each with an acceptance criterion, method, expected evidence and mapping to WCAG 2.2 and RGAA 4.1.2 themes. It helps teams begin. It does not replace a conformance audit.
A check that has not been tested is not a pass. It remains “not tested”. Missing evidence is never converted into success.
Scope
This foundation answers “where do we start?”, not “are we legally conformant?”
WCAG 2.2 organises success criteria under four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. RGAA 4.1.2 provides a French operational method of criteria and tests. WCAG-EM frames whole-website evaluation and sampling. These layers do not serve the same purpose.
The foundation selects frequent barriers that can be checked on a page or critical journey. A WCAG claim or RGAA statement requires a defined scope, representative sample, all applicable criteria and human testing. Whether RGAA or the EAA applies also depends on the entity and the service.
| Question | Decision available here | Correct next step |
|---|---|---|
| Is the entity in the public scope or subject to a specific French obligation? | Qualify it; do not infer an obligation from the mere existence of a website. | Read the RGAA, WCAG and EAA guide. |
| Does the B2C service fall within EAA categories applying since 28 June 2025? | Qualify by service, business and exemptions. | Document scope with legal advice where necessary. |
| Is the need an initial diagnosis or conformance evidence? | This foundation supports initial diagnosis. | For conformance evidence, prepare a full audit and representative sample. |
| Is an automated score available? | The score informs a subset of automatable rules. | Understand what Lighthouse does not prove. |
Legal limit. This table orients the work; it is not legal advice. The French DGCCRF page lists products and services covered by the European directive and related exemptions.
Selection method
Why 36 checks: the count comes from a published rule, not a marketing number.
A check enters the foundation only if it satisfies all five conditions below. This avoids reducing accessibility to ten generic tips or presenting a short table as the whole of WCAG and RGAA. Families receive no quota: forms, keyboard and landmarks contain more checks when the rule produces more.
The check applies to most public pages or transactional journeys on a professional website.
The result can be observed on a bounded scope without claiming to sample the entire website.
The acceptance criterion and expected evidence can be stated without opaque judgement.
A failure creates an access, understanding, navigation or action barrier.
The check maps to a WCAG 2.2 Level A or AA success criterion and an RGAA 4.1.2 theme.
Criteria that depend on a medium, sector, legal scope, full sample or specialist judgement belong in the dedicated audit. “Not applicable” must be justified, never used to inflate a score.
Dual taxonomy
Eight families to act, with normative mapping to verify.
The operational family helps a team assign the correction. WCAG/RGAA mapping leads back to primary references. Both taxonomies are retained: one organises action, the other prevents Edikka from inventing its own standard.
4 checks
Orientation and structure
WCAG: Operable / Understandable
RGAA: 8 · Éléments obligatoires; 9 · Structuration; 12 · Navigation
4 checks
Content and alternatives
WCAG: Perceivable / Understandable
RGAA: 1 · Images; 3 · Couleurs; 6 · Liens; 13 · Consultation
4 checks
Visual perception
WCAG: Perceivable
RGAA: 3 · Couleurs; 10 · Présentation
5 checks
Keyboard and focus
WCAG: Operable
RGAA: 7 · Scripts; 10 · Présentation; 12 · Navigation
4 checks
Components and states
WCAG: Operable / Robust
RGAA: 7 · Scripts; 12 · Navigation
6 checks
Forms and errors
WCAG: Understandable / Robust
RGAA: 11 · Formulaires
4 checks
Media, motion and time
WCAG: Perceivable / Operable
RGAA: 4 · Multimédia; 13 · Consultation
5 checks
Adaptation and robustness
WCAG: Operable / Understandable / Robust
RGAA: 7 · Scripts; 10 · Présentation; 12 · Navigation; 13 · Consultation
Open grid · v1.0
The 36 foundation checks, each with visible acceptance criteria and evidence.
The visible table publishes the acceptance criterion and expected evidence. The XLSX adds detailed method, owner, status, date, limitation and evidence link. The JSON is the machine source shared by the French and English editions.
