Screen Reader Testing Checklist

All landmarks have accessible names

Each nav, aside, and section should have a unique aria-label so screen reader users can distinguish them in the landmarks list.

speakable page.html -f audit | grep "landmark"

Heading hierarchy is sequential (no skipping levels)

Headings should follow a logical order (h1 → h2 → h3). Skipping from h1 to h3 confuses users who navigate by heading level.

speakable page.html -f audit

Skip navigation link is present and works

A visually hidden "Skip to content" link should be the first focusable element, letting keyboard users bypass repeated navigation.

speakable page.html -f text -s voiceover --selector "a[href='#main']"

Tab order matches visual order

Interactive elements should receive focus in the same order they appear visually. Avoid positive tabindex values.

speakable page.html -f json | node -e "const d=require('fs').readFileSync('/dev/stdin','utf8');const j=JSON.parse(d);console.log(j.filter(n=>n.focusable).map(n=>n.name))"

All inputs have associated labels

Every form control needs a programmatically associated label via for/id, wrapping, or aria-labelledby. Placeholders are not labels.

speakable form.html -f audit

Required fields are announced

Inputs with the required attribute or aria-required="true" should be announced as required by screen readers.

speakable form.html -f text -s nvda --selector "input[required]"

Error messages are linked to inputs

When validation fails, error messages should be associated via aria-describedby so they're announced when the input receives focus.

speakable form.html -f text -s jaws --selector "[aria-invalid]"

Fieldsets group related controls

Radio buttons and checkbox groups should be wrapped in a fieldset with a legend to provide group context.

speakable form.html -f text --selector "fieldset"

Status messages use aria-live regions

Content that updates dynamically (success messages, counters) should be in an aria-live="polite" region so screen readers announce changes.

Loading states communicate progress

Spinners and loading indicators should use role="progressbar" or aria-busy="true" to inform assistive technology that content is loading.

Toast notifications use role="alert"

Transient notifications should use role="alert" or aria-live="assertive" to interrupt the user and announce immediately.

speakable toast.html -f text -s all

Images have alt text (or are decorative)

Informative images need descriptive alt text. Decorative images should use alt="" to be hidden from screen readers.

speakable page.html -f audit | grep "image"

Videos have captions/transcripts

Video content must have synchronized captions for deaf users and transcripts for deafblind users.

Icons used as buttons have accessible names

Icon buttons without visible text must have aria-label or visually hidden text to communicate their purpose.

speakable page.html -f text --selector "button"

Data tables have headers

Use <th> elements with proper scope attributes so screen readers can associate data cells with their column or row headers.

speakable table.html -f text -s nvda --selector "table"

Caption or aria-label identifies table purpose

Every data table should have a <caption> or aria-label that describes what data the table presents.

speakable table.html -f audit

Layout tables don't use table semantics

Tables used purely for layout should have role="presentation" to prevent screen readers from announcing table structure.

Custom controls have correct ARIA roles

Non-native widgets (tabs, accordions, menus) must have appropriate ARIA roles so screen readers announce their type correctly.

speakable widget.html -f text -s all

States are communicated (expanded, checked, etc.)

Dynamic states like aria-expanded, aria-checked, and aria-selected must update when the user interacts with the widget.

speakable widget.html -f json | grep "state"

Keyboard interaction follows ARIA patterns

Custom widgets should follow the ARIA Authoring Practices keyboard patterns (arrow keys for tabs, Enter/Space for buttons, etc.).