Best Tools for Accessibility Testing

People worldwide now rely nearly entirely on Internet services and information in this era of digitization. Ensuring that web material is accessible to all is crucial in this ever-changing and dynamic environment. Digital content accessibility guarantees everyone, including those with specific disabilities, may access and use the website or web application and understand, interact with, and explore the material. It is not only a mandatory legal requirement but also ethically essential. To validate if your website is accessible, it is beneficial to use accessibility testing Chrome DevTool.

Accessible testing is a mandatory practice that recognizes and resolves the barriers that cause obstacles to the seamless browsing of digital content. Accessible testing is a structured automation testing process that guarantees that a website or a web application is available for individuals with disabilities, providing everyone equal opportunities.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are globally accepted and are the most commonly used standards to determine the availability of websites and web-based applications. Digital products and services must follow the WCAG norms. Therefore, organizations must prioritize accessibility testing to optimize the legal risks, enhance customer experience, and allow their products and services to reach diverse audiences.

Principles of Accessibility Testing:

WCAG has defined four critical principles for accessibility testing that are commonly known as POUR. These principles are described below:

• Perceivable- This principle means that the components of the web page or application’s user interface are structured so that its content is experienced through different senses like visual, auditory, and touch.
• Operable- This ensures that the user interface and navigation are user-friendly and straightforward to understand by everyone, including those with significant impairments, through simple keyboard accessibility and clear navigation options.
• Understandable- This principle ensures that the digital information is demonstrated in a coherent and organized structure so that the users can easily understand and engage without confusion.
• Robust- This aims to develop content that is easily understood by various user agents, like assistive technologies, to ensure it remains available in the long term.

Why Accessibility Testing is important

In the process of software development, accessibility testing is very crucial because it ensures that all the individuals who access the web content are provided with equal opportunities and enhances the user experience.

A few reasons that illustrate the significance of accessibility testing are listed below.

• Embraces diversity and inclusion- Accessibility testing ensures that all individuals, regardless of disabilities, can access digital information that promotes inclusivity and provides equal access to digital products and services.
• Validate legal compliance- Accessibility testing verifies that the website or web application the developers have created complies with the applicable laws. The commonly recognized and globally accepted laws include WACG, which stands for Web Accessibility Content Guidelines, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and Section 508 compliance. This helps businesses optimize the risk of getting into legal problems.
• Enriched user experience- Enhancing website accessibility leads to an improved user experience. Exploration and interaction of the web content would be easy and seamless if the accessibility barriers were recognized and addressed.
• Enhances the image of the brand- A website that is easily accessible and has a user-friendly interface enhances the reputation of the brand. This increases the chance of gaining more potential clients and growing revenue.

 

Methodology of Accessibility Testing

Through accessibility testing, developers and quality assurance specialists can address and resolve accessibility concerns, ensuring diversity and legal compliance adherence.

Accessibility testing is a systematic and structured approach that guarantees individuals with impairments can efficiently utilize digital goods and services. The procedure of Accessibility Testing is explained below:

1. Define the test’s purpose- Start by establishing the goal of the accessibility test. Determine the nature of testing, including web content, platform, and accessibility guidelines that must be examined.
2. Choose the testing method and tool- There are two methods for conducting accessibility tests. In manual testing, human testers examine the website manually based on their observation and experience. In automated testing, tools check the accessibility of web content and list down the issues.
3. Execute test using a trustworthy tool- While performing automation testing, the accessibility testing tool examines the digital content. It identifies accessibility issues like missing alt text, improper heading structures, color contrast problems, or keyboard navigation issues. The reports generated by the tools can identify accessibility issues, and suggestions can be used to solve the identified problems.
4. Conduct Manual Testing- Utilise assistive technologies like screen readers, magnifiers, and keyboard-only navigation to examine the availability of the website and web applications.
5. Examine the outcome of the test- View the outcome and develop strategies to fix the accessibility issues. Analyze the errors and troubleshoot if required.
6. Iterate and conduct the test again- After resolving the accessibility issues, rerun the tests to ensure the errors are fixed and the content is accessible.

Best Tools for Accessibility Testing

Accessibility testing tools are specialized software created to examine whether people with disabilities easily access websites and web applications. These tools help developers and QA professionals recognize and fix the accessibility barriers in software applications, websites, or any digital content.

Some of the prominent and trusted accessibility testing tools are explained below:

LambdaTest

LambdaTest is an AI-powered test orchestration and execution platform that lets you run manual and automated tests at scale with over 3000+ real devices, browsers, and OS combinations. It offers Accessibility DevTools that allow quality assurance professionals to test the functionality and user interface of their website and identify accessibility-related issues through the comprehensive reporting system.

