Document Accessibility Checklist

A practical checklist for accessibility teams shipping documents into production.

Reference source

Aligned to the public checklist guidance published by DocAccessible.

Scope and Baseline Setup

Define WCAG target level (typically 2.2 A/AA) for each document type.
Assign ownership for creation, review, remediation, and final sign-off.
Establish severity labels (critical, high, medium, low) for triage.
Track each issue with location, impact, and remediation notes.

Document Structure and Navigation

Set a meaningful document title and correct primary language.
Use a logical heading hierarchy without skipping levels.
Ensure reading order matches visual order.
Use descriptive link text instead of raw URLs like “click here”.

Images, Media, and Contrast

Provide alt text for informative images and null alt for decorative visuals.
Avoid color-only meaning; include text, symbols, or patterns.
Validate text/background contrast on headings, body text, and charts.
For media, include synchronized captions and useful transcripts.

Tables and Forms

Use real table structures with header cells and clear associations.
Avoid merged cells where they break screen reader navigation.
Label every form field programmatically and visibly.
Provide clear error text and keyboard-operable form controls.

PDF-Specific Controls

Start from tagged source files instead of visual-only exports.
Confirm tags, landmarks, and reading order in final PDF output.
Set document language, title, and bookmark navigation.
Re-test after compression, stamping, or e-signature steps.

QA, Monitoring, and Evidence Pack

Run automated checks plus manual keyboard/screen-reader review.
Store before/after evidence for every critical and high issue.
Publish release notes with unresolved risks and due dates.
Re-run checklist on template updates and quarterly governance cycles.

Next Steps

Run this checklist on one representative document bundle and log all failures by severity.

After remediation, retain your evidence pack so legal, compliance, and procurement teams can review outcomes quickly.