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The Field Guide · Checklist

Accessibility basics

A site everyone can use — with a stronger technical baseline.

A diagram illustrating Accessibility basics

Custom website relay diagram

FIG 10 — A plain-English map of accessibility basics.

What we’ll cover

A site everyone can use — with a stronger technical baseline.

The useful version is simpler than the jargon makes it sound. Here are the decisions, checks, and vocabulary that matter most.

01Make structure understandable

Use one descriptive page title, logical headings, meaningful link text, labels for every field, alternative text for informative images, and real buttons for actions.

02Keep interaction available

Everything important should work with a keyboard. Focus must remain visible, dialogs must return focus, and motion should respect the visitor’s reduced-motion preference.

03Test beyond a checklist

Zoom to 200 percent, navigate without a mouse, inspect contrast, try a screen reader, and include disabled people in usability work when the project allows. Automated scans catch only part of the picture.

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