A practical accessibility checklist for gaming sites

Check the browsing experience before committing

Start without making a purchase or entering personal details. Find a game description, open the help information and return to your starting point. Notice whether page titles, menus and back links explain where you are. If a promotional panel interrupts you, check that you can close it and continue.

Keep a short note for each task: works comfortably, works with adjustments, or blocks progress. Record the browser and settings you used. One successful visit cannot establish that every page or game will work equally well.

Make text work for you

Increase browser zoom to 200% and read a description, menu and help page. Text should remain available without overlapping controls. On a phone, try your usual text-size settings and both screen orientations. You should not need to shrink text again just to reach an important button.

• Look for clear contrast between words and their backgrounds, including text over artwork.
• Check that links can be identified without relying only on colour.
• Read disabled controls and error messages as well as prominent headings.

Comfort varies with lighting and vision. A quick visual check is useful, but it does not measure contrast ratios or prove compliance with an accessibility standard.

Try the keyboard and everyday controls

Put the pointer aside and use Tab to move forward and Shift+Tab to move back. A visible focus indicator should show your position. The order should follow the page logically, without jumping unpredictably between unrelated areas.

• Use Enter on links and Enter or Space on buttons.
• Open a menu, move through its options and try Escape to dismiss an overlay.
• Check that focus returns somewhere useful after closing a panel.
• Try controls with your normal touch or assistive input, without precise pointer movement.

If focus disappears or becomes trapped, note the last working control. Avoid sharing any private content visible inside the page when documenting the problem.

Understand forms and error feedback

Before typing, check that each field has a clear label and that required information is identified. Instructions should explain expected formats before an error occurs. Placeholder text that disappears while typing is less useful than a label that stays visible.

On a non-payment enquiry form, try leaving a required field empty. Feedback should identify the problem and explain how to fix it. After correction, your other entries should remain available where practical. Never submit invented payment details or disclose sensitive information just to test a site.

Separate the website from the game

An accessible catalogue does not establish that the game itself is accessible. Read the official game information and inspect available settings before committing. Where offered, try captions, caption size, independent speech and music volume, reduced motion, camera shake controls and alternatives to repeated or held button presses.

Check whether captions include relevant sound information and remain readable during play. Settings may vary between versions, devices and individual games. If a particular adjustment is essential, seek a clear answer from the game's support team rather than assuming the platform provides it everywhere.

Check your usual mobile setup

Try navigation, descriptions and help on the device you actually use. Buttons should have enough space to avoid accidental taps. A menu or consent panel should fit the screen and leave its controls reachable. Check that important information does not appear only when hovering a pointer.

If something stalls, retry once on a stable connection. A slow download may be a connection issue; a button repeatedly hidden behind another panel suggests an interface barrier. Record both the circumstances and the result instead of treating every delay as the same problem.