Appendix 2:
Self Assessment Checklist
The team members should (honestly) ask themselves these questions to quickly assess accessibility. Go through the checklist multiple times during the design process to catch opportunities for increased accessibility early.
| ID | Recommendation | Assessment Item | Check |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4.2.1 Identify the chatbot | Does the chatbot introduce itself as a bot? | |
| 2 | 4.2.1 Identify the chatbot | Does the chatbot clearly indicate when the conversation is turned over to a human? | |
| 3 | 4.2.2 State chatbot purpose | Does the chatbot clearly state its purpose? | |
| 4 | 4.2.5 Use simple messages | Does the chatbot use literal language in every message? | |
| 5 | 4.2.5 Use simple messages | Does the chatbot avoid jargon and acronyms? | |
| 6 | 4.2.6 Limit the number of messages | Is every message necessary to accomplish the task? | |
| 7 | 4.2.10 Supplement icons with text | All images and icons have AT-compatible alt-text | |
| 8 | 4.2.13 Highlight important info | Is the most common answer first or last? | |
| 9 | 4.2.15 List commands | The user has access to a list of valid commands or requests | |
| 10 | 4.2.15 List commands | The chatbot suggests valid queries/commands if the input is active but empty for a while. | |
| 11 | 4.2.15 List commands | Chatbots capable of voice interaction (accessibly) describe how to activate that feature | |
| 12 | 4.2.16 Set expectations | Each conversation “endpoint” suggests additional actions the user can or should take. | |
| 13 | 4.2.20 Remove flashing content | The chatbot does not include flashing or automatically moving content. | |
| 14 | 4.2.21 Include people with disabilities | Did you include people with disabilities in the appropriate content activities? | |
| 15 | 4.2.22 Follow WCAG | Did you review WCAG as you completed the Gather and Organize phase? | |
| 16 | 4.2.22 Follow WCAG | Did you revisit WCAG during the Design and Implement phase? | |
| 17 | 4.2.22 Follow WCAG | Did you test and evaluate the chatbot against WCAG standards for content? | |
| 18 | 4.3.1 Offer multi-modal interaction | The chatbot offers functionally equivalent experiences (i.e., communicates the same content and enables the same tasks) through visual and non-visual means. | |
| 19 | 4.3.1 Offer multi-modal interaction | Does the chatbot offer visual and audible notifications? | |
| 20 | 4.3.2 Support STT and TTS | The chatbot either supports speech-to-text or behaves equivalently when a third-party speech-to-text device or software is used as an input. | |
| 21 | 4.3.2 Support STT and TTS | The chatbot either offers text-to-speech or communicates equivalently when a third-party text-to-speech device or software is used. | |
| 22 | 4.3.3 Support keyboard navigation | All interactive elements of the chatbot can be accessed via keyboard | |
| 23 | 4.3.3 Support keyboard navigation | The conversation history can be accessed using keyboard navigation | |
| 24 | 4.3.3 Support keyboard navigation | When offering options to the user, the option buttons can be accessed and selected with the keyboard | |
| 25 | 4.3.4 Support screen readers | All interactive elements of the chatbot are correctly tagged for screen readers with ARIA labels | |
| 26 | 4.3.5 Support zoom | Your chatbot interface should comfortably zoom up to 200% with a third-party screen magnifier. Buttons should be legible and functional, and content near the edge of the chatbot should still be accessible when zoomed. | |
| 27 | 4.3.6 Offer color contrast | The colors of my chatbot interface adhere to WCAG color contrast guidelines. | |
| 28 | 4.3.6 Offer color contrast | The chatbot color palette is adjustable | |
| 29 | 4.3.7 Use legible fonts | The chatbot font(s) adheres to WCAG guidelines and does not include italics, block capitals, underlining, justified alignment, and serif fonts | |
| 30 | 4.3.8 Consider font size | Can the user resize the chatbot text? | |
| 31 | 4.3.9 Highlight visual focus | Is the mouse location or keyboard focus indicated visually whenever passing over an interactive object? | |
| 32 | 4.3.10 Consider chatbot size | At 100% magnification, each chatbot message fits within the chatbot window. | |
| 33 | 4.3.13 Label buttons | Does each button have a label that describes what it does? | |
