Most Common Web Accessibility Issues
The 15 most common WCAG non-conformities we detect during our audits. Each issue is explained with its impact on users, before/after code examples, and a FAQ.
- WCAG 1.1
Images without alternative text
The absence of alternative text on images is the most widespread accessibility issue on the web.
- WCAG 3.2
Insufficient color contrast
Insufficient contrast between text and its background is one of the most frequent accessibility issues and yet one of the simplest to fix.
- WCAG 7.3
Keyboard navigation impossible
Keyboard navigation is a fundamental pillar of web accessibility.
- WCAG 12.9
Keyboard trap
The keyboard trap is one of the most critical accessibility issues because it completely blocks the user.
- WCAG 10.7
Invisible focus indicator
The focus indicator is the visual marker that shows which element on the page is currently selected by keyboard.
- WCAG 6.1
Links without accessible label
An accessible link must have a label that clearly describes its destination or function.
- WCAG 11.1
Form fields without labels
Form fields without labels are a major barrier to accessibility.
- WCAG 12.7
Missing skip link
The skip link is an essential navigation mechanism for keyboard users.
- WCAG 9.1
Poorly structured heading hierarchy
The heading hierarchy (h1 to h6) is the backbone of page structure for assistive technologies.
- WCAG 7.1
Incorrect or missing ARIA attributes
ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes allow making dynamic web components accessible to assistive technologies.
- WCAG 10.4
Text unreadable at 200% zoom
WCAG success criterion 1.4.4 requires that text remains readable and functional when the user increases the character size up to at least 200%.
- WCAG 10.11
Content overflowing on mobile (reflow 320px)
WCAG success criterion 1.4.10 (Reflow) requires that the content of a web page can be displayed at a width of 320 CSS pixels without requiring horizontal scrolling.
- WCAG 4.1
Video without captions
The absence of captions on videos is an accessibility issue that directly excludes deaf and hard-of-hearing people.
- WCAG 8.7
Language changes not indicated
WCAG success criterion 3.1.2 requires that each language change in a page's content be indicated in the source code via the lang attribute on the HTML element containing the foreign-language text.
- WCAG 13.1
Automatic redirect via meta refresh
Automatic redirection via meta refresh is an obsolete technique that poses serious accessibility problems.
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