Normative reading. RGAA 4.1.2 aligns with WCAG 2.1. Checks A11Y33 to A11Y36 cover four A/AA criteria added in WCAG 2.2; their RGAA mapping identifies the relevant operational theme and states that version 4.1.2 has no direct equivalent.
| ID | Family | Barrier checked | Acceptance criterion | Expected evidence | WCAG 2.2 / RGAA 4.1.2 | Severity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A11Y01 | Orientation and structure | Identifiable page title The user cannot tell which page is open. | The browser title describes the page and distinguishes it from other pages. | Browser-tab screenshot and head extract. | 2.4.2 (A) 8 · Éléments obligatoires | High |
| A11Y02 | Orientation and structure | Declared primary language Speech output pronounces content incorrectly. | The html lang attribute matches the actual primary language. | DOM extract and test log. | 3.1.1 (A) 8 · Éléments obligatoires | High |
| A11Y03 | Orientation and structure | Coherent heading hierarchy Sections become difficult to scan or understand. | One H1 describes the topic; H2/H3 reflect content nesting and are not decorative. | Exported heading outline. | 1.3.1 (A); 2.4.6 (AA) 9 · Structuration | High |
| A11Y04 | Orientation and structure | Landmarks and direct access to content Repeated navigation must be traversed on every page. | Main content is inside main; a working bypass link reaches a visible or focusable target. | Keyboard video and accessibility tree. | 1.3.1 (A); 2.4.1 (A) 9 · Structuration; 12 · Navigation | High |
| A11Y05 | Content and alternatives | Alternatives for informative images Information conveyed by an image disappears. | Each informative image has an equivalent alternative; decorative images can be ignored. | Screenshot without images and DOM extract. | 1.1.1 (A) 1 · Images | High |
| A11Y06 | Content and alternatives | Names for functional images and icons A graphical action is silent or ambiguous. | The accessible name describes the action or destination, not the icon appearance. | Accessibility tree or DOM report. | 1.1.1 (A); 4.1.2 (A) 1 · Images; 7 · Scripts | Blocking |
| A11Y07 | Content and alternatives | Links understandable in context The destination of a link must be guessed. | The label and programmatic context identify the destination or function. | Link list and context screenshots. | 2.4.4 (A) 6 · Liens | High |
| A11Y08 | Content and alternatives | Instructions independent of shape and colour Instructions become unusable without full visual perception. | No essential instruction relies only on colour, position, shape or sound. | Annotated screenshot and review log. | 1.3.3 (A); 1.4.1 (A) 3 · Couleurs; 13 · Consultation | High |
| A11Y09 | Visual perception | Text contrast Text becomes unreadable for many users. | Contrast reaches 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text, subject to WCAG exceptions. | Contrast report with values and screenshots. | 1.4.3 (AA) 3 · Couleurs | High |
| A11Y10 | Visual perception | Contrast of components and meaningful states A field, focus indicator or state cannot be perceived. | Necessary visual boundaries and states reach 3:1 against adjacent colours, subject to WCAG exceptions. | Component contrast report. | 1.4.11 (AA) 3 · Couleurs; 10 · Présentation | High |
| A11Y11 | Visual perception | Text zoom and custom spacing Content overlaps or disappears when reading settings are adapted. | At 200% zoom and WCAG text spacing, text and functions remain available without loss. | Before/after screenshots and test log. | 1.4.4 (AA); 1.4.12 (AA) 10 · Présentation | High |
| A11Y12 | Visual perception | Reflow at 320 CSS pixels Two-dimensional reading or horizontal scrolling is imposed. | Content and actions remain usable at 320 CSS px without loss or global horizontal scrolling, subject to exceptions. | Full-page screenshot and scrollWidth/clientWidth measurement. | 1.4.10 (AA) 10 · Présentation | Blocking |
| A11Y13 | Keyboard and focus | All functions available by keyboard A person without a mouse cannot complete the journey. | Every essential action can be completed by keyboard without pointer-dependent gestures. | Uncut keyboard-journey video. | 2.1.1 (A) 7 · Scripts; 12 · Navigation | Blocking |
