Accessibility is not a feature — it is a requirement. Over 1 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability, and inaccessible web applications exclude them entirely. Beyond the ethical imperative, accessibility failures expose your organization to legal liability under the ADA and EAA. This 24-step checklist covers every accessibility concern specific to React applications.
01Semantic HTML & Structure
0/5Use proper HTML elements and document structure to give assistive technologies the context they need.
02Keyboard Navigation
0/5Ensure every interactive element and workflow is fully operable using only a keyboard.
03ARIA & Screen Reader Support
0/5Use ARIA attributes correctly to provide additional context that HTML semantics alone cannot convey.
04Visual & Content Accessibility
0/5Ensure your visual design and content are perceivable by users with visual, cognitive, and motor disabilities.
05Testing & Validation
0/5Test your application with real assistive technologies and automated tools to catch accessibility issues.
Pro Tips
- •Use the tab key as your first accessibility test. If you cannot complete a task with just the keyboard, screen reader users cannot either. This single test catches a large percentage of accessibility issues.
- •Install the axe DevTools browser extension and run it on every page during development. It provides detailed explanations and fix suggestions for each violation, making accessibility fixes faster.
- •The most impactful accessibility improvement is almost always using the right HTML element. A `<button>` instead of a clickable `<div>` gives you keyboard access, focus management, and screen reader announcements for free.
- •Test with real users who use assistive technology. Automated tools and developer testing miss the real-world patterns, workarounds, and pain points that daily assistive technology users encounter.
- •Accessibility is incremental — you do not need to fix everything at once. Start with critical issues (keyboard navigation, missing labels, color contrast) and improve progressively with each release.