Level Access

Author: Level Access

Web accessibility ensures that websites and digital content are usable by everyone, including individuals with disabilities. It is not only a moral imperative but also a legal requirement under many U.S., EU, and international laws. Central to this process is web accessibility testing—a set of practices designed to identify and address barriers that might prevent users with disabilities from fully engaging with digital content. In this blog, we’ll explain the web accessibility testing process, explore different methods, and discuss the key roles of use case testing and user feedback.

What is web accessibility testing?

Web accessibility testing is the process of evaluating a website’s conformance with accessibility standards and ensuring it meets users’ diverse needs. This testing identifies accessibility barriers: issues that make it challenging or impossible for people with disabilities to use a website. Common barriers include poor color contrast, missing alternative text (alt text) for images, inaccessible forms, and lack of keyboard navigability.

How do I conduct accessibility testing?

Evaluating a website’s accessibility requires a systematic approach, and it’s best performed in partnership with an expert to ensure thorough and accurate results. Effective web accessibility testing involves a combination of manual and automated methods. Automated accessibility testing tools quickly scan websites for common accessibility issues. However, manual accessibility testing—performed by experts and users with disabilities—is essential for surfacing errors that tools might miss. Combining these two methods provides more comprehensive insight into a website’s accessibility than relying on just automated or manual testing alone.

Let’s explore automated and manual testing and how they complement one another.

Automated accessibility testing

An accessibility evaluation often starts with automated scanning. Automated tools, like ADA website compliance checkers, rapidly test a website for common violations of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)—the established global web accessibility standard. These tools can surface issues including:

  • Missing alt text on images
  • Improper heading structures
  • Insufficient color contrast

While an automated web accessibility checker can provide you with a general understanding of your site’s accessibility, and identify common barriers, automated tools cannot yet detect all issues. To ensure you meet your target level of WCAG conformance (for example WCAG 2.1 Level AA), automated scanning should be supplemented by manual tests.

Manual accessibility testing

During manual accessibility testing, accessibility experts review a website to identify more complex accessibility errors and those that can only be detected by a human.

Manual evaluation techniques include, but are not limited to:

  • Testing keyboard navigation: Ensuring all interactive elements are accessible without a mouse.
  • Testing screen reader compatibility: Using screen readers like JAWS or NVDA to check how content is read aloud.
  • Validating focus indicators: Verifying visible focus states on interactive elements.

A comprehensive manual evaluation may also include use case testing by native users of assistive technologies. We’ll discuss this technique and its benefits in more depth in the following section.

Elevating accessibility testing with user feedback

While automated testing tools and expert evaluations identify many issues, they cannot replicate the lived experiences of people with disabilities. In addition to evaluating an experience through automated and manual testing, it’s valuable to gather input from individuals with disabilities, including native users of assistive technