WCAG Accessibility Analysis

LLMSE performs automated WCAG 2.1 Level A accessibility checks on every classified website. With 15 checks covering images, forms, headings, navigation, and more, it identifies the most common accessibility barriers that prevent users with disabilities from accessing web content.

Available via: MCP server and REST API. Automated static HTML checks cover approximately 30-40% of WCAG 2.1 Level A criteria. Manual testing with assistive technologies is required for full compliance.

WCAG Grading

Every classified website receives a WCAG accessibility grade using deduction-based scoring (starting at 100):

A Excellent (90-100) — Very few accessibility issues detected. Strong foundations for inclusive access
B Good (80-89) — Minor issues that should be addressed but don't severely impact access
C Average (70-79) — Several issues present. Some users may face barriers
D Below Average (60-69) — Significant accessibility gaps. Many users with disabilities will struggle
F Poor (<60) — Critical accessibility failures. Major barriers for assistive technology users

Scoring: Critical issues deduct 15 points each, warnings deduct 5 points, and informational issues deduct 1 point.

15 Accessibility Checks

The WCAG analyzer performs 15 automated checks against WCAG 2.1 Level A success criteria:

Critical Checks

Failures that prevent access for users with disabilities:

1.1.1 Missing Alt Text — Images without alt attributes. Screen readers cannot describe these images to blind users
1.3.1 Missing Form Labels — Form inputs without associated labels, aria-label, or title. Users cannot identify form fields
2.4.2 Missing Page Title — No <title> element. Screen reader users rely on page titles for orientation
3.1.1 Missing Lang Attribute — No lang attribute on <html>. Screen readers cannot select the correct pronunciation
2.4.4 Empty Links — Links with no visible text, aria-label, or image alt text. Users cannot determine link purpose
4.1.2 Empty Buttons — Buttons with no accessible name. Users cannot determine what the button does
1.4.4 Viewport Zoom Blocked — Viewport meta tag prevents user zoom. Low-vision users cannot magnify content

Warning Checks

Issues that create barriers but may have partial workarounds:

1.3.1 Heading Hierarchy — Heading level skips (e.g., H1 to H3). Screen reader users navigate by heading levels
4.1.2 Missing ARIA Labels — Interactive elements with ARIA roles but no accessible names
4.1.1 Duplicate IDs — Multiple elements sharing the same ID, breaking ARIA references and label associations
2.4.1 Missing Skip Navigation — No skip-to-main-content link. Keyboard users must tab through the entire header on every page
1.3.1 Missing Table Headers — Data tables without <th> elements. Screen readers cannot announce column/row context
N/A Missing Landmarks — No ARIA landmarks or HTML5 semantic elements (main, nav, header, footer)
1.4.2 Autoplay Media — Audio or video that plays automatically (muted video autoplay is acceptable)

Informational Check

N/A Positive Tabindex — Elements with positive tabindex values that disrupt the natural tab order

WCAG Grade in Search Results

The WCAG Grade badge appears on classification results, giving a quick accessibility indicator.

Why web accessibility matters:

  • Inclusion — Over 1 billion people worldwide live with disabilities
  • Legal compliance — Many jurisdictions require web accessibility (ADA, EAA, Section 508)
  • Better UX — Accessible sites are easier for everyone to use
  • SEO benefits — Many accessibility improvements also help search engines

Full Reports via MCP & API

Get detailed WCAG reports with all 15 checks, issue descriptions, and WCAG criterion references:

MCP Server

Use the analyze_wcag tool through your AI assistant:

"Check WCAG accessibility for https://example.com"

Set up via the LLMSE Public MCP server.

REST API

Call the WCAG endpoint directly:

GET /api/v1/wcag?url=https://example.com

See full parameters and response schema in the interactive API docs.

Browse by WCAG Grade

Filter classified websites by their WCAG accessibility grade:

wcag Grade A (Excellent) ?wcag=A
wcag Grade B (Good) ?wcag=B
wcag Grade C (Average) ?wcag=C
wcag Grade D (Below Average) ?wcag=D
wcag Grade F (Poor) ?wcag=F

Advanced WCAG Queries

Combine WCAG grade with other filters using advanced search syntax:

q Accessible Government sites wcag:A cat:"Law and Government"
q Accessible Education sites wcag:A cat:Education
q Poorly accessible E-commerce wcag:F cat:Shopping

See all available filters on the query examples page.

WCAG Distribution Statistics

View the distribution of WCAG grades across all classified websites on our Market Share page. The WCAG Grades chart shows how websites are distributed across the A-F grading scale.

Learn More