How Do I Check If My Website Is Accessible?

 Creating a beautiful, functional website is one thing — but making sure it’s accessible is another. Accessibility means your site works for everyone, including people with disabilities.

But here’s the challenge: you can’t just guess if your site is accessible. You have to test it.
And the good news? Testing doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive, or reserved for tech experts. With the right approach and tools, anyone can check their website for accessibility.

In this article, we’ll walk through:

1. Free accessibility testing tools

2. Screen reader testing

3. Keyboard-only navigation tests

4. Color contrast checks

5. Manual usability checks

6. Getting feedback from real users

By the end, you’ll have a full picture of how to find and fix barriers on your site.

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1. Use Free Accessibility Testing Tools

Automated tools are a great first step. They scan your site and point out potential accessibility issues — from missing alt text to poor contrast.

Here are three of the most popular free tools:

1. WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool)

• Website: wave.webaim.org

• How It Works: Enter your page URL, and WAVE will highlight accessibility errors and alerts directly on your page preview.

• What It’s Great For:

  • Missing alt text

  • Low contrast

  • Form label issues

• Why I Like It: It’s very visual — you see exactly where the problem is on your page.

2. Lighthouse (Built into Google Chrome)

• How It Works:

  1. Open your site in Chrome.

  2. Right-click anywhere → choose Inspect.

  3. Go to the Lighthouse tab.

  4. Run an Accessibility audit.

• What It’s Great For:

  • Overall accessibility score

  • Quick wins and problem areas

• Why I Like It: It’s built-in, no installation needed.

3. axe DevTools (Browser Extension)

• Website: Deque axe DevTools

• How It Works: Add the extension to Chrome or Firefox, run it on any page, and it lists accessibility issues with code-level details.

• What It’s Great For:

  • Developer-friendly reports

  • WCAG guideline references

• Why I Like It: It tells you why something is a problem and how to fix it.

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Pro Tip: Automated tools can catch about 30–40% of accessibility issues. That means you still need to do manual testing to find the rest.

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2. Test With a Screen Reader

A screen reader is software that reads out the content of a page for visually impaired users. Even if you don’t need one personally, using one briefly is eye-opening.

Popular Screen Readers

• NVDA (Windows, free) — nvaccess.org

• JAWS (Windows, paid, with free trial) — freedomscientific.com

• VoiceOver (Mac & iOS, built-in) — Turn on in System Preferences → Accessibility → VoiceOver.

How to Test

• Open your site with the screen reader turned on.

• Try navigating through headings, links, and forms.

• Listen carefully:

  • Are images described meaningfully?

  • Are headings logical?

  • Do links make sense out of context?

Example Problem: If a button is labeled “Click here” without context, a screen reader user won’t know what it does. A better label is “Download Report” or “Add to Cart.”

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3. Navigate Your Site Without a Mouse

Some users — especially those with motor disabilities — can’t use a mouse. They rely on keyboards, voice commands, or other devices.

How to Test:

• Unplug your mouse or turn off your trackpad.

• Use the Tab key to move through the site.

• Use Shift + Tab to go backwards.

• Use Enter or Space to activate links and buttons.

What to Look For:

• Can you reach all interactive elements (menus, buttons, forms)?

• Is there a visible focus indicator (usually a colored outline) showing where you are?

• Do dropdown menus open with the keyboard?

Example Problem: If a form can’t be submitted without clicking a mouse, it’s inaccessible to keyboard-only users.

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4. Check Color Contrast

Poor color contrast makes text unreadable for people with low vision or color blindness — and even for everyone in bright light.

Tools to Use:

• contrast-ratio.com

• WebAIM Contrast Checker

WCAG Minimum Contrast Ratios:

• Normal text: 4.5:1

• Large text (18px+ bold or 24px+): 3:1

Example Problem: Light gray text on a white background might look stylish but fails contrast checks — making it hard for many people to read.

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5. Do Manual Usability Checks

Automation and tools can only do so much. You also need to think like your users.

Here are some manual checks you can do:

• Resize text to 200% in your browser — does everything still fit and remain readable?

• Disable CSS (you can do this in dev tools) — does your content still appear in a logical order?

• Turn off images — do alt texts appear where needed?

• Play your videos — do they have captions? Are controls usable with a keyboard?

• Check forms — are all fields labeled, and do error messages explain what went wrong?

Example: If someone types a wrong password, do you just say “Error” or do you say “Password must be at least 8 characters”? The second option is much more helpful.

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6. Get Feedback From Real Users

Nothing beats testing with actual people — especially those who use assistive technologies every day.

You can:

• Invite people with disabilities to test your site.

• Use online communities like Accessibility Slack groups or disability advocacy forums.

• Partner with accessibility consultants who run real-user testing.

Why It’s Worth It:
Real users will spot barriers you’d never think of — because they live with those challenges daily.

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Putting It All Together — Your Accessibility Testing Routine

Here’s a simple way to structure your testing process:

1. Run an automated scan (WAVE, Lighthouse, axe DevTools).

2. Test with a screen reader for headings, links, and forms.

3. Try keyboard-only navigation and watch for focus issues.

4. Check color contrast on all major elements.

5. Do manual checks for text resize, image alt text, and form usability.

6. Gather feedback from real users or accessibility testers.

Even doing this once a quarter can drastically improve your site’s accessibility.

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Why Testing Is Ongoing, Not One-Time

Accessibility isn’t something you “do once and forget.”
Every time you add a new feature, publish a new blog post, or redesign a page, you might introduce new accessibility barriers.

Think of accessibility like website security — it’s part of ongoing maintenance.

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Final Thoughts

Checking your website’s accessibility isn’t just about ticking boxes for legal compliance. It’s about making sure everyone, regardless of ability, can navigate, understand, and enjoy what you’ve built.

By using a mix of free tools, manual checks, and real-user feedback, you can find and fix the most common barriers.
And the best part? Accessibility improvements usually make your site better for everyone — faster, clearer, and easier to use.

If you start with these steps, you’re not just making your site more inclusive — you’re also building a stronger, friendlier, and more successful presence online.