Test a complete keyboard journey
Starting from the page entrance, use the keyboard to reach the primary action, complete the form and return to the result. Note whether the focused control is visible and whether the order makes sense. Open and close menus without using a pointer. Do not assume that a clickable card or styled element has the semantics of a link or button. Record the precise step where progress becomes difficult.
Configure meaningful control names
Each form control needs a clear label that remains understandable after an example placeholder disappears. Explain required information before submission, and associate an error with the relevant field. For icon-only actions, make the purpose available to assistive technology. MDN’s accessibility guidance is a useful starting reference; following this introductory checklist is not a conformance assessment or a replacement for testing with actual users.
Check enlargement and narrow layouts
Increase text size and inspect the task on a narrow viewport. Look for clipped labels, disappearing actions and content hidden under fixed controls. Long words, instructions and validation messages must remain readable. Test a realistic long entry rather than only short demo values. Preserve enlargement instead of shrinking text to force a design into place. A desktop view scaled down is not necessarily a usable mobile composition.
Before launch: separate quick checks from a full review
A keyboard pass catches important problems, but it does not cover every assistive technology or disability. Keep a record of what you tested and what remains untested. For a public service, plan a broader accessibility review and user feedback route. Fix the barriers that prevent task completion first, then check that repairs have not broken focus order or the meaning of controls elsewhere in the journey.
Sources used for this page
These records support the facts and comparisons above. Merchant-controlled records are labelled so you can separate product claims from independent evidence.
- MDN accessibility introduction — Reference · developer.mozilla.org · Publisher independence not verified · checked 2026-09-18