Durable AI Website Accessibility Checklist 2026 | WCAG 2.1 AA & EAA
Last updated: 2026-06-01
Durable builds an entire small-business website in seconds from a few prompts, and that speed is exactly what makes its accessibility profile distinctive. Unlike a traditional builder where a person places each element and writes each line, a Durable site arrives fully populated with AI-generated copy, AI-selected stock imagery, an auto-assembled section layout, and a contact form the owner often never edits. The danger is that the page looks finished and professional, so the owner assumes it is done - while the parts assistive technology depends on were generated by a model that optimizes for plausible-looking output, not for accessibility. The recurring issues follow from that. AI-generated images frequently ship with empty, generic, or keyword-stuffed alt text ('image', 'business photo', or a string of SEO terms) rather than a description of what the picture actually shows or, for decorative imagery, an intentional empty alt. The generated layout often produces a heading structure that is visually sensible but semantically wrong - multiple H1s, skipped levels, or section titles that are styled paragraphs rather than headings - leaving screen reader users without a usable outline. The default contact form may label fields only with placeholders and omit autocomplete. Template color schemes chosen for visual appeal can put light text on tinted hero sections below the 4.5:1 contrast ratio. And because Durable encourages 'regenerate' to refresh sections, a previously-fixed page can silently revert to inaccessible AI output. Durable provides no built-in accessibility checker and the AI will not flag these problems, so every fix here is verified with external tools and a manual keyboard and screen reader pass after the AI has done its work. This checklist focuses on reviewing and correcting what the generator produced.
Common Accessibility Issues
Durable populates a new site with AI-selected stock and AI-generated imagery, and the accompanying alt text is typically a placeholder ('image'), missing, or a string of SEO keywords. None of these tell a screen reader user what the picture conveys, and keyword-stuffed alt text actively pollutes the experience while doing nothing for the visitor.
Review every image the AI placed and write alt text that describes what the image shows and why it matters on the page ('Barista pouring latte art at the counter of the cafe'). Mark purely decorative images - background textures, abstract hero graphics - with an empty alt so screen readers skip them. Never leave the AI's default alt in place and never stuff keywords into it.
<img src="/ai/hero-cafe.jpg" alt="cafe coffee shop best coffee near me business"><img src="/ai/hero-cafe.jpg" alt="Barista pouring latte art behind a wooden cafe counter">The AI assembles sections that look correctly ranked but often emit multiple H1s, skip heading levels, or render section titles as large styled paragraphs with no heading semantics. Screen reader users who navigate by headings then get an outline that misrepresents the page or no outline at all, so they cannot scan it the way sighted visitors do.
In the editor, set one clear H1 (usually the business name or main value statement), make section titles H2, and subsection titles H3, without skipping levels, and convert any 'headline' that is really a styled paragraph into a true heading. Verify the rendered outline with a headings tool after the AI generates or regenerates the page.
<h1>Welcome</h1>
<h1>Our Services</h1>
<p class="section-title">About Us</p><h1>Bright Cup Cafe</h1>
<h2>Our Services</h2>
<h2>About Us</h2>The contact and lead forms Durable generates commonly use placeholder text ('Your name', 'Email') as the only field cue and omit autocomplete attributes. Placeholders vanish on input, leaving screen reader and cognitive-disability users without a persistent label, and the missing autocomplete makes the form harder to complete for everyone.
Add a visible, persistent label for each field, ensure each input is programmatically associated with its label (or has a correct aria-label), and add autocomplete values (name, email, tel). Confirm in the rendered page that focusing a field announces its label and that required fields and error messages are conveyed in text, not color alone.
<input type="text" placeholder="Your name">
<input type="email" placeholder="Email"><label for="name">Your name</label>
<input type="text" id="name" name="name" autocomplete="name">
<label for="email">Email</label>
<input type="email" id="email" name="email" autocomplete="email">Durable's auto-selected themes often place light or mid-tone text on a tinted hero band, a colored CTA, or over a photo, producing contrast below the 4.5:1 minimum for normal text. The AI optimizes for a cohesive look, not for measured contrast, so a polished-looking section can be unreadable for low-vision visitors.
Check the hero text, button labels, and any text over imagery with a contrast tool and adjust the text or background color until normal text reaches 4.5:1 and large text 3:1. Add a darkening overlay behind text placed over photographs so contrast holds across the whole image, and re-check after switching themes or regenerating.
