Freedom251 › Website Accessibility Tools
Sa11y
by Sa11y
What Sa11y is
Sa11y is a free, open-source JavaScript accessibility checker for reviewing individual web pages in a browser. It states WCAG 2.1 as its standard and provides more than 80 checks. The tool visually marks accessibility and usability issues and adds tooltips describing possible fixes. Page tools include an outline, image and alt-text review, readability estimation, CSV or HTML export, and colour-vision simulation. Developers can select areas to check, exclude sections, customize checks, and add custom checks. Sa11y is available on the web and as a desktop-browser bookmarklet, although security policies may block bookmarklet use on some sites. It is included in Joomla 4.1 and later as the Joomla Accessibility Checker, also called Jooa11y. The maker says no personal data is collected; optional settings use browser storage, and experimental language detection runs locally. Sa11y is not a comprehensive code-analysis tool or accessibility overlay and does not check complex issues such as proper ARIA implementation.
Who it suits
It suits content authors, developers, and accessibility specialists reviewing page-level issues in the browser. Joomla users on version 4.1 or later can use its integrated checker form.
What it does well
- Free and open source
- More than 80 accessibility checks
- States WCAG 2.1 support
- Exports results to CSV or HTML
- Offers customizable and custom checks
What to know first
- Checks pages rather than comprehensive code
- Does not verify complex ARIA implementation
- Bookmarklet may fail under site security policies
- No browser extension
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Open-source JavaScript accessibility checker · More than 80 accessibility checks · Runs in the browser | Free |
| Free and open source | 100% free · open source | Free |
As sa11y.netlify.app lists them, read 22 Sept 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Verdict
Sa11y is a focused, no-cost page checker with visual guidance and customizable checks. It complements broader accessibility work but is not a full code-analysis tool or overlay.
Facts from Sa11y's own pages
- Audience
- Sa11y is designed for content authors and also provides customizable tools for developers and accessibility experts. · sa11y.netlify.app, 12 Oct 2026
- Browser extension
- No · sa11y.netlify.app, 22 Sept 2026
- Browser use
- Sa11y is available as a bookmarklet for desktop browsers, though security policies can prevent it from working on some websites. · sa11y.netlify.app, 12 Oct 2026
- Checks
- Sa11y includes over 80 checks for accessibility quality. · sa11y.netlify.app, 12 Oct 2026
- Customization
- Developers can choose areas to check, exclude page sections, customize checks, and add custom checks. · sa11y.netlify.app, 12 Oct 2026
- Founded
- 2020 · sa11y.netlify.app, 28 Sept 2026
- Free plan
- Yes · sa11y.netlify.app, 22 Sept 2026
- Headquarters
- Toronto, Canada · sa11y.netlify.app, 28 Sept 2026
- Installation
- The JavaScript plugin can be installed from GitHub or npm and added to a website with its stylesheet, language file, and script. · sa11y.netlify.app, 12 Oct 2026
- Integrations
- Sa11y is included in Joomla 4.1 and later as the Joomla Accessibility Checker, also called Jooa11y. · sa11y.netlify.app, 12 Oct 2026
- Limitations
- Sa11y cannot check accessibility issues within PDFs or confirm whether video captions are accurate. · sa11y.netlify.app, 12 Oct 2026
- Maintainer
- Sa11y is led and maintained by Adam Chaboryk, an IT Accessibility Specialist at Toronto Metropolitan University in Toronto, Canada. · sa11y.netlify.app, 12 Oct 2026
- Page features
- The tool can show a page outline, review images and alt text, estimate readability, export results to CSV or HTML, and simulate colour vision deficiencies. · sa11y.netlify.app, 12 Oct 2026
- Privacy
- The maker says Sa11y collects no personal data and uses browser web storage for optional rulesets and enabled features. · sa11y.netlify.app, 12 Oct 2026
- Purpose
- Sa11y visually highlights accessibility and usability content issues on a page and provides tooltips explaining how to fix them. · sa11y.netlify.app, 12 Oct 2026
- Scan scope
- page · sa11y.netlify.app, 22 Sept 2026
- Security and processing
- The experimental language detection feature performs analysis locally on the user's machine and does not send page content to a cloud server or external third party. · sa11y.netlify.app, 12 Oct 2026
- Support
- The maker invites users to contact Adam Chaboryk by email or submit an issue on GitHub to report accessibility barriers or suggestions. · sa11y.netlify.app, 12 Oct 2026
- WCAG version
- wcag 2.1 · sa11y.netlify.app, 22 Sept 2026
Where Sa11y stands on Freedom251
- Website Accessibility Tools#52 of 133