A practical checklist for cultural institutions preparing to audit, rebuild, or evaluate their website’s accessibility, before and after launch.
Every organization with a public-facing website has an obligation to make it accessible. For museums and cultural institutions, that obligation runs deeper.
Museums exist to serve the public, all of it. Their collections, exhibitions, programs, and educational resources belong to a community that includes people with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive disabilities. When a museum’s website is inaccessible, it does not just fail a technical standard. It fails the people it was built to serve.
There is also a legal dimension. Museums that receive federal funding, through grants, NEA support, IMLS funding, or other federal sources, are subject to Section 508 compliance requirements in addition to WCAG 2.1 AA standards. ADA Title III has also been increasingly applied to websites by federal courts, including institutions that do not receive federal funding directly.
The checklist that follows is organized into eight areas specific to museum and cultural institution websites. It is designed to be used by communications staff, digital managers, and web partners evaluating accessibility before a rebuild begins or after a site has launched.
These are the baseline requirements that apply to every public-facing website, and the starting point for any museum accessibility audit.
All images have descriptive alt text that conveys the meaning of the image to a screen reader user, not just the file name or a generic description like “image of painting.”
All videos have accurate closed captions. Auto-generated captions are not sufficient for accessibility compliance, they must be reviewed and corrected before publishing.
All audio content has a text transcript available on the same page or linked directly below the audio player.
Color contrast ratios meet WCAG 2.1 AA minimums, 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. This includes text overlaid on images, which is common in museum exhibition and event pages.
All interactive elements: buttons, links, forms, navigation menus – are fully operable by keyboard alone without requiring a mouse or touchpad.
Focus indicators are visible on all interactive elements when navigated by keyboard, the outline or highlight that shows which element is currently selected must be clearly visible, not hidden by CSS.
All form fields have associated labels that are programmatically connected, not just visually positioned near the field.
Error messages on forms are specific and descriptive, not just “error” or a red highlight with no explanation.
Page titles are unique and descriptive for every page on the site, not just “Home” and “About” but titles that tell a screen reader user exactly what page they are on.
Heading structure is logical and sequential: H1 for the page title, H2 for major sections, H3 for subsections – without skipping levels or using headings purely for visual styling.
Museum collections and exhibition content present unique accessibility challenges that go beyond standard WCAG requirements.
All collection object images have alt text that describes the object: its subject, medium, approximate date, and any culturally significant context a sighted visitor would receive from the label or caption.
Exhibition pages do not rely solely on visual presentation to communicate content. Key information: dates, themes, featured artists or objects, significance – is available in text form alongside any visual or video elements.
Interactive exhibition features: virtual tours, zoom tools, 360-degree views – have accessible alternatives or equivalently informative text descriptions for users who cannot access the interactive version.
Object detail pages include readable text descriptions that are sufficient to understand the object without viewing the image, for users with visual impairments or in low-bandwidth environments where images may not load.
Collection search and filter tools are fully keyboard operable and include visible focus states on all interactive elements.
Any downloadable collection materials: PDFs, exhibition guides, educational resources – are tagged for accessibility and readable by screen readers. Scanned PDFs without text layers are not accessible and should be replaced or supplemented with accessible versions.
The ticketing and event registration experience is one of the most common accessibility failure points on museum websites – and one of the most consequential, because it directly affects who can attend.
The ticketing path, from event discovery to confirmed purchase, is fully operable by keyboard alone and does not require mouse interaction at any step.
Ticketing forms include clear, programmatically associated labels for all fields. Required fields are identified in a way that does not rely on color alone, a red asterisk must also include a text label or aria description explaining that the field is required.
Time-limited sessions, where a ticket hold expires after a countdown, include an accessible warning before the session expires and a way to extend the time without losing progress.
Accessible seating or accommodation requests are available through the ticketing process, not buried in a separate contact form or available only by phone.
Confirmation emails and receipts are formatted to be readable by screen readers, not image-based or relying on visual formatting alone to convey information.
Third-party ticketing platforms embedded on the museum website are evaluated for accessibility before integration. If the third-party tool is inaccessible, a direct link to an accessible alternative or a phone-based option must be provided.
Museums in diverse communities serve audiences whose primary language is not English. Accessibility for these visitors is not just a translation question, it is a structural one.
The site’s primary language is correctly declared in the HTML lang attribute, this affects how screen readers pronounce content and how translation tools interpret the page.
Pages that include content in multiple languages declare the language change in the HTML for the portion of text that differs from the primary language.
If a language selector or translation tool is offered, it is keyboard accessible and does not rely on a hover state alone to activate.
Translated content, whether machine-translated or human-translated, is reviewed for accuracy before publishing. Machine translation of culturally specific content, exhibition descriptions, and institutional language often produces errors that are misleading or culturally inappropriate.
Images, iconography, and visual content are reviewed for cultural sensitivity across the audiences the museum serves, particularly for institutions with collections from cultures other than the dominant local culture.
Museums serve learners of all ages and abilities. Educational content on museum websites carries a higher accessibility obligation than general marketing content.
Educational downloadable resources: lesson plans, activity guides, educator packets – are fully accessible PDFs with tagged headings, alt text for images, and reading order that makes sense when read linearly by a screen reader.
Video educational content includes closed captions, audio descriptions for visual content that is not described in the narration, and transcripts available on the same page.
Interactive educational tools: timelines, quizzes, sorting activities, have accessible alternatives or text-based equivalents for users who cannot access the interactive version.
Educational content written for children uses clear, plain language appropriate to the age range, and does not assume visual comprehension of accompanying images for users accessing the content through a screen reader.