| A11Y14 | Keyboard and focus | No keyboard trap Focus enters a component and cannot leave it. | Focus can leave every component through a standard or documented method. | Video and key sequence. | 2.1.2 (A) 7 · Scripts; 12 · Navigation | Blocking |
| A11Y15 | Keyboard and focus | Visible and unobscured focus The user loses their position or focus is covered. | Every focused control is perceptible and not entirely hidden by fixed content. | Video or screenshots for each component family. | 2.4.7 (AA); 2.4.11 (AA) 10 · Présentation; 12 · Navigation | High |
| A11Y16 | Keyboard and focus | Logical focus order Reading and actions follow an incoherent order. | Sequential focus preserves meaning and operation; no positive tabindex forces it artificially. | Numbered focus log and DOM extract. | 2.4.3 (A) 12 · Navigation | High |
| A11Y17 | Components and states | Accessible name aligned with visible label Voice control cannot find the displayed control. | The accessible name contains the visible action text in a useful matching order. | Screenshot and accessibility tree. | 2.5.3 (A) 7 · Scripts | High |
| A11Y18 | Components and states | Programmatic name, role, value and state The component is announced without a function or state. | Each component exposes a name, role and, where needed, an updated value or state. | Two accessibility-tree captures. | 4.1.2 (A) 7 · Scripts | Blocking |
| A11Y19 | Components and states | Focus management for dialogs and panels Context changes without orientation or background content remains active. | On open, focus enters the component; it stays when required; on close, it returns to a logical point. | Keyboard video and accessibility tree. | 2.4.3 (A); 2.1.2 (A); 4.1.2 (A) 7 · Scripts; 12 · Navigation | Blocking |
| A11Y20 | Components and states | Announced status messages Success, error or update feedback remains invisible to speech output. | Important messages are exposed without unnecessarily moving focus. | Screen-reader log and DOM extract. | 4.1.3 (AA) 7 · Scripts; 11 · Formulaires | High |
| A11Y21 | Forms and errors | Explicit label for every field The expected data must be guessed. | Each field has a persistent, correctly associated and sufficiently precise label. | Screenshot and DOM extract. | 1.3.1 (A); 3.3.2 (A) 11 · Formulaires | Blocking |
| A11Y22 | Forms and errors | Identifiable purpose for personal-data fields Input assistance and autocomplete cannot work correctly. | Common personal-data fields use a valid autocomplete token when their purpose is known. | DOM report of input attributes. | 1.3.5 (AA) 11 · Formulaires | Medium |
| A11Y23 | Forms and errors | Errors identified and linked to fields The user knows submission failed but not where or why. | The error is named, located, linked to the field and announced; correct data is retained. | Video, screenshot and accessibility tree. | 3.3.1 (A); 3.3.3 (AA) 11 · Formulaires | Blocking |
| A11Y24 | Forms and errors | Prevention and confirmation for sensitive actions A legal, financial or irreversible action is confirmed by mistake. | The user can review, correct or confirm before finalisation and receives usable confirmation. | Journey video and confirmation screenshot. | 3.3.4 (AA) 11 · Formulaires | Blocking |
| A11Y25 | Media, motion and time | Captions for prerecorded video Audio content is inaccessible to deaf or hard-of-hearing users. | Speech and meaningful sounds are available in synchronised, reviewed captions. | Video excerpt and caption file. | 1.2.2 (A) 4 · Multimédia | High |
| A11Y26 | Media, motion and time | Alternative for essential visual or audio content A demonstration, chart or meaningful sound has no equivalent. | A transcript, audio description or text alternative conveys the necessary information for the medium. | Transcript or alternative track linked to the media. | 1.2.3 (A); 1.2.5 (AA) 4 · Multimédia | High |
| A11Y27 | Media, motion and time | Control of autoplay, motion and timing Content disrupts reading or expires before the action is complete. | Automatic audio can be stopped; long animations can be paused; time limits can be controlled, subject to exceptions. | Video and timed test log. | 1.4.2 (A); 2.2.1 (A); 2.2.2 (A) 4 · Multimédia; 13 · Consultation | Blocking |
