Blank checklist, printable form

Non-Web Software Accessibility Checklist

EN 301 549 Chapter 11, Desktop, Native & Installed Applications

Blank checklist for offline completion.

Tick one box per row. Add comments and evidence references in the Notes column as needed.

Platform Accessibility API

EN 301 549 §11.5, Software must use the platform accessibility API to expose UI information to assistive technology.

Ref	Severity	Requirement	Status
EN 301 549 §11.5.2.3	Critical	All UI elements expose an accessible name via the platform accessibility API.On Windows, use UI Automation (UIA) or MSAA. On macOS, use NSAccessibility. On Linux, use ATK/AT-SPI. Every control must have a programmatic name.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
EN 301 549 §11.5.2.5	Critical	All UI elements expose their role (button, checkbox, text field, etc.).Custom-drawn controls must map to standard accessibility roles. A painted rectangle acting as a button must expose role='button' to the accessibility API.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
EN 301 549 §11.5.2.7	Critical	State changes (checked, expanded, selected, disabled) are programmatically exposed.When a checkbox is toggled or a tree node expanded, the state change must be announced by the screen reader via the accessibility API.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
EN 301 549 §11.5.2.9	Major	Parent-child relationships between UI elements are exposed.A list must expose its items as children. A tab panel must be associated with its tab. This enables screen reader navigation of complex structures.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
EN 301 549 §11.5.2.12	Major	Text content is programmatically determinable (caret position, selection, attributes).Screen readers need to read, navigate, and select text within text areas and documents. The accessibility API must expose text content and attributes.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A

EN 301 549 §11.1.2.1 (maps to WCAG 2.1.1), All functionality must be keyboard-operable.

Ref	Severity	Requirement	Status
WCAG 2.1.1	Critical	All functionality is accessible using the keyboard alone.Every action, opening menus, activating buttons, navigating trees, editing content, must work without a mouse. Test with keyboard only, mouse unplugged.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
WCAG 2.1.2	Critical	No keyboard traps exist, focus can always be moved away.Dialogs, panels, and embedded controls must not trap keyboard focus. The user must always be able to Tab or Escape away.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
WCAG 2.4.7	Critical	Keyboard focus indicator is clearly visible on all focused elements.A visible ring, outline, or highlight must indicate which element has focus. Never suppress the focus indicator without a visible replacement.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
WCAG 2.4.3	Major	Tab order follows a logical, meaningful sequence.Focus should move through controls in the order a user would expect, typically top-to-bottom, left-to-right, matching the visual layout.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
WCAG 2.1.1	Major	Standard keyboard shortcuts follow platform conventions.Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V, Ctrl+Z must work as expected. Custom shortcuts must not conflict with OS or screen reader shortcuts.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A

WCAG 1.3-1.4 applied to software UI, contrast, resizing, colour use.

Ref	Severity	Requirement	Status
WCAG 1.4.3	Critical	Text colour contrast meets 4.5:1 ratio (3:1 for large text).Measure against the actual background in the application. Custom themes and dark mode must also meet contrast requirements.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
WCAG 1.4.11	Major	Non-text UI components (icons, borders, focus rings) meet 3:1 contrast.Button outlines, input field borders, and icon graphics must have sufficient contrast against their background.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
WCAG 1.4.4	Critical	Application respects OS text scaling / DPI settings up to 200%.When the user sets system font size to 200% or changes DPI, the application must scale text without truncation, overlap, or loss of functionality.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
EN 301 549 §11.7	Major	Application supports OS high contrast mode.On Windows, High Contrast Mode must be respected. On macOS, Increase Contrast must be honored. Don't override system accessibility display settings.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
WCAG 1.4.1	Critical	Colour is not the only means of conveying information.Error indicators, status lights, and selected states must use text, icons, or patterns in addition to colour.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A

Verification with platform screen readers, NVDA, JAWS, Narrator, VoiceOver.

Ref	Severity	Requirement	Status
EN 301 549 §11.5.2.3	Critical	Screen reader compatibility verified with NVDA or JAWS (Windows).Test all major workflows with NVDA (free) and/or JAWS. Verify that all controls are announced, state changes are reported, and navigation is logical.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
EN 301 549 §11.5.2.3	Critical	Screen reader compatibility verified with VoiceOver (macOS).If your software runs on macOS, test with VoiceOver enabled. Verify Rotor navigation, element descriptions, and action announcements.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
EN 301 549 §11.5.2.3	Major	Screen reader compatibility verified with Narrator (Windows) or Orca (Linux).Test with additional screen readers to ensure broad compatibility. Narrator is built into Windows; Orca is the primary Linux screen reader.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A

WCAG 3.3 applied to software, error identification, suggestions, and recovery.

Ref	Severity	Requirement	Status
WCAG 3.3.1	Critical	Error messages are identified in text and describe the problem.'File not found: config.xml', not just a beep or red highlight. Error messages must be text that screen readers can announce.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
WCAG 3.3.3	Major	Error correction suggestions are provided where the expected input is known.If a filename is invalid, explain the naming rules. If a number is out of range, state the acceptable range.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
WCAG 3.3.4	Major	Undo/redo is available for destructive actions.Delete, overwrite, and format actions should be reversible via Ctrl+Z or an explicit Undo option. For irreversible actions, require confirmation.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
EN 301 549 §11.1.2.1	Minor	Application has auto-save or data recovery on crash.Users with disabilities may take longer to complete tasks. Losing work due to a crash is disproportionately harmful. Auto-save at regular intervals.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A

The installation and update process must itself be accessible.

Ref	Severity	Requirement	Status
EN 301 549 §11.1.2.1	Critical	Installation wizard is keyboard-accessible and screen reader compatible.The entire install flow, EULA, options, progress, completion, must work with keyboard and screen reader. No mouse-only steps.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
EN 301 549 §11.1.2.1	Major	Update notifications are accessible (text-based, screen reader announced).Update prompts must be announced by screen readers. 'Update available' must be navigable and dismissible with keyboard.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A
EN 301 549 §5.2	Major	Installation does not reset previously configured accessibility settings.An application update must not disable screen reader support, high contrast mode, or custom accessibility configurations the user has set.	☐ Pass ☐ Partial ☐ FAIL ☐ N/A