Accessibility Testing Tools and Practices
How can you tell if the content you are creating is accessible? There are simple ways to check content with automatic tools and non-technical tests to see if your content is accessible and inclusive to everyone. You can also check mobile accessibility with Android Talkback and iPhone. As you test, track your findings in a report to streamline remediation.
Automated Tools for Testing
Automated tools evaluate a website’s code and content, flag accessibility issues, and often provide guidance on how to fix the issues. These tools save time for both developers and content creators, and they often catch errors that might not be obvious.
Manual Testing Methods
While automated tools are a huge help in accessibility testing, they can’t catch every error, since they can’t understand context or evaluate content quality. So after you’ve done a first pass with automated tools, you’ll need to follow up with manual testing to make sure your website is inclusive and accessible.
Mobile Testing
Testing mobile accessibility is an essential step in reviewing your content. TalkBack and VoiceOver are screen readers built into mobile devices that read aloud page content and relevant semantic information. Use the following guidance to get started testing with mobile, and to get a more comprehensive picture of accessibility.
Testing with Users
User testing gives us an opportunity to have our digital designs tested by real people, and the insights they share can be significant in terms of both accessibility and usability. A key benefit of user testing is the ability to hear candid feedback from testers who are objective with regard to our design choices. Sometimes, the information they share may be hard for us to receive, especially if it seems critical of design decisions we’ve made, but receiving such honest feedback at a point in the process when changes can still be made has benefits for almost any project.
User testing resource
Fable is a digital accessibility platform that connects product teams with people who have disabilities for on-demand, remote usability testing and research. Unlike automated tools that only check for compliance, Fable focuses on user experiences by having professional testers with disabilities test websites, apps, and prototypes using the same assistive technologies they use every day. For more information about Fable, or to try this service at Harvard, email DAS at digitalaccessibility@harvard.edu.
Template for Reporting Accessibility Issues
Digital Accessibility Services (DAS) has created a template for assessing the accessibility of websites and presenting issues in a meaningful way to colleagues, leadership, vendors, or anyone else interested in remediating accessibility issues and monitoring progress.