| A11Y28 | Media, motion and time | Safe flashing and controllable motion Flashing or automatically moving content causes discomfort, loss of focus or neurological risk. | No content flashes more than three times per second and any automatic animation lasting more than five seconds can be paused, stopped or hidden. | Scenario video and flashing measurement report where applicable. | 2.2.2 (A); 2.3.1 (A) 13 · Consultation | High |
| A11Y29 | Adaptation and robustness | Orientation not restricted The service becomes unusable on a device fixed in one orientation. | Content works in portrait and landscape unless orientation is essential. | Two screenshots and test log. | 1.3.4 (AA) 13 · Consultation | High |
| A11Y30 | Adaptation and robustness | Sufficiently large touch targets An action is difficult to trigger accurately on mobile. | Targets reach 24 × 24 CSS px or meet an exception in WCAG 2.5.8. | Annotated screenshot with CSS dimensions. | 2.5.8 (AA) 10 · Présentation; 13 · Consultation | Medium |
| A11Y31 | Adaptation and robustness | Consistent navigation and components The same element changes name, position or behaviour without reason. | Repeated navigation keeps a consistent order and identical components are identified consistently. | Comparison table and screenshots. | 3.2.3 (AA); 3.2.4 (AA) 12 · Navigation | Medium |
| A11Y32 | Adaptation and robustness | Coherent programmatic reading order Visual reordering disconnects reading, meaning and action. | At each viewport, DOM order and assistive-technology output preserve the meaning of content and instructions. | Annotated capture, DOM extract and reading log. | 1.3.2 (A) 9 · Structuration; 10 · Présentation | High |
| A11Y33 | Keyboard and focus | Alternative to dragging movements An action requires precise drag-and-drop that a person cannot perform. | Any function based on dragging can also be completed with a single-pointer action, unless dragging is essential. | Video comparing the dragging gesture with its single-action alternative. | 2.5.7 (AA) 7 · Scripts — critère WCAG 2.2 sans équivalent direct dans le RGAA 4.1.2 | High |
| A11Y34 | Adaptation and robustness | Consistent help across pages The way to obtain help changes position or order and becomes difficult to find. | When a help mechanism repeats across pages, it keeps the same relative order unless the user initiated the change. | Comparison table of help-mechanism order and dated screenshots. | 3.2.6 (A) 12 · Navigation — critère WCAG 2.2 sans équivalent direct dans le RGAA 4.1.2 | Medium |
| A11Y35 | Forms and errors | Redundant entry avoided Information already supplied must be entered again in the same process. | Previously supplied information is auto-populated or available for selection, except for security, necessity or invalid-data exceptions. | Full-journey video and inventory of repeated fields with documented exceptions. | 3.3.7 (A) 11 · Formulaires — critère WCAG 2.2 sans équivalent direct dans le RGAA 4.1.2 | High |
| A11Y36 | Forms and errors | Accessible authentication Signing in requires a cognitive test, memorisation or transcription without an alternative. | Authentication does not require a cognitive-function test, or provides an alternative, assistance mechanism, or object/personal-content recognition covered by WCAG exceptions. | Authentication-journey video, inventory of cognitive requirements and documented exceptions. | 3.3.8 (AA) 11 · Formulaires — critère WCAG 2.2 sans équivalent direct dans le RGAA 4.1.2 | Blocking |
Execution
An actionable check connects six fields: scope, scenario, result, evidence, status and owner.
“Check the keyboard” is not evidence. A scenario must name the page, viewport, initial state, keys used and action to complete. The expected result must be observable. The evidence must allow a third party to replay or challenge the conclusion.
“The menu is keyboard accessible.” No journey, evidence or environment.
Status: pass
Evidence: none
Conclusion: cannot be replayedA11Y13 · Mobile menu · Chrome 140 · 390 × 844 · keyboard only.
1. Tab to the Menu button
2. Press Enter to open
3. Tab through every link
4. Press Escape to close
5. Check focus returns
Evidence: video + dated log
Status: Pass / Fail / Not tested / Not applicableSeverity describes the impact of a defect. Status describes the test result. Release blocking is a governance decision. The three are not merged.
