Build‑Ready Accessibility Audit: A 30‑Point Checklist to Ship Inclusive Apps That Rank and Convert

Run automated scans, then perform the manual checks below. For each failed item produce: (1) a short Jira/issue title, (2) a one‑sentence fix, (3) an acceptance test (manual or automated), and (4) a suggested JSON‑LD snippet or statement excerpt for your accessibility page. That structured output is what prevents back‑and‑forth and rework.

Prioritize issues by conversion impact and scope: keyboard and screen‑reader operability, form labeling and errors, and visible focus/contrast are highest priority because they directly block tasks. Use WCAG success criteria as the technical reference while keeping acceptance tests practical for engineers and QA.

Below are 30 compact checks grouped into five priority buckets. Each line is written as: check — common fix — quick acceptance test. Use these as issue templates so contractors can implement and close with confidence.

Do this: paste each line into your issue tracker, add a screenshot, assign priority, and attach a one‑liner JSON‑LD accessibility property to the site’s accessibility page (examples in the final section).

6–10 (Content): alt text for meaningful images; headings hierarchy (H1..Hn); link text descriptive and unique; skip‑to‑content link exists. Acceptance tests: run axe/lighthouse and manually verify alt text and heading structure.

11–20 (Media & interaction): captions/transcripts for audio/video; live region usage for updates; target size (touch) ≥ recommended minimum; color contrast for text and UI components; ARIA use: valid roles and no redundant ARIA. Acceptance tests: validate with screen readers (VoiceOver/NVDA) and mobile touch testing.

Write acceptance tests as pass/fail statements that can be executed by QA or in CI. Examples: 'Tab through the signup form; focus must land on Email → Name → Password → Submit in that order' or 'Screen reader should announce "Password field, required" after leaving password empty and moving focus to error link.'

Automate what’s reliable: run axe or Lighthouse in CI for regressions, but always include a manual checklist for things tools miss (meaningful alt text, context for controls, ARIA misuse). Keep a short remediation guide with code snippets for common fixes (labeling inputs, adding role attributes, adding skip links) so contractors can move fast.

Publish a human‑readable accessibility statement and add a JSON‑LD snippet to your site header or accessibility page. Use the WAI model for content and express machine‑readable properties using schema.org / accessibility vocab (Accessibility API, control types, supported assistive tech). That helps search engines and integrations surface your accessibility commitments and remediation status.

Keep JSON‑LD minimal and honest: include (1) contact method for accessibility issues, (2) conformance status (which WCAG level), (3) last audit date, and (4) known limitations and planned fixes. Example patterns and vocab are available from W3C's accessibility statement guidance and the accessibility discoverability vocabulary.