TalkBack AAA Audit Checklist

0. Setup (do once)

• Enable TalkBack (Settings → Accessibility). Learn: swipe right/left = next/prev, double-tap = activate, two-finger swipe = scroll.
• Test in Chrome on Android (TalkBack's primary pairing). Note your TalkBack and Android versions for the record.
• Practice Reading Controls (swipe up-then-down) to change navigation granularity: headings, links, controls, characters.
• Do a screen-curtain / eyes-closed pass: navigate by swipe and listen. If you peeked, log it.
• Decide record format: per-page notes (URL, criterion, pass / N-A reason / defect + repro).

1. Touch exploration & swipe order (TalkBack-specific, highest value)

This is the layer desktop screen readers can't test. Focus order under touch is where mobile-only bugs live.

• [1.3.2 / 2.4.3] Swipe-right order (sequential focus) is logical and matches reading order; nothing is skipped or reached out of sequence.
• [1.1.1 / 4.1.2] Explore-by-touch (drag finger): every meaningful element is focusable and announces name + role + state; no dead zones over real content.
• [4.1.2] Decorative elements are NOT focusable by swipe (don't pollute the swipe sequence); they're correctly hidden from TalkBack.
• [2.4.3] Opening a menu/dialog moves TalkBack focus into it; closing returns focus to the trigger; focus isn't lost to the top of the page.

2. Touch target size & spacing (matters far more on mobile)

AAA 2.5.5 and the 2.2 minimum 2.5.8 are easy to fail on a phone where desktop passes.

• [2.5.8] Every target is at least 24×24 CSS px (2.2 AA minimum); confirm by tapping with TalkBack on — small targets are hard to land on.
• [2.5.5] AAA: targets are at least 44×44 CSS px, or have an equivalent. Check icon buttons, switcher controls, close buttons especially.
• [2.5.8] Adjacent targets have enough spacing that double-tap activates the intended one, not a neighbor.

3. Reflow, zoom & orientation (mobile viewport)

• [1.4.10] Reflow: at 320 CSS px width / 400% zoom, no horizontal scroll and no content loss — all guide pages and the charts page.
• [1.3.4] Orientation: content works in both portrait and landscape; nothing is locked to one orientation.
• [1.4.4 / 1.4.12] Text resize and spacing: bumping Android font size doesn't clip or overlap content; layout survives larger text.
• [1.4.10] Charts (Chart.js) and the OpenStreetMap reflow or provide an accessible alternative at narrow width — no fixed-width overflow.

4. Global / every-page

Test on home plus 2–3 interior pages. Use Reading Controls for sweeps.

• [2.4.1] Skip link: reachable by swipe near the top; double-tap moves focus into main content.
• [1.3.1] Reading Controls → Headings: one h1, no skipped levels, coherent outline by ear via heading-by-heading swipe.
• [2.4.4 / 2.4.9] Reading Controls → Links: each link makes sense out of context; no 'click here / read more'.
• [1.1.1] Logo announces a text name + link role, not a filename or just 'image'.
• [3.1.1 / 3.1.2] html lang set so TalkBack TTS uses the right voice; inline foreign phrases marked.
• [4.1.2] All controls announce name + role + state under TalkBack; toggle/expanded states spoken on change.

5. On-screen keyboard & forms

The Android soft keyboard interaction is a mobile-only failure surface.

• [1.3.5] inputmode / type / autocomplete set so the right soft keyboard appears (email, url, numeric) and purpose is determinable.
• [1.3.1 / 3.3.2] Each field announces its label when focused; the soft keyboard opening doesn't hide the field or its error.
• [3.3.1 / 3.3.3] Errors announced by TalkBack; focus can move to the field in error; error text associated via aria-describedby.
• [2.4.11 / 2.4.12] Focused field stays visible above the on-screen keyboard (not obscured) — TalkBack + keyboard is the classic obscured-focus case.
• [3.3.5 / 2.2.6] AAA help available where claimed (3.3.5); any timeout is warned and extendable (2.2.6).

6. How-to guide pages (content + embedded examples)

• [1.3.1] Tables page: swipe through cells announces headers; caption announced; table is navigable, not a flat blob, on mobile.
• [1.1.1 / 1.3.1] Charts page (Chart.js): canvas hidden/labeled, data table reachable by swipe; numbers available by ear on the phone.
• [1.1.1 / 2.1.1] Charts page (OpenStreetMap): pinch/pan gestures don't trap TalkBack; text/data equivalent exists and is reachable.
• [1.1.1] Images page: informative images announce useful text; decorative ones not focusable; SVGs have reachable equivalent.
• [1.2.x / 4.1.2] Videos page: player controls are 44px targets, reachable by swipe, named with state; captions toggle works; transcript reachable.
• [3.1.3 / 3.1.5] Plain-language by ear at Grade 8; abbreviations expanded or have accessible expansion.

7. Custom ARIA components (under touch)

Re-test the accordion/tabs/dropdown demos with TalkBack — touch behavior differs from desktop keyboard.

• [4.1.2] Accordion: header announces button + expanded state; double-tap toggles and announces change; collapsed content not in swipe order.
• [4.1.2 / 2.1.1] Tabs: tab announces role + selected; swipe moves between tabs; double-tap activates; associated panel reached next.
• [4.1.2 / 2.1.1] Dropdown/combobox: announces role + expanded; options reachable by swipe; double-tap selects and announces value; closing returns focus.
• [4.1.3] Live regions: TalkBack announces updates without yanking focus; politeness correct (Android live-region handling differs from desktop).

8. AAA-specific checks

• [2.4.8] Location: breadcrumb / current-page indicator announced.
• [1.4.6 / 1.4.8] Enhanced contrast holds across theme + font combos at mobile sizes; check OpenDyslexic + dark.
• [2.3.2 / 2.2.3] No flashing in chart animations; no timed content that can't be paused/extended.
• [3.2.5] Font/theme switch and nav don't trigger unexpected context changes on tap.
• [2.5.1 / 2.5.4] No path-based or motion-actuated gesture required (the map should not need a complex multi-point gesture with no single-tap alternative).

9. Wrap-up

• Re-run an eyes-closed swipe pass end-to-end on the charts page and one component demo.
• For every AAA criterion you cannot meet, write the N/A rationale into the accessibility statement; match VPAT/ACR.
• Anything TalkBack flagged that desktop tools/VoiceOver/NVDA passed → new test or permanent manual line-item (mobile-only regressions).
• Record versions: TalkBack build, Android version, Chrome version, device model, and screen size tested.