WCAG SERIES BEGINNERS
Post 1: Understanding WCAG & 508 Post 2: The Evolution of Web A11y Post 3: WCAG vs Section 508 Post 4: Pour Web Design Post 5: WCAG Success Criteria Post 6: A11y Enforcement Post 8: WCAG & Section 508 Toolkit
Bringing It All Together
Your 30-Day WCAG Action Plan to Build Accessible Sites
If you've followed this WCAG Series for Beginners from the start—covering the history of WCAG and Section 508 in Post 1, the evolution of accessibility in Post 2, WCAG vs. 508 in Post 3, the POUR principles in Post 4, success criteria in Post 5, enforcement in Post 6, and your toolkit in Post 7—you now have a solid foundation.
This post synthesizes everything into a practical 30-day action plan. It’s designed to take a typical site from zero to WCAG 2.1 AA conformance, while meeting Section 508 requirements and reducing legal risk. Whether you're a developer, designer, or federal contractor preparing a VPAT, this plan is scoped for a small-to-medium site (10–20 pages) and can be scaled as needed.
Your 30-Day WCAG Action Plan: Week by Week
Track progress in a Google Sheet or Notion page with columns: Task, Success Criteria, Status, Notes. Use tools from Post 7.
Goal: Full-site snapshot of accessibility issues.
Day 1:Scope Your Site - Inventory all pages and assets (HTML, PDFs, images). Prioritize high-traffic areas.
Tool: Browser dev tools or Pa11y CLI.
Day 2: Automated Audit - Run axe DevTools or Lighthouse on core pages. Export issues (e.g., missing alt text, low contrast).
Goal: 80% automated coverage.
Day 3: Manual POUR Review - Test keyboard navigation (2.1.1) and visible focus (2.4.7). Use NVDA to verify perceivable content.
Tip: Limit to 90 minutes per page.
Day 4: Color & Media Audit - Check images/videos for captions (1.2.2) and color reliance (1.4.1). Use WAVE for visual cues.
Day 5: Forms & Language - Validate form labels (3.3.2), error messages (3.3.1), and readability (3.1.1).
Tool: ANDI browser extension.
Day 6: Robustness Check - Validate HTML with W3C Markup Validator. Test reflow at 400% zoom (1.4.10).
Output: Baseline report by POUR category.
Day 7: Prioritize Issues - Triage: Level A first, then AA. Estimate conformance (e.g., 65% AA met).
Goal: Resolve 50% of issues.
- Days 8–10: Perceivable Fixes - Add descriptive alt text. Adjust contrast (4.5:1 minimum). Caption videos with HTML5 tracks or YouTube.
- Days 11–12: Operable Fixes - Enable full keyboard access. Add skip links and proper heading structure (1.3.1).
- Day 13: Understandable Fixes - Use clear link text (“Download Guide” vs. “Click Here”). Add ARIA labels where needed.
- Day 14: Robustness Fixes - Use semantic HTML (
Goal: Real-world validation.
- Days 15–17: Assistive Tech Testing - Full NVDA/JAWS pass. Test VoiceOver on iOS. Flag silent or confusing elements.
- Days 18–19: User Testing - Recruit 2–3 testers (ideally one with a disability). Ask targeted questions. Log feedback.
- Day 20: Edge Cases - Test 200% text zoom (1.4.4), low bandwidth, and high-contrast mode.
- Day 21: Draft Compliance Docs - Begin VPAT/ACR: list met criteria, exceptions, and remediation plans.
Goal: Long-term compliance.
- Days 22–24: Final Audit - Repeat Week 1 scans. Document all fixes. Target 90%+ AA conformance.
- Days 25–26: Policy & Training - Draft an accessibility policy. Create a one-page POUR cheat sheet for your team.
- Day 27: Monitoring Setup - Schedule monthly WAVE scans. Track SEO and usability improvements.
- Days 28–29: Final Review - Add an accessibility statement page. Beta test with stakeholders.
- Day 30: Share Results - Export your report. Share a before/after summary on LinkedIn or your blog.
The Real Impact
This isn’t just compliance—it’s better design. Accessible sites serve the 1 billion people with disabilities, reduce legal exposure, improve SEO, and enhance UX for everyone.
We’re nearing the end. Next Monday, December 8, Post 9 covers common pitfalls and real-world fixes. The series finale on December 15 looks ahead to WCAG 3.0 and your role in the future of accessibility.
Your Turn: What’s your biggest accessibility challenge right now? Comment below—I’ll address top responses in Post 9. Share this plan and tag #WCAGActionPlan.
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