Check Website Accessibility: Manual Checks

Website accessibility ensures that all users, including those with disabilities, can access and use a website effectively. While automated tools are helpful for identifying basic issues, they cannot fully evaluate real user experience. This is where Check Website Accessibility: Manual Checks becomes essential. Manual accessibility testing focuses on usability, structure, and real-world interactions that automated scans often overlook.

Why Manual Accessibility Checks Are Important

Automated accessibility tools can identify missing alt text, color contrast issues, or incorrect HTML attributes. However, they cannot judge clarity, navigation flow, or content understanding.

Manual checks help to:

• Evaluate how users interact with content

• Identify keyboard navigation problems

• Assess screen reader behavior

• Detect logical structure issues

• Improve overall usability for all users

By performing manual checks, teams can identify accessibility gaps that directly affect user experience and compliance.

Understanding Website Accessibility Standards

Before starting manual checks, it is important to understand the standards that guide accessibility.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

WCAG outlines accessibility requirements based on four principles:

• Perceivable

• Operable

• Understandable

• Robust

Manual checks help validate whether these principles are followed in real scenarios, not just in code.

Key Areas to Check Website Accessibility Manually

Keyboard Navigation

Many users rely on keyboards instead of a mouse. Manual checks should confirm that all interactive elements are accessible using only the keyboard.

What to test:

• Tab key navigation across menus, buttons, and links

• Logical tab order

• Visible focus indicators

• Ability to submit forms using the keyboard

If users cannot navigate smoothly using a keyboard, accessibility is compromised.

Screen Reader Compatibility

Screen readers interpret content differently from visual browsers. Manual testing with screen readers provides insights into content clarity and structure.

What to check:

• Correct heading hierarchy

• Clear link text (avoid vague labels like “click here”)

• Proper form field labels

• Meaningful image descriptions

Testing with popular screen readers helps identify confusing announcements or missing context.

Headings and Content Structure

Proper content structure improves both accessibility and SEO.

Manual checks should ensure:

• Only one H1 per page

• Logical progression from H1 to H2 and H3

• Headings accurately describe the section content

• No skipped heading levels

Clear structure helps users navigate content efficiently.

Images and Non-Text Content

Images should provide information to users who cannot see them.

Manual accessibility checks include:

• Verifying alt text relevance

• Ensuring decorative images are ignored by assistive tools

• Checking charts or infographics for text alternatives

Alt text should describe the purpose of the image, not just its appearance.

Forms and Input Fields

Forms are often a major source of accessibility issues.

What to manually test:

• Clear labels associated with each field

• Error messages that explain the issue clearly

• Instructions provided before submission

• Logical reading order for screen readers

Users should understand what is required and how to correct mistakes.

Color and Visual Presentation

Automated tools can flag contrast ratios, but manual review is still required.

Manual checks focus on:

• Readability of text against backgrounds

• Information not conveyed by color alone

• Visibility of focus indicators

• Font size and spacing consistency

Visual clarity supports users with low vision or color blindness.

Common Accessibility Issues Found Through Manual Checks

Manual testing often reveals issues such as:

• Interactive elements unreachable by keyboard

• Poorly structured headings

• Inconsistent focus behavior

• Missing context in links and buttons

• Confusing form validation messages

These issues directly affect usability and should be addressed early.

How Often Should Manual Accessibility Checks Be Performed?

Manual checks should not be a one-time task.

Recommended timing:

• During website design reviews

• Before major content updates

• After layout or navigation changes

• As part of regular audits

Accessibility improves when testing becomes part of standard workflows.

Manual Checks and SEO Alignment

While accessibility and SEO serve different goals, they overlap significantly.

Manual accessibility checks help SEO by:

• Improving content structure

• Enhancing user engagement

• Reducing navigation friction

• Supporting semantic HTML usage

Clear headings, readable content, and logical navigation benefit both users and search engines.

Final Thoughts

Automated tools are useful, but they are not enough on their own. Check Website Accessibility: Manual Checks ensure that real users can navigate, understand, and interact with your website without barriers. By focusing on keyboard access, content structure, screen reader compatibility, and visual clarity, businesses can create more inclusive and usable websites.

Manual accessibility testing is not about compliance alone. It is about improving usability, reducing friction, and delivering a consistent experience for all users.