Start with the keyboard.
Use Tab to reach the launcher and confirm that focus is visible. Open the assistant, move through the controls, enter a question, and send it without a pointer.
Close the assistant and check where focus returns. Try Escape, and verify that opening the panel has not made important page controls impossible to reach.
- The launcher has a useful accessible name
- Focus is visible at every step
- Controls work without a mouse
- Closing the panel restores a sensible focus position
Listen to the conversation.
With a screen reader, inspect the launcher, panel, input label, and send button. Submit a question and listen for the new response. The experience should make sense without having to visually locate each new message.
Check that long replies, errors, and loading states do not create repetitive or confusing announcements. If you find a problem, include the exact browser and screen reader combination in your report.
Check zoom, narrow screens, and other overlays.
Enlarge text and test browser zoom. Use a narrow viewport and confirm that the input and controls remain usable without the page developing unnecessary horizontal scrolling.
Inspect interactions with sticky navigation, cookie controls, other widgets, and the on-screen keyboard. A fixed launcher should not prevent a visitor from reaching the content beneath it.
If you customize the chatbot, test the saved palette in the installed widget. Include label visibility, contrast warnings, keyboard access and focus indicators.
Include motion and realistic content.
Enable reduced motion and confirm that optional movement is reduced. Test short answers, long answers, an unavailable response, and a request for human attention.
This checklist supports a focused integration review. It is not a completed WCAG conformance assessment; evaluate the full website and document any remaining issues.
Record reproducible findings.
For each issue, record the page address, browser and version, assistive technology, steps, expected behaviour, and observed result. Describe the user task that was blocked rather than reporting only an automated score.
Check the widget together with cookie banners, navigation drawers, sticky contact buttons, and other content on the host page. Test keyboard focus after opening and closing those elements in different orders. An isolated widget check cannot establish the accessibility of the complete website.
If dictation is enabled, test granting and denying microphone permission, stopping a recording, editing the returned text and continuing by typing. Make sure recording and transcription status are understandable without relying on the microphone icon alone.
| Journey | Check | Record |
|---|---|---|
| Open and close the assistant | Keyboard operation and visible focus | Where focus starts, moves, and returns. |
| Send and receive a message | Labels, status updates, and reading order | What the screen reader announces and when. |
| Read at increased zoom | Reflow, readable content, and reachable controls | Zoom level, viewport, and any overlap. |
| Recover from an error | A clear message and usable retry route | Whether the visitor understands what to do next. |