| 34 | 4.3.14 Accept varied language | Errors due to typos or flawed speech-to-text are infrequent and the chatbot recovers gracefully. | |
| 35 | 4.3.14 Accept varied language | Chatbot understands communication at a lower secondary education English proficiency. | |
| 36 | 4.3.14 Accept varied language | When the chatbot doesn’t understand the user input, it offers choices to continue the conversation or it transfers the user to a human representative. | |
| 37 | 4.3.15 Allow user customization | Can the user adjust the volume of the chatbot audio outputs? | |
| 38 | 4.3.15 Allow user customization | Can the user adjust the speech rate of the chatbot audio outputs? | |
| 39 | 4.3.15 Allow user customization | Can the user adjust font size and color? | |
| 40 | 4.3.15 Allow user customization | Can the user magnify the chatbot interface? | |
| 41 | 4.3.17 Include people with disabilities | Did you include people with disabilities in the appropriate interface activities? | |
| 42 | 4.3.18 Follow WCAG | Did you review WCAG as you completed the Gather and Organize phase? | |
| 43 | 4.3.18 Follow WCAG | Did you revisit WCAG during the Design and Implement phase? | |
| 44 | 4.3.18 Follow WCAG | Did you test and evaluate the chatbot against WCAG standards for interface? | |
| 45 | 4.3.18 Follow WCAG | Is there a developer on the team with WCAG training or accessibility experience? | |
| 46 | 4.4.1 Support navigation to the chatbot | The user can consistently navigate to the chatbot, meaning the user can reliably go between the website and the chatbot. | |
| 47 | 4.4.1 Support navigation to the chatbot | When navigating to the chatbot, focus shows the most recent message | |
| 48 | 4.4.1 Support navigation to the chatbot | Chatbot activation mechanism or window is far enough from edge of the window that it can still be seen and activated with 200% magnification | |
| 49 | 4.4.1 Support navigation to the chatbot | Tab order proceeds left to right and top to bottom, including the chatbot window | |
| 50 | 4.4.2 Make user aware of the chatbot | Is the chatbot discoverable using both keyboard and mouse? | |
| 51 | 4.4.2 Make user aware of the chatbot | Is the chatbot activation button labeled appropriately (visual, text label, and AT-compatible HTML)? | |
| 52 | 4.4.3 Offer accessible activation | The chatbot activation button is visible | |
| 53 | 4.4.3 Offer accessible activation | There is a link to skip directly to the chatbot activation button with a clear label and correct HTML. | |
| 54 | 4.4.4 Use responsive design | Is the chatbot button visible in both mobile and desktop views? | |
| 55 | 4.4.5 Consider accessibility in transitions | Users have access to human support in some form. | |
| 56 | 4.4.7 Link to accessible content | Resources that the chatbot links to are accessible or available in an accessible format | |
| 57 | 4.4.8 Notify for new messages | All message notifications are offered in both visual and audio formats | |
| 58 | 4.4.8 Notify for new messages | Messages are announced with ARIA-live tags | |
| 59 | 4.4.10 Maintain website accessibility | Can users access all website content and interactive elements via keyboard navigation after the chatbot has been activated? | |
| 60 | 4.4.11 Include people with disabilities | Did you include people with disabilities in the appropriate integration activities? | |
| 61 | 4.4.12 Follow WCAG | Did you review WCAG as you completed the Gather and Organize phase? | |
| 62 | 4.4.12 Follow WCAG | Did you revisit WCAG during the Design and Implement phase? | |
| 63 | 4.4.12 Follow WCAG | Did you test and evaluate the chatbot against WCAG standards for integration? | |
| 64 | 4.4.12 Follow WCAG | Is there a developer on the team with WCAG training or accessibility experience? | |
| 65 | 4.5.1 Start early | Did you gather input from users during the Gather and Organize phase? | |
| 66 | 4.5.2 Test frequently | Have you scheduled user testing throughout the design and development process? | |
| 67 | 4.5.5 Include diverse users | Did you include users with a range of disabilities, including users with more than one disability? | |
| 68 | 4.5.5 Include diverse users | Did you include a range of users of different age, socio-economic status, cultural background, and English language skill? |