Essential Web Accessibility Resources
Web accessibility has a large surface area, and the sheer volume of standards, tools, and opinions can make it hard to know where to begin. This is a curated set of resources worth bookmarking, grouped so you can find what you need, with a short note on where to focus first.
Written by Artur BurkaloFor over a decade, Artur has worked with agencies, run his own agency, and developed WordPress themes and plugins, including Destiny Elements.
Posted 9 June 2026
Where to focus first
You do not need to fix everything at once. According to large-scale automated studies such as the WebAIM Million report, a small number of failure types account for a large proportion of detectable errors across the web, and these are also among the most common sources of real-world barriers. If you only have time for a handful of things, start here.
Colour contrast
Low-contrast text is the most common failure year after year. Aim for at least a 4.5:1 ratio for normal text and 3:1 for large text. It is one of the easiest wins and helps everyone read more comfortably.
Alternative text for images
Every meaningful image needs alt text that describes its purpose in context. Decorative images should use empty alt text so assistive technology can skip them.
Keyboard access and visible focus
Everything you can do with a mouse should work with a keyboard, and the focused element should always be clearly visible. Tab through your pages and watch where the focus goes.
Headings and page structure
A logical heading order and proper landmarks let screen reader users navigate quickly. Avoid multiple H1s, skipped levels, and headings used only for visual styling.
Form labels
Every input needs an associated label, so people know what to enter and screen readers can announce it. This matters most on checkout, contact, and sign-up forms.
Descriptive link text
Replace vague labels like "click here" with text that makes sense out of context. Screen reader users often jump between links, so the wording has to stand on its own.
Standards and official guidance
Start with the source. These define what accessibility means in practice and how to meet each requirement.
- WCAG 2.2 (W3C) (opens in a new tab)
The authoritative specification for web accessibility. Dense, but the definitive reference for every success criterion.
- How to Meet WCAG (Quick Reference) (opens in a new tab)
A filterable, far more readable view of WCAG, with techniques and common failures listed for each criterion.
- W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (opens in a new tab)
The hub for W3C accessibility work: introductions, tutorials, and plain-language explanations of the standards.
- ARIA Authoring Practices Guide (opens in a new tab)
Patterns for accessible components like menus, dialogs, and tabs, with keyboard interaction models and example markup.
Learning and reference
When you need to understand a topic in depth or look up how to build something accessibly.
- MDN Accessibility (opens in a new tab)
Practical, developer-focused documentation on semantic HTML, ARIA, and accessible CSS and JavaScript.
- W3C WAI Tutorials (opens in a new tab)
Step-by-step guidance on images, forms, tables, menus, and page structure.
- WebAIM Articles (opens in a new tab)
Clear, example-led articles covering nearly every accessibility topic, from one of the most respected teams in the field.
- The A11Y Project (opens in a new tab)
A community-driven, approachable introduction to accessibility, with a widely used checklist.
- Deque University (opens in a new tab)
In-depth courses and reference material, including free resources alongside the paid catalogue.
Testing tools
Automated tools catch many common failures quickly. Treat them as a starting point, not a guarantee of compliance.
- WAVE (opens in a new tab)
A visual in-browser checker that overlays issues directly on the page. Ideal for quick, page-by-page reviews.
- axe DevTools (opens in a new tab)
A widely used automated testing engine, available as a browser extension and for CI pipelines.
- Lighthouse (opens in a new tab)
Built into Chrome DevTools. Runs an accessibility audit alongside performance, SEO, and best-practice scores.
Colour contrast
According to the WebAIM Million report, low contrast is consistently the most commonly detected WCAG failure. These tools make it easy to check any colour pairing before it ships.
- WebAIM Contrast Checker (opens in a new tab)
Enter two colours and get an instant pass or fail against the WCAG AA and AAA thresholds.
- Who Can Use (opens in a new tab)
Shows how a colour pairing looks to people with different types of colour vision and visual impairment.
Screen readers and manual testing
Automated checks cannot tell you whether a page actually makes sense to a screen reader user. Testing with a real one can.
- NVDA (opens in a new tab)
A free, open-source screen reader for Windows, and the most practical way to start manual testing.
- VoiceOver (Apple) (opens in a new tab)
Built into macOS and iOS with nothing to install, which makes it ideal for testing on Apple devices.
- WebAIM Screen Reader Survey (opens in a new tab)
Periodic survey data on the screen readers and browsers that real users rely on.
WordPress accessibility
If you build on WordPress, these are useful starting points for theme-level accessibility requirements and the team driving accessibility across the platform.
- WordPress Theme Accessibility (Classic Themes) (opens in a new tab)
Official guidance on the accessibility requirements WordPress themes are expected to meet, covering keyboard navigation, contrast, headings, link text, and ARIA use. Full site accessibility also depends on content, plugins, and configuration.
- Make WordPress Accessible (opens in a new tab)
The WordPress accessibility team's hub: handbook, coding standards, and ongoing work on core accessibility.
Checklists and compliance
When you want a concrete list to work through, or need to understand the legal context.
- WebAIM WCAG 2 Checklist (opens in a new tab)
A practical, plain-language checklist that translates each WCAG criterion into something you can act on.
- The A11Y Project Checklist (opens in a new tab)
A condensed, beginner-friendly checklist grouped by topic.
- European Accessibility Act (opens in a new tab)
Background on the EU law that has applied since 28 June 2025. Scope and enforcement vary by member state and sector, so check local guidance for your specific situation.
- Section508.gov (opens in a new tab)
US federal accessibility requirements and guidance, useful well beyond government work.
How to use this list
Bookmark the standards and the checklist you prefer, install one automated tool and one screen reader, and work through the focus areas above first. Accessibility is rarely finished in a single pass, so the goal is steady progress: catch the common, high-impact failures early, then go deeper as you go.
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