1-getting-started-lessons/3-accessibility/assignment.md
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.
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:
Visual Accessibility:
Content and Communication:
Interactive Elements:
📝 Document your findings with specific examples, screenshots, and page URLs. Note both issues and things done well.
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:
Lighthouse Accessibility Audit (built into Chrome/Edge DevTools)
axe DevTools (browser extension - industry standard)
WAVE Web Accessibility Evaluator (browser extension)
Color Contrast Analyzers
🎧 Real assistive technology testing:
📊 Organize your results by creating a master spreadsheet with:
Create a professional accessibility audit report that demonstrates your understanding of both technical issues and their human impact.
📋 Required report sections:
Executive Summary (1 page)
Methodology (½ page)
Detailed Findings (2-3 pages)
User Impact Assessment (1 page)
📸 Evidence collection:
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:
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:
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 |
🚀 For students seeking additional challenge:
Submit a comprehensive accessibility audit report that demonstrates professional-level analysis and practical implementation planning:
📄 Final Report Requirements:
Executive Summary (1 page)
Methodology and Scope (1 page)
Detailed Findings Report (3-4 pages)
Strategic Remediation Plan (3-4 pages)
Supporting Evidence (Appendices)
📊 Format Requirements:
💡 Pro Tips for Excellence:
After completing this comprehensive accessibility audit, you will have developed essential professional skills:
🎯 Technical Competencies:
💼 Professional Skills:
🌍 Inclusive Design Mindset:
🚀 Career Preparation: This assignment mirrors real-world accessibility consulting projects, giving you portfolio-worthy experience that demonstrates:
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.