Student and educator registration forms follow the same accessibility standards as ticketing forms: fully keyboard operable, clearly labeled, with accessible error handling.
Museum visitors frequently access websites on mobile devices in low-connectivity environments: in transit, on campus, or in areas with limited signal. Accessibility in these conditions is often overlooked.
The website is fully responsive and operable on mobile devices, all interactive elements are large enough to activate by touch without precision tapping, and touch targets meet the WCAG 2.1 AA minimum of 44×44 pixels.
The site loads core content: exhibition information, hours, ticketing links, contact information – in under three seconds on a standard mobile connection. Pages that load slowly effectively exclude visitors without high-speed data plans.
Images are appropriately compressed and served at responsive sizes – not serving desktop-resolution images to mobile visitors, which increases load times without improving the experience.
Core information: hours, location, admission prices, accessibility accommodations – is available without requiring JavaScript to load. Visitors using older devices or accessibility tools that do not fully support JavaScript should still be able to access essential information.
A museum’s website accessibility statement and physical accessibility information are often the first things a visitor with a disability checks before planning a visit. These pages are among the most important on a museum website, and among the most frequently neglected.
The website includes a dedicated accessibility page or section that clearly describes both digital and physical accessibility accommodations, not a one-line statement buried in the footer.
The accessibility page is easy to find from the homepage, either in the main navigation, the footer, or both. Visitors should not have to search for it.
Contact information for accessibility accommodation requests is clearly listed, including an email address, a phone number with TTY alternative where applicable, and a stated response time.
The accessibility statement includes the date it was last reviewed and a clear process for reporting accessibility barriers, so visitors know how to flag problems and what to expect in response.
Physical accessibility information: wheelchair access, elevator locations, quiet hours, sensory-friendly programs, assistive listening devices – is described specifically enough to allow a visitor to plan their trip with confidence, not just a statement that the museum is “ADA compliant.”
Accessibility is not a one-time audit. It requires ongoing attention as the website evolves, content is added, and platform updates are applied.
A designated staff member or web partner is responsible for accessibility monitoring, not just at launch but on an ongoing basis as content is added and the site is updated.
New content: exhibition pages, event listings, blog posts, educational resources – follows the same accessibility standards as existing content. Staff who add content to the site have received training on accessible content creation.
Third-party tools and plugins are evaluated for accessibility before integration and re-evaluated when updates are applied. A plugin update that breaks keyboard navigation or removes focus indicators creates an accessibility regression that may go unnoticed for months.
An automated accessibility scanning tool, such as Axe, WAVE, or Silktide, is run regularly to catch regressions. Automated tools catch approximately 30 to 40 percent of accessibility issues, they supplement but do not replace manual testing and user testing with people with disabilities.
The website has been tested by at least one person who uses assistive technology: a screen reader, keyboard-only navigation, or voice control – not just evaluated by automated tools or sighted reviewers.
A documented accessibility roadmap exists, identifying known issues, prioritizing remediation, and setting realistic timelines for resolution. This document is useful both for internal accountability and for demonstrating good-faith effort in the event of an accessibility complaint or legal inquiry.
If your museum’s website has significant gaps across multiple sections of this checklist, a full rebuild through the Website Masterpiece Journey is likely the most efficient path to compliance and long-term accessibility. Retrofitting accessibility onto an inaccessible foundation is consistently more expensive and less effective than building it in from the start.
If your website is structurally sound but specific areas, collections content, ticketing, or educational resources, have accessibility gaps, targeted remediation may address the most critical issues without a full rebuild. The SEO and AI Search Visibility Audit includes an accessibility evaluation that identifies specific issues and their impact.
If you are uncertain where your website stands across these eight areas, the Executive Website Clarity Assessment includes accessibility as a core evaluation dimension, giving leadership a clear, documented picture before committing budget or board approval.
WCAG 2.1 AA is the recognized standard and is increasingly treated as a legal requirement for public-facing websites in the United States. Museums that receive federal funding, through NEA grants, IMLS support, or other federal sources, are subject to Section 508 compliance requirements.
ADA Title III has been applied to websites by federal courts for institutions that serve the public regardless of federal funding status. The legal landscape is evolving and museums that have not addressed accessibility are carrying growing exposure. Building to WCAG 2.1 AA is both the ethical and the risk-management standard for cultural institutions.
Section 508 applies specifically to federal agencies and organizations that receive federal funding, requiring their electronic content to be accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG 2.1 AA is a broader international standard developed by the W3C that has become the de facto legal benchmark for web accessibility in ADA-related litigation.
For most museums, WCAG 2.1 AA compliance satisfies both standards, Section 508 was updated in 2018 to incorporate WCAG 2.0 Level AA as its technical standard. Museums with active federal grants should confirm their specific compliance obligations with their legal counsel.
Collections database accessibility requires both technical and content work. Technically, the database interface must be keyboard operable, screen reader compatible, and navigable without relying on visual cues alone.
From a content perspective, every object record should include descriptive alt text for images, accessible text alternatives for any visual-only information, and reading order that makes sense when the page is read linearly.
For large collections, this is a significant content project, and one that is best approached in phases, prioritizing the most frequently visited or most publicly visible records first rather than attempting to address the entire collection at once.
A museum accessibility statement should include a clear declaration of your commitment to digital and physical accessibility, the standard you are working to meet and the date your site was last evaluated, a description of known limitations and your plan to address them, contact information for reporting accessibility barriers including an expected response time, and information about the physical accessibility accommodations available at your venue.
A statement that simply says “we are committed to accessibility” without specifics provides no useful information to visitors with disabilities and offers no legal protection in the event of a complaint.
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