What this checks
- Images — missing
altattributes, and alt text that's just a filename. - Forms — inputs, selects, and textareas with no associated label or ARIA name.
- Headings — missing
<h1>and skipped heading levels that break the document outline. - Links & buttons — empty links, generic "click here" text, and buttons with no accessible name.
- Media — video and audio without a captions track, and media that autoplays.
- Page basics — missing
langattribute, missing<title>, untitled iframes, and positivetabindex. - Colour contrast — best-effort check on inline text/background colours below the 4.5:1 AA ratio.
Why eLearning accessibility matters
Under Section 508, US federal agencies and contractors must meet WCAG 2.0 AA. The European Accessibility Act extends similar duties across the EU, and most enterprise LMS buyers now require WCAG conformance in their contracts. An inaccessible course isn't just a compliance risk — it locks out learners who rely on screen readers, keyboard navigation, or captions.
What automated checking can and can't catch
Automated tools reliably catch the structural failures — missing alt text, unlabeled fields, broken headings — which make up the majority of real-world violations. But they catch only an estimated 30–40% of all WCAG criteria. Things like whether alt text is actually meaningful, whether the reading order makes sense, or whether a colour combination works for a specific user still require human judgement. Use this as a fast first pass, then test with a keyboard and a screen reader before certifying compliance.
Frequently asked questions
Is my course file uploaded anywhere?
No. Everything runs in your browser with JavaScript — the package never leaves your computer.
Which standard does this check against?
The checks map to WCAG 2.1 success criteria (noted on each finding), which is the basis for both Section 508 and the European Accessibility Act.
Why is colour contrast only "best-effort"?
Accurate contrast checking requires rendering the page to know the actual computed colours. This tool reads inline color and background-color styles where both are explicitly set — it will catch obvious failures but can't see colours that come from external CSS or images. Always confirm contrast visually.
Does it work on non-SCORM HTML courses?
Yes. It scans every HTML file in the zip, so any web-based course package works — SCORM, xAPI, cmi5, or plain HTML.