.hero { background:#e9d8c3; } .hero h1 { color:#c0a98a; } /* ~1.5:1 */.hero { background:#e9d8c3; } .hero h1 { color:#3a2a14; } /* ~7.6:1 */Durable encourages using 'regenerate' to refresh copy, images, or whole sections. When you regenerate, the AI replaces your hand-corrected alt text, labels, and heading markup with fresh default output, so a page you previously made accessible can quietly revert without any warning.
Treat regeneration as a step that requires re-review: after any regenerate, re-check alt text, heading levels, form labels, and contrast on the affected section before publishing. Make accessibility corrections as the last edit before going live, and keep a short checklist so a regenerate never ships unreviewed.
Durable-Specific Tips
- Treat the AI-generated site as a first draft, not a finished product: the page looks complete, but the alt text, headings, and form labels assistive technology relies on almost always need a human pass.
- Rewrite every image's alt text the AI produced - describe what the photo shows, or set an empty alt for decorative imagery - and never leave keyword-stuffed or placeholder alt in place.
- Fix the heading structure to a single H1 and properly nested H2/H3 after generation, and re-check it any time you regenerate a section.
- Make accessibility corrections the last edits before publishing, because using 'regenerate' will overwrite your fixes with fresh default AI output.
- Durable ships no accessibility checker, so verify the published site with axe or WAVE and one full keyboard and screen reader pass before sharing the URL.
Recommended Tools
axe DevTools (browser extension)
Run axe on the published Durable site to surface missing or generic image alt text, unlabeled form fields, and contrast failures the AI generator will not flag.
WAVE Browser Extension
WAVE's structure and alt-text views make it quick to see whether the AI's headings form a real outline and which generated images still lack meaningful alt text.
Lighthouse (Chrome DevTools)
Lighthouse's accessibility audit gives a fast baseline on a freshly generated Durable page, flagging contrast, label, and name-role-value issues to fix before launch.
Durable AI Website Accessibility: Generated Output vs. Fixes
| Plugin / Tool | Feature | Common Failure | WCAG Criterion | Fix Direction |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AI image library auto-selected imagery | Generic, empty, or keyword-stuffed alt | 1.1.1 Non-text Content | Rewrite alt to describe; empty alt if decorative | |
| Generated layout auto-assembled sections | Multiple H1s / skipped heading levels | 1.3.1 Info and Relationships | One H1, nested H2/H3; fix styled paragraphs | |
| Contact form default lead form | Placeholder-only labels, no autocomplete | 1.3.1 Info and Relationships | Visible labels + autocomplete on each field | |
| Theme colors AI-selected palette | Text contrast below 4.5:1 on tinted bands | 1.4.3 Contrast (Minimum) | Adjust colors; overlay behind text on photos | |
| Regenerate refresh AI output | Silently reverts manual fixes | 4.1.2 Name, Role, Value | Re-review section after every regenerate |
Frequently Asked Questions
Does an AI-built Durable website come accessible out of the box?
No. Durable generates a professional-looking site in seconds, but the AI optimizes for plausible visual output, not accessibility. New sites typically ship with generic or keyword-stuffed image alt text, a heading structure that is visually fine but semantically wrong, and contact forms labeled only by placeholders. The page looks finished, which is the trap - the parts screen readers and keyboard users depend on need a human review before launch.
What should I fix first on a Durable site?
Start with the three highest-impact items the generator gets wrong: rewrite every image's alt text to describe what it shows (or set it empty for decorative images), correct the heading structure to a single H1 with properly nested H2/H3, and replace placeholder-only form labels with visible, associated labels plus autocomplete. Then run a contrast check on hero text and buttons and do one keyboard and screen reader pass.
Why did my accessibility fixes disappear after I regenerated a section?
Because regenerating replaces the section's content with fresh AI output, including new default alt text, labels, and heading markup - overwriting your manual corrections. Make accessibility edits the last step before publishing, and after any regenerate, re-review the affected section's alt text, headings, labels, and contrast before going live.
Further Reading
- Ai Generated Code Accessibility Audit
- Ai Product Landing Pages Accessibility Scan
- Alt Text Guide
- How To Choose Accessible Website Template
- Five Minute Accessibility Audit
Other CMS Checklists
- Framer Accessibility Checklist
- Carrd Accessibility Checklist
- Godaddy-website-builder Accessibility Checklist
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