WCAG Audit Checklist | Patterson Health Center

1. Visual & Content Basics

Color Contrast (4.5:1 Ratio) All normal text must have a 4.5:1 contrast ratio against its background. Test using axe DevTools or WAVE.

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Meaningful Alt Text Informational images must have alternative text describing their function. Decorative images must have empty alt attributes (alt="").

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Heading Hierarchy Pages must use proper heading tags (H1, H2, H3) in chronological order without skipping levels.

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Descriptive Links Avoid generic text like "Click Here" or "Read More". Link text must describe the exact destination or action.

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2. Keyboard Navigation Checks

Visible Focus Indicator When tabbing through the page, every clickable item MUST have a highly visible outline box showing where you are.

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No Keyboard Traps You must be able to 'Tab' into all interactive elements AND 'Tab' out of them without getting stuck (especially in menus or pop-ups).

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"Skip to Content" Link The very first time you hit 'Tab' on a page, a hidden link should appear allowing you to skip over the main menu directly to the content.

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3. Forms, Authentication & Security

Accessible Forms & Error Text Form inputs must have visible labels. If a user makes an error, the error message must be written out in text (not just turning a box red).

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No Cognitive Tests (CAPTCHA) Avoid traditional text-transcription CAPTCHAs. Use Invisible reCAPTCHA or email authentication instead.

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Redundant Entry If a patient enters info once, they should not be forced to re-type it later in the same session.

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4. Media & Documents

Video Captions & Audio Descriptions All pre-recorded videos must have accurate closed captions. Videos that convey meaning visually must have audio descriptions.

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Accessible PDFs Downloadable PDFs (like patient intake forms or privacy practices) must be tagged for screen readers and pass an Adobe Acrobat accessibility check.

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5. User Control & Readability

Text Resize (200%) Users must be able to zoom the browser text to 200% without text overlapping or content becoming unusable.

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Pause Moving Content Any content that auto-plays, scrolls, or blinks for more than 5 seconds (like homepage carousels) must have a visible "Pause" or "Stop" button.

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Session Timeouts If a patient portal or form has a time limit, the user must be warned before time expires and given an option to extend the time.

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Web Accessibility Audit (WCAG 2.2 AA)

1. Visual & Content Basics

2. Keyboard Navigation Checks

3. Forms, Authentication & Security

4. Media & Documents

5. User Control & Readability