Web-Dev-For-Beginners/1-getting-started-lessons/3-accessibility/assignment.md

# Comprehensive Website Accessibility Audit

## Instructions

In this assignment, you'll conduct a professional-level accessibility audit of a real website, applying the principles and techniques you've learned. This hands-on experience will deepen your understanding of accessibility barriers and solutions.

Choose a website that appears to have accessibility issues—this gives you more learning opportunities than analyzing an already-perfect site. Good candidates include older websites, complex web applications, or sites with rich multimedia content.

### Phase 1: Strategic manual evaluation

Before reaching for automated tools, perform a comprehensive manual assessment. This human-centered approach often reveals issues that tools miss and helps you understand the real user experience.

**🔍 Essential evaluation criteria:**

**Navigation and Structure:**
- Can you navigate the entire site using only keyboard (Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, Arrow keys)?
- Are focus indicators clearly visible on all interactive elements?
- Does the heading structure (H1-H6) create a logical content outline?
- Are there skip links to jump to main content?

**Visual Accessibility:**
- Is there sufficient color contrast throughout the site (minimum 4.5:1 for normal text)?
- Does the site rely solely on color to convey important information?
- Do all images have appropriate alternative text?
- Does the layout remain functional when zoomed to 200%?

**Content and Communication:**
- Are there any "click here" or ambiguous link texts?
- Can you understand the content and functionality without visual cues?
- Are form fields properly labeled and grouped?
- Are error messages clear and helpful?

**Interactive Elements:**
- Do all buttons and form controls work with keyboard alone?
- Are dynamic content changes announced to screen readers?
- Do modal dialogs and complex widgets follow proper accessibility patterns?

📝 **Document your findings** with specific examples, screenshots, and page URLs. Note both issues and things done well.

### Phase 2: Comprehensive automated testing

Now validate and expand your manual findings using industry-standard accessibility testing tools. Each tool has different strengths, so using multiple tools gives you complete coverage.

**🛠️ Required testing tools:**

1. **Lighthouse Accessibility Audit** (built into Chrome/Edge DevTools)
   - Run audit on multiple pages
   - Focus on specific metrics and recommendations
   - Note your accessibility score and specific violations

2. **axe DevTools** (browser extension - industry standard)
   - More detailed issue detection than Lighthouse
   - Provides specific code examples for fixes
   - Tests against WCAG 2.1 criteria

3. **WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluator** (browser extension)
   - Visual representation of accessibility features
   - Highlights both errors and positive features
   - Great for understanding page structure

4. **Color Contrast Analyzers**
   - WebAIM Contrast Checker for specific color pairs
   - Browser extensions for page-wide analysis
   - Test against both WCAG AA and AAA standards

**🎧 Real assistive technology testing:**
- **Screen reader testing**: Use NVDA (Windows), VoiceOver (Mac), or TalkBack (Android)
- **Keyboard-only navigation**: Unplug your mouse and navigate the entire site
- **Zoom testing**: Test functionality at 200% and 400% zoom levels
- **Voice control testing**: If available, try voice navigation tools

**📊 Organize your results** by creating a master spreadsheet with:
- Issue description and location
- Severity level (Critical/High/Medium/Low)
- WCAG success criteria violated
- Tool that detected the issue
- Screenshots and evidence

### Phase 3: Comprehensive findings documentation

Create a professional accessibility audit report that demonstrates your understanding of both technical issues and their human impact.

**📋 Required report sections:**

1. **Executive Summary** (1 page)
   - Website URL and brief description
   - Overall accessibility maturity level
   - Top 3 most critical issues
   - Estimated impact on users with disabilities

2. **Methodology** (½ page)
   - Testing approach and tools used
   - Pages evaluated and device/browser combinations
   - Standards evaluated against (WCAG 2.1 AA)

3. **Detailed Findings** (2-3 pages)
   - Issues categorized by WCAG principle (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust)
   - Include screenshots and specific examples
   - Note positive accessibility features you found
   - Cross-reference with automated tool results

4. **User Impact Assessment** (1 page)
   - How identified issues affect users with different disabilities
   - Scenarios describing real user experiences
   - Business impact (legal risk, SEO, user base expansion)

**📸 Evidence collection:**
- Screenshots of accessibility violations
- Screen recordings of problematic user flows
- Tool reports (save as PDFs)
- Code examples showing issues

### Phase 4: Professional remediation plan

Develop a strategic, prioritized plan for fixing accessibility issues. This demonstrates your ability to think like a professional web developer addressing real business constraints.