LambdaTest’s Accessibility DevTools allows testers to conduct a full-page scan, which examines the entire website, and a partial-page scan, which highlights particular accessibility issues.

Key Features of LambdaTest as an accessibility test tool are

• Comprehensive Page Scan: Perform in-depth accessibility scans of your entire web page to ensure compliance with accessibility standards for all elements.
• Targeted Element Scan: Focus your scans on specific elements of your web page to identify and address accessibility issues in a more targeted manner.
• Multi-URL Scan: Conduct automated accessibility scans across multiple URLs simultaneously to ensure consistency and compliance across your entire website.
• Rapid Issue Identification: Quickly identify and resolve common accessibility errors to improve your website’s accessibility, consistency, and compliance.
• Critical Issue Management: Group and address critical accessibility issues to ensure your website meets the highest standards of accessibility and user experience.
• Health Monitoring: Monitor your website’s accessibility and overall health easily from a centralized dashboard. Allowing you to stay in control of your website’s accessibility.

WAVE

Additionally, WAVE is abbreviate for Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool. Is designe to check web accessibility, which WebAIM develop.  Developers can use it as a browser extension or an application tool that helps users examine the accessibility of digital content.

Some prominent features of this tool are

• Available online and on the browser- The WAVE tool is available as an online tool or browser toolkit. Making it feasible to perform accessibility tests.
• Provides visual feedback- WAVE provides detailed outcomes of the tests through icons and indicators directly on the platform. Making it easy for testers to identify and address the accessibility issues.
• Ensures data security- WAVE runs tests directly on the platform that guarantees no data is saved on any external browser, prioritizing data security.

Lighthouse

Also, Lighthouse is an open-source platform offer by Google, a robust tool for running accessibility tests. This tool can be directly integrat into Chrome Developer Tool. And designed for technical and non-technical users with various configuration options.

Following are the attributes of Google Lighthouse as an accessibility testing tool.

• Adaptable for diverse audits- Lighthouse can be easily integrated within the Chrome Developer Tool to execute performance tests. Optimize SEO, and examine website accessibility. Lighthouse is a dynamic tool because of its flexibility and user-friendly interface.
• Grading System- Lighthouse provides the report in the form of the score for each testing category. That helps the testers easily access the overall performance of their website and address the issues recognized.
• Seamless Integration with other tools- Google’s Lighthouse can easily integrated with Chrome Developer Tools. Which allows developers to run tests smoothly.

Pay11y

Pay11y is also a free and open-source accessibility testing tool. Also, That helps developers check whether their digital product meets the accessibility criteria. The tool offers an automated testing facility and provides. API access that allows developers to examine and validate their website’s functionality through the command line or via Node.js.

Listed below are distinguish features of Pay11y:

• Furthermore, Configuration can customized- Developers can easily customize the tool’s configuration according to their accessibility requirements.  Also, Testers can set the custom test rules based on the needs and attributes of their website.
• Functions well with different browsers- Pay11y functions well with various web browsers. Which facilitates testers to examine their website through a combination of other browsers and devices.

axe Accessibility

axe Accessibility is another powerful tool designe by Deque Systems that scans web pages. Recognizes accessibility issues, and gives recommendations to resolve those issues.

Some significant features of axe Accessibility are as follows

• Also, Adherence to compliance- axe Accessibility examines the websites and the web applications according to the guidelines. Mentioned by WCAG, ensuring compliance with standard industry norms.
• Also, Facilitates smooth integration- axe Accessibility can easily integrated into development tools like Chrome DevTools and Visual Studio Code. Which helps testers run tests within their preferred development environment. It is also available as a browser extension for popular browsers like Firefox, Edge, and Chrome. Also, It allows developers to run tests within their selected browsers and provide real-time feedback on the accessibility tests.
• Also, Multiple audit checks- axe Accessibility offers various areas to identify accessibility issues. Furthermore, Including color contrast of the web content, images, headlines, labels, tables, keyboard navigation, and landmarks used on the web page.

Conclusion

Additionally, In today’s digital landscape, accessibility testing has emerged as a legal obligation and a moral requirement. Also, Accessibility testing ensures everyone can access digital information, providing equal opportunities and promoting inclusivity.

Furthermore, To get accurate test results, it is essential to choose a robust tool with dynamic features. Also, That helps identify accessibility issues and provide suggestions for fixing them.

Moreover, LambdaTest, an AI-powered tool, is the one-stop solution for performing accessibility tests. Also, LambdaTest offers Accessibility DevTools that help developers run accessibility and perform full- and partial-page scans according to their requirements. Also, LambdaTest integrates smoothly with accessibility testing tools like WAVE. Pay11y, and automation test frameworks like Selenium and Cypress, making it a flexible platform for running accessibility tests.