Who this is for

This guide is for web teams, agency project managers, freelancers, and anyone responsible for launching or relaunching a website. If you need a practical checklist to run before launch day, start here.

What to check first

Accessibility review should happen during development, not the night before launch. If you are close to launch, focus on the highest-impact checks first.

  • Key templates: Scan every unique template—homepage, contact page, service page, blog post, search results, and any custom layouts.
  • User flows: Test the most important user journeys: contact form submission, donation, sign-up, checkout, or application process.
  • Page-type presets: Use the checker's page-type selector to get context-specific review reminders for each template.
  • Critical and major issues: Fix these before launch. They represent real barriers for real users.
  • Keyboard and focus: Can every interactive element be reached and operated with a keyboard? Is focus visible?

Common accessibility issues found at launch

  • Content not yet reviewed: Real content added late in the process often introduces missing alt text, broken heading hierarchy, and vague link text.
  • Third-party widgets untested: Embedded maps, booking tools, payment forms, chat widgets, and social feeds are commonly added at the last minute and often have accessibility issues.
  • PDFs and documents not remediated: Launch-ready sites often include downloadable documents that have never been checked for accessibility.
  • Keyboard traps in custom components: Navigation menus, carousels, modals, and accordions can trap keyboard focus if not properly built.
  • Missing or outdated accessibility statement: A statement that claims full compliance or does not reflect the current site creates trust and legal risk.

What automated checks can help with

Use the SiteCheck Canada website accessibility checker to scan all key templates quickly. It finds missing alt text, form label issues, heading problems, empty buttons, duplicate IDs, iframe title problems, page language issues, and some contrast failures. Export developer tickets for critical and major findings and assign them to the right people before launch.

Read how to use an accessibility report for guidance on turning findings into tickets, client summaries, and manual review checklists.

What still needs human review

Automated scans cannot verify keyboard navigation, screen reader flow, alt text quality, PDF accessibility, video captions, or whether custom components handle focus correctly. A manual review pass before launch is essential.

Suggested pre-launch review workflow

  1. Inventory all templates and user flows that will launch.
  2. Run the website accessibility checker on each template with the appropriate page-type preset.
  3. Export developer tickets for critical and major findings and fix them before launch.
  4. Test keyboard navigation: tab through every page, check focus visibility and order.
  5. Test screen reader flow: listen to headings, forms, and dynamic content.
  6. Check PDFs, documents, videos, and embedded media for accessibility.
  7. Review third-party widgets: maps, booking tools, payment forms, and chat widgets.
  8. Update or publish an accessibility statement that accurately reflects current status.
  9. Use the Canadian website accessibility checklist as a final review reference.

After launch

Accessibility is not a one-time launch task. Schedule periodic re-scans, review new content and third-party integrations, and update your accessibility statement as the site evolves. The page-type checks guide and content editors guide are useful ongoing references for your team.

Useful SiteCheck Canada tools

Recommended next steps

Run the checker Scan all key templates with page-type presets. How to use your report Create developer tickets and manual checklists. Generate a statement draft Document current status before launch. Open the Canadian checklist Final review reference. Browse the issue library Fix common launch findings.