An ADA website compliance checklist is a structured document that outlines everything an organization needs to address when making its website accessible. It covers organizational readiness, technical conformance, legal obligations, and ongoing maintenance. A good checklist does not list individual code fixes. It maps the full scope of work required to build and sustain a compliant web presence.
| Checklist Area | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Legal Obligation | ADA Title II references WCAG 2.1 AA. Title III carries a general obligation with no specified technical standard, though courts frequently reference WCAG. |
| Target Conformance Level | WCAG 2.1 AA is the most widely adopted standard for ADA compliance. |
| Evaluation Method | Automated scans identify approximately 25% of issues. An audit conducted by an accessibility professional covers the remaining 75%. |
| Remediation | Code and content updates to fix identified issues, tracked to completion and verified. |
| Ongoing Monitoring | Scheduled scans and periodic re-evaluation to catch new issues as the site changes. |
Identify Which ADA Title Applies
The first item on any ADA website compliance checklist is determining which title of the ADA governs your organization. Title II applies to state and local government entities and explicitly references WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the technical standard. Title III applies to private businesses classified as places of public accommodation.
Title III does not specify a technical standard for websites. However, the Department of Justice has consistently pointed to WCAG as the benchmark, and federal courts have followed that direction. Knowing which title applies shapes the rest of the checklist, from which conformance level to target to what documentation to maintain.
Set the WCAG Conformance Target
WCAG 2.1 Level AA is the standard most organizations adopt for ADA compliance. It covers a broad set of accessibility requirements across four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and compatible (often abbreviated POUR).
Some organizations target WCAG 2.2 AA, the most current version. Because WCAG is backwards compatible, conforming to 2.2 AA also satisfies 2.1 AA. Selecting a conformance target early gives the entire compliance program a fixed reference point.
Conduct a Baseline Accessibility Audit
An audit is the foundation of any compliance effort. It identifies the current state of the website against the selected WCAG conformance level. An audit conducted by an accessibility professional includes screen reader testing, keyboard testing, visual inspection, and code review.
Automated scans are a useful supplement, but they only flag approximately 25% of accessibility issues. The remaining 75% requires human evaluation. A scan alone is not an audit. The checklist should specify a full audit as the baseline, with scans used for supplemental monitoring between evaluations.
Create a Remediation Plan
Once the audit identifies issues, remediation follows. A remediation plan organizes issues by priority, typically using a combination of user impact and legal risk as scoring factors.
High-impact issues affecting core user flows (navigation, forms, authentication) are addressed first. The plan assigns responsibility to specific teams or developers, sets timelines, and defines how fixes will be verified. Remediation is not a one-time task. It becomes a recurring workflow as the website changes.
Implement Ongoing Monitoring
Websites are not static. New content, updated features, and redesigned pages can all introduce new accessibility issues. Monitoring means running automated scans on a recurring schedule (weekly, monthly, or at a custom interval) to catch regressions.
Monitoring complements periodic re-evaluation. A scan catches what it can (approximately 25% of issues), and scheduled re-evaluation by a professional fills the gap. The checklist should define both the scan frequency and the re-evaluation cycle.
Publish an Accessibility Statement
An accessibility statement is a public declaration of the organization’s commitment to accessibility. It typically includes the conformance target (e.g., WCAG 2.1 AA), a description of ongoing efforts, known limitations, and contact information for users who encounter issues.
This is not legally required under all circumstances, but it is widely recommended as part of an ADA compliance program. It signals good faith and provides a channel for user feedback.
Document Everything
Documentation is the connective tissue of a compliance program. Audit reports, remediation logs, scan results, accessibility statements, training records, and policy documents all form a defensible record.
If an organization faces a complaint or demand letter, documentation of proactive effort is among the strongest evidence of good faith. The checklist should specify what gets documented, where it is stored, and how often it is updated.
Train Your Teams
Accessibility compliance breaks down when the people building and managing the website do not understand the requirements. Training for designers, developers, content authors, and quality assurance teams makes accessibility part of the production workflow rather than something addressed only after an audit.
Training topics typically include WCAG conformance requirements, assistive technology awareness, accessible content authoring, and how to interpret audit findings. Recurring training keeps teams current as standards evolve.
Define a Review Cycle
A compliance checklist is only useful if it is revisited. Organizations should define a review cycle, typically annual, to reassess the checklist itself. WCAG versions update. Legal expectations shift. The website evolves. A static checklist becomes outdated.
The review cycle confirms that the conformance target is still appropriate, the monitoring schedule is still adequate, and the remediation process is still functioning. It closes the loop between initial compliance and sustained compliance.