Free checklist
EAA/BFSG checklist to tick off
The European Accessibility Act is in force; Germany's BFSG applies since 28 June 2025. This checklist gathers 21 concrete checkpoints for an accessible website — ordered by the four WCAG principles. Each point names the success criteria it covers. Print it to tick off, or save it as a PDF.
The codes in brackets refer to the corresponding WCAG success criteria.
1. Perceivable
- Every informative image has a meaningful alt text; purely decorative images are marked empty. (1.1.1)
- Videos have captions and audio-only content has a transcript. (1.2.1, 1.2.2, 1.2.3, 1.2.5)
- Structure is in real HTML — headings, lists, table headers and form labels — not just visual styling. (1.3.1)
- Information is not conveyed by colour, shape or position alone. (1.4.1, 1.3.3)
- Input fields such as name, email and address are marked machine-readable (autocomplete). (1.3.5)
- Text has at least 4.5:1 contrast (large text 3:1); controls and icons at least 3:1. (1.4.3, 1.4.11)
- Text can be enlarged to 200 %; content stays usable at 320 px width without horizontal scrolling. (1.4.4, 1.4.10)
2. Operable
- Everything is reachable and operable by keyboard, with no place where focus gets stuck (no keyboard trap). (2.1.1, 2.1.2)
- Time limits can be turned off, extended or adjusted. (2.2.1)
- Repeated blocks can be skipped (skip link); every page has a meaningful title. (2.4.1, 2.4.2)
- Link text says on its own where it leads — no “click here”. (2.4.4)
- The keyboard focus is clearly visible and is not obscured by cookie banners or sticky headers. (2.4.7, 2.4.11)
- Dragging movements have a simple tap/click alternative; click targets are at least 24×24 px. (2.5.7, 2.5.8)
3. Understandable
- The page language is set in the HTML (lang attribute). (3.1.1)
- Navigation, naming and help are consistent across all pages. (3.2.3, 3.2.4, 3.2.6)
- Every form field has a visible, associated label. (3.3.2)
- Errors are named in text and accompanied by a concrete correction hint. (3.3.1, 3.3.3)
- Information already entered is not requested again unnecessarily. (3.3.7)
- Login does not require a cognitive test as the only hurdle; password managers and paste are allowed. (3.3.8)
4. Robust
- Controls — especially custom (ARIA) components — are recognisable to assistive technology as what they are (name, role, value). (4.1.2)
- Dynamic status messages (e.g. “added to cart”) are announced to screen readers without stealing focus (aria-live). (4.1.3)
What this checklist does not replace
This list is orientation, not a full audit. Automated tests reliably cover only part of it; whether an alt text fits in substance or a checkout works with the keyboard needs human review. It is not a substitute for legal advice.
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