Accessibility Audit Lab
A practical tool for checking websites, PDFs, and creative coding projects for accessibility barriers.
Accessibility is not a final checklist. It is a design practice, a prototyping method, and a way of making public digital work more usable, understandable, and humane.
Free. Nothing to install. Your files never leave your computer.
Who this is for
This lab is made for people who create public digital work but don't necessarily think of themselves as accessibility specialists:
- Artists
- Educators
- Designers
- Creative technologists
- Civic tech teams
- Small nonprofits
- Workshop facilitators
What it checks
In plain language, the checks look for things like:
- Images with missing alt text
- Unclear or out-of-order headings
- Form fields without labels
- Text with poor color contrast
- Keyboard navigation problems
- PDFs without tags, a language, or a title
- Canvas and p5.js sketches without fallback text descriptions
- Missing captions or transcripts, where relevant
Every result explains the problem, why it matters, and what to do next — without shaming anyone.
What it cannot do
Automated checking cannot replace human testing. It cannot tell you whether your alt text is meaningful, whether your page makes sense to a screen reader user, or whether a disabled visitor can actually complete a task. It is not a full WCAG audit and not a legal certification.
Use this lab as a starting point: fix what the automatic checks find, then review the "things only a person can check" in each report — ideally with people who use assistive technology every day.
Use it in classes and workshops
This lab grew out of the Accessible by Design workshop and is built to be used in teaching: classes, portfolio reviews, creative coding sessions, and civic media workshops. Participants can check their own work in minutes, download a report, and use the "things only a person can check" prompts as discussion questions.