Prioritisation
Fix first what prevents people from perceiving, navigating or completing the action.
| Severity | Definition | Example | Expected decision |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blocking | The critical journey cannot be completed or essential information disappears. | Keyboard-inoperable form; field without label; unlocated error. | Fix before release or document a no-go decision. |
| High | The journey remains possible but creates major difficulty or uncertainty. | Poorly visible focus; insufficient contrast; repeated ambiguous link. | Fix in the priority batch and retest. |
| Medium | The friction is real but does not alone block the main objective. | Small touch target; inconsistent name for a secondary component. | Plan, assign and verify non-regression. |
Automation and people
Tools detect symptoms; human journeys establish impact.
A validator can find a missing attribute, measurable contrast or an empty accessible name. It cannot always decide whether an alternative conveys the right meaning, whether an error message actually helps or whether focus returns to the right context. The method therefore requires a bounded human replay with assistive technology, without turning it into a standalone WCAG criterion.
The minimum combination is HTML and DOM validation, automated audit, keyboard testing, reflow, contrast, accessibility tree and a screen-reader journey. Environment, date and limitations must accompany the result.
Project cycle
Accessibility is decided before mockups and replayed after launch.
Scope
Qualify service, users and critical journeys.
Legal scope and test scope are separate decisions.
Design
Define states, errors, content and interactions before pixels.
A mockup must show focus, errors, confirmations and responsive variants.
Components
Code behaviours in the design system.
A fix to a button, dialog or field should benefit every instance.
Content
Name headings, links, alternatives and instructions.
Semantics are not a technical wrapper: they carry published meaning.
Acceptance
Replay the 36 applicable checks.
Each defect receives evidence, severity, owner and retest.
Production
Monitor journeys and regressions.
A page accessible today can break with the next component, content update or third-party script.
Cluster architecture
One question, one reference page: the foundation routes without repeating everything.
Open assets
Download, replay, challenge and improve the method.
The assets are free, require no form and use a CC BY 4.0 licence. You may adapt and redistribute them with attribution to Edikka and the canonical URL. The XLSX supports teamwork; JSON is the machine source; Markdown exposes a stable text edition.
Primary sources
The Edikka method links back to the standards it does not replace.
Version and integrity
A citable, dated method that can be verified down to each file.
Version 1.0 · published and reviewed 25 August 2026 · next review 25 November 2026. Changelog: first public bilingual release of the 36-check foundation.
Recommended citation: Edikka, “Professional website accessibility foundation · v1.0”, 25 August 2026, with a link to the canonical URL. No DOI is claimed until a persistent third-party repository assigns one.
These fingerprints verify that downloaded JSON and XLSX files match the assets cited by this edition.
JSON 8fdfeddda1f94f427e54274a90003a7e824f15a5304ceeba2a9509453c5e31cd
XLSX f869d70bef0b716070d7af9b6f8f1354e5d969574ea3bb890226dd7df29aeb90Voluntary limit
Edikka is a web agency: this grid is a published working method, not an independent standard.
We use this grid to scope, design and accept websites. We therefore have a commercial interest in demonstrating the quality of the method. To make that conflict visible, we publish the selection rule, limits, sources, checks and reusable formats.
The foundation does not cover every applicable criterion, calculate an RGAA rate, certify any website or guarantee legal compliance, absence of barriers, SEO ranking or AI citation. Clear structure makes a page more reliable to read; visibility depends on other signals.
Conclusion
Start with a real journey, an observable barrier and replayable evidence.
Accessibility does not progress when a team adds a score to a dashboard. It progresses when a person can complete an action that was previously impossible, the fix is carried by the right component and a third party can replay the test.
Choose a critical journey, run the 36 applicable checks, retain evidence, fix blockers and retest. Then expand the scope with a full audit method when the objective becomes conformance.
Do not publish “accessible” because a tool is green. Publish what was tested, how, when, with what evidence and what limitations.
Accessibility becomes credible when design, content and code share the same evidence.
A check is not a box. It is an observable commitment: a person can complete the action, the fix holds in the component and the result can be replayed.
Start from the real journey
Priority comes from what a user must perceive, understand and complete—not from what is easiest to measure.
Fix at the source
An accessible, documented and tested component prevents the same defect from being repaired page by page.
Name what remains unknown
Not tested, not applicable and fail are useful information. Hiding them destroys trust.
Premium quality does not make accessibility invisible. It embeds its requirements in every design decision.
Go further on this topic
Additional answers to clarify the key points covered in this article.
