Accessibility regression release checklist
A release checklist for baseline capture, automated regression evidence, manual review and recovery verification.
How to use it
Copy, assign owners, then attach real evidence.
A checklist is useful only if each item has an owner and a verifiable state. Do not mark an item complete because a tool returned a green badge.
- [ ] Critical public URLs and owners listed - [ ] Baseline scan captured before release - [ ] New automated findings separated from persistent findings - [ ] Manual review owner assigned for consequential changes - [ ] Fix verified against the same URL and baseline logic - [ ] Release evidence retained with deployment reference
Checklist
What complete should mean.
Critical public URLs and owners listed
Baseline scan captured before release
New automated findings separated from persistent findings
Manual review owner assigned for consequential changes
Fix verified against the same URL and baseline logic
Release evidence retained with deployment reference
Primary / official source basis
Keep the checklist tied to the current source.
Reviewed 2026-08-31. Source owner: W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI).
Evaluating Web Accessibility Overview
W3C WAI
W3C explains that evaluation tools help but no tool alone can determine accessibility; knowledgeable human evaluation is required.
Understanding Conformance — WCAG 2.2
W3C WAI
W3C describes conformance testing as a combination of automated testing and human evaluation.
The template is an operating aid, not certification.
Use the checklist to structure evidence, ownership and review. It does not replace the authoritative system, regulator, specialist audit, legal advice or professional judgement that may apply to the underlying job.
- Automated evidence requires manual review
- No claim of WCAG conformance, legal certification or full accessibility audit
- No accessibility overlay or auto-remediation promise