HTML Accessibility Checker

This tool checks for structural and semantic HTML accessibility issues: missing alt attributes on images, missing aria-label on interactive elements, unlabeled form inputs, missing lang attribute on the <html> element, broken heading hierarchy (e.g. jumping from h1 to h4), and non-descriptive link text like 'click here' or 'read more'. It does not check color contrast — use the separate Accessibility Color Contrast Checker for that.

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is the international standard for web accessibility published by the W3C. Level A covers the most critical barriers. Level AA is the most widely required standard (mandated by ADA, EN 301 549, AODA). Level AAA is the highest and not required for most sites. Unless you have a specific legal requirement for AAA, target AA compliance as your baseline.

Screen readers announce images by reading their alt text to visually impaired users. An image without an alt attribute causes screen readers to read out the file name instead (e.g. 'img_banner_v3_final_FINAL2.jpg'), which is disorienting. If an image is purely decorative, use alt='' (empty string) to tell screen readers to skip it entirely. Never omit the attribute altogether.

The aria-label attribute provides an accessible name for elements that lack visible text — most commonly icon buttons, hamburger menus, and social media links. For example, a button that only contains an SVG icon should have aria-label='Open navigation menu' so screen reader users know what it does. Without it, the button is announced as just 'button', which is useless.

Screen reader users often navigate pages by jumping between headings, similar to how sighted users scan visually. Skipping heading levels (e.g. going from h1 straight to h3) breaks this navigation and creates confusion about the page structure. Each page should have exactly one h1, and headings should nest logically: h1 > h2 > h3. Never choose heading levels for their visual size — use CSS for styling instead.

Link text should describe the destination or action when read out of context. Phrases like 'click here', 'read more', 'learn more', or 'this link' are inaccessible because screen reader users can pull up a list of all links on the page — and a list of 'click here, click here, click here' conveys nothing. Instead use descriptive text like 'Read our accessibility guide' or 'Download the 2026 report'.