An audit lists findings; a developer needs an order. This is the same checklist arranged the way the work is actually done, from the markup outwards, so each pass leaves the site measurably better rather than half-fixed in twelve places. On the worked example the whole list is 401 issues and 167 hours, and doing it in this order clears the template issues, which are 126 of them, before anybody opens a content page.
Pass one: structure and landmarks
One h1, headings in order, header, nav, main and footer as landmarks, a skip link that works, and the language attribute. This is markup, it is fast, and every assistive technology depends on it. Doing it first also makes the next passes quicker, because a screen reader test on a structureless page tells you nothing except that it has no structure.
Pass two: keyboard and focus
Tab through every template and fix in this order: anything unreachable, anything that traps focus, anything with no visible focus indicator, and any custom control that does not respond to enter and space. This is where the real usability failures are, and none of them are found by a scanner.
Pass three: names, contrast and content
Every control gets an accessible name, every meaningful image gets alt text, contrast meets the ratio, and errors are announced in text. Then the content long tail. On the worked example 180 missing alt attributes are the biggest single line and the cheapest to close, which is why they belong last rather than first.
Questions people ask about ada compliant website checklist
Can we automate any of this?
Structure and contrast partly, names partly, keyboard and focus not at all. Put the automatable part in CI so it stays fixed.
What about the CMS?
If editors can publish images without alt text, the content long tail regrows. Make the field required in the CMS: it is the single highest-leverage fix on this list.
How long does a pass take?
On the worked example, 167 hours in total across all three, which is about a month of one developer.