2 Testing for Accessibility

Overview

This section shares ways to test websites and applications for accessibility, and give you a sense of what it is like to navigate tools and content with assistive technology.

Keyboard Navigation Testing

One of the simplest things you can do to check for accessibility is to try using only a keyboard to access a website. Doing this simple test can reveal major accessibility issues. You should be able to use the tab key and other keys to move through all of the elements that you can interact with on a website. If you cannot reach something (links, forms, menus, etc.) using the keyboard, there is a high chance it is not accessible.

Tips for Using the Keyboard to Access Web Pages

  • Press Tab to move to the next link, form element or button.
  • Press Shift+Tab to move to the previous link, form element, or button.
  • Press Enter or Spacebar to activate the current link or button.
  • Use Arrow Keys, Escape, or other keys to move around menus or close dialog boxes

As you test, ask the following questions:

  • Can I access all features?
  • Can I operate all menus, buttons, sliders, and other controls?
  • Can I easily tell where I am on the page?

More information: Web AIM Keyboard Accessibility and #NoMouse Challenge

Accessibility Testing Tools

These kinds of tools inspect one page at a time and visually show you the structure of the page and flag potential accessibility issues. Overall, these are simple to use and fairly easy to understand.

If you are familiar with the coding of webpages, the following tools might give you more detailed analysis (usually at the code level) of the accessibility issues. Many are built to work in tandem with the developer tools that are built into the web browsers.

As you test, ask the following questions:

  • Are all elements contained within landmarks?
  • Are headings properly used to show hierarchy, starting with a Heading 1?
  • Is there alternative text used on non-textual content, like images?
  • Is there sufficient color contrast between text and the background?
  • Do all form fields have labels?

More information: UW IT Accessibility Checklist & Tutorial

Screenreaders and Assistive Technology

Using a screenreader is not necessary for accessibility testing, however it can be helpful to understand what the process is like of using one to read a webpage. The following video demonstrates how a screenreader works on an accessible website, and also what happens when it encounters a website that is not accessible:

Screenreaders you can try out:

More information: UW Access Technology Center (ATC)

License

Teaching, Testing, and Talking Accessibility Copyright © by Andy Andrews; Elliott Stevens; Christine Tawatao; and Perry Yee. All Rights Reserved.

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