**🎯 Create detailed improvement recommendations (minimum 10 issues):**

**For each identified issue, provide:**

- **Issue Description**: Clear explanation of what's wrong and why it's problematic
- **WCAG Reference**: Specific success criteria violated (e.g., "2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) - Level A")
- **User Impact**: How this affects people with different disabilities
- **Solution**: Specific code changes, design modifications, or process improvements
- **Priority Level**: Critical (blocks basic usage) / High (significant barrier) / Medium (usability issue) / Low (enhancement)
- **Implementation Effort**: Time/complexity estimate (Quick win / Moderate effort / Major refactor)
- **Testing Verification**: How to verify the fix works

**Example improvement entry:**

```
Issue: Generic "Read more" link text appears 8 times on homepage
WCAG Reference: 2.4.4 Link Purpose (In Context) - Level A
User Impact: Screen reader users cannot distinguish between links when viewed in link list
Solution: Replace with descriptive text like "Read more about sustainability initiatives"
Priority: High (major navigation barrier)
Effort: Low (30 minutes to update content)
Testing: Generate link list with screen reader - each link should be meaningful standalone
```

**📈 Strategic implementation phases:**

- **Phase 1 (0-2 weeks)**: Critical issues that block basic functionality
- **Phase 2 (1-2 months)**: High-priority improvements for better user experience
- **Phase 3 (3-6 months)**: Medium-priority enhancements and process improvements
- **Phase 4 (Ongoing)**: Continuous monitoring and enhancement

## Evaluation Rubric

Your accessibility audit will be assessed on both technical accuracy and professional presentation:

| Criteria | Excellent (90-100%) | Good (80-89%) | Satisfactory (70-79%) | Needs Improvement (<70%) |
|----------|-------------------|---------------|---------------------|------------------------|
| **Manual Testing Depth** | Comprehensive evaluation covering all POUR principles with detailed observations and user scenarios | Good coverage of most accessibility areas with clear findings and some user impact analysis | Basic evaluation covering key areas with adequate observations | Limited testing with superficial observations and minimal user impact consideration |
| **Tool Utilization & Analysis** | Uses all required tools effectively, cross-references findings, includes clear evidence, and analyzes tool limitations | Uses most tools with good documentation, some cross-referencing, and adequate evidence | Uses required tools with basic documentation and some evidence | Minimal tool usage, poor documentation, or missing evidence |
| **Issue Identification & Categorization** | Identifies 15+ specific issues across all WCAG principles, accurately categorizes by severity, demonstrates deep understanding | Identifies 10-14 issues across most WCAG principles, good categorization, shows solid understanding | Identifies 7-9 issues with adequate WCAG coverage and basic categorization | Identifies <7 issues with limited scope or poor categorization |
| **Solution Quality & Feasibility** | 10+ detailed, actionable solutions with accurate WCAG references, realistic implementation timelines, and verification methods | 8-9 well-developed solutions with mostly accurate references and good implementation details | 6-7 basic solutions with some detail and generally realistic approaches | <6 solutions or insufficient detail, unrealistic implementations |
| **Professional Communication** | Report is excellently organized, clearly written, includes executive summary, uses appropriate technical language, and follows business document standards | Well-organized with good writing quality, includes most required sections, appropriate tone | Adequately organized with acceptable writing, includes basic required sections | Poor organization, unclear writing, or missing key sections |
| **Real-World Application** | Demonstrates understanding of business impact, legal considerations, user diversity, and practical implementation challenges | Shows good understanding of practical applications with some business context | Basic understanding of real-world applications | Limited connection to practical applications |

