A11y audit tools

Manual screen-reader audit checklists for WCAG 2.2 AAA. axe-core and Alfa catch most violations automatically — but real screen-reader users encounter bugs no static analyser can see. These three tools cover the three major AT/platform combinations a public-service site needs to clear.

The three checklists

macOS + Safari
VoiceOver

Manual screen-reader pass with the Rotor, landmark/heading/link sweeps, and AAA-specific by-ear checks. 41 grouped items, live progress.

Windows + Firefox/Chrome
NVDA

Browse-vs-focus-mode coverage, Windows High Contrast Mode checks, Elements List sweeps. Catches NVDA-only regressions.

Android + Chrome
TalkBack

Touch + swipe order, on-screen keyboard, reflow + orientation, mobile target sizes. Catches mobile-only failure surfaces.

How to use

  1. Enter the URL of the page you're auditing in the target field.
  2. Work through the checks in order; tick each as you verify it.
  3. Watch the progress bar — it updates live. The progress text is announced to screen readers via the labelled progress region.
  4. Press Save as JSON. Browser downloads the report; filename is <tool>-aaa-<url-slug>-<timestamp>.json.
  5. Use Reset all checks to clear and re-run. Progress is in-memory only — refreshing the page clears it.

JSON report shape

Every saved report is the same shape so you can diff runs across tools and dates:

{
  "tool": "VoiceOver AAA Audit Checklist",
  "screenReader": "VoiceOver",
  "platform": "macOS + Safari",
  "standard": "WCAG 2.2 AAA",
  "url": "https://example.org",
  "timestamp": "2026-05-24T10:23:00.000Z",
  "summary": { "total": 41, "checked": 38, "percent": 93 },
  "items": [
    { "id": "g1", "group": "1. Global / every-page", "sc": "2.4.1",
      "label": "[2.4.1] Skip link: first Tab hits 'Skip to main content'…",
      "checked": true }
  ]
}