## Advanced Challenge Options

**🚀 For students seeking additional challenge:**

- **Comparative Analysis**: Audit 2-3 competing websites and compare their accessibility maturity
- **Mobile Accessibility Focus**: Deep dive into mobile-specific accessibility issues using Android TalkBack or iOS VoiceOver
- **International Perspective**: Research and apply accessibility standards from different countries (EN 301 549, Section 508, ADA)
- **Accessibility Statement Review**: Evaluate the website's existing accessibility statement (if any) against your findings

## Deliverables

Submit a comprehensive accessibility audit report that demonstrates professional-level analysis and practical implementation planning:

**📄 Final Report Requirements:**

1. **Executive Summary** (1 page)
   - Website overview and accessibility maturity assessment
   - Key findings summary with business impact
   - Recommended priority actions

2. **Methodology and Scope** (1 page)
   - Testing approach, tools used, and evaluation criteria
   - Pages/sections evaluated and any limitations
   - Standards compliance framework (WCAG 2.1 AA)

3. **Detailed Findings Report** (3-4 pages)
   - Manual testing observations with user scenarios
   - Automated tool results with cross-referencing
   - Issues organized by WCAG principles with evidence
   - Positive accessibility features identified

4. **Strategic Remediation Plan** (3-4 pages)
   - Prioritized improvement recommendations (minimum 10)
   - Implementation timeline with effort estimates
   - Success metrics and verification methods
   - Long-term accessibility maintenance strategy

5. **Supporting Evidence** (Appendices)
   - Screenshots of accessibility violations and testing tools
   - Code examples demonstrating issues and solutions
   - Tool reports and audit summaries
   - Screen reader testing notes or recordings

**📊 Format Requirements:**
- **Document format**: PDF (professional presentation)
- **Word count**: 2,500-3,500 words (excluding appendices and screenshots)
- **Visual elements**: Include screenshots, diagrams, and examples throughout
- **Citations**: Reference WCAG guidelines and accessibility resources appropriately

**💡 Pro Tips for Excellence:**
- Use professional report formatting with consistent headings and styling
- Include a table of contents for easy navigation
- Balance technical accuracy with clear, business-appropriate language
- Demonstrate understanding of both technical implementation and user impact

## Learning Outcomes

After completing this comprehensive accessibility audit, you will have developed essential professional skills:

**🎯 Technical Competencies:**
- **Accessibility Testing Mastery**: Proficiency with industry-standard manual and automated testing methods
- **WCAG Application**: Practical experience applying Web Content Accessibility Guidelines to real-world scenarios
- **Assistive Technology Understanding**: Hands-on experience with screen readers and keyboard navigation
- **Problem-Solution Mapping**: Ability to identify accessibility barriers and develop specific, actionable remediation strategies

**💼 Professional Skills:**
- **Technical Communication**: Experience writing professional accessibility reports for diverse stakeholders
- **Strategic Planning**: Ability to prioritize accessibility improvements based on user impact and implementation feasibility
- **Quality Assurance**: Understanding of accessibility testing as part of the development lifecycle
- **Risk Assessment**: Appreciation for legal, business, and ethical implications of accessibility compliance

**🌍 Inclusive Design Mindset:**
- **User Empathy**: Deep understanding of diverse user needs and assistive technology interactions
- **Universal Design Principles**: Recognition that accessible design benefits all users, not just those with disabilities
- **Continuous Improvement**: Framework for ongoing accessibility assessment and enhancement
- **Advocacy Skills**: Confidence to promote accessibility best practices in future projects and teams

**🚀 Career Preparation:**
This assignment mirrors real-world accessibility consulting projects, giving you portfolio-worthy experience that demonstrates:
- Systematic problem-solving approach
- Attention to both technical details and business impact
- Clear communication of complex technical concepts
- Understanding of legal and ethical responsibilities in web development

Upon completion, you'll be prepared to contribute meaningfully to accessibility initiatives in any web development role and advocate for inclusive design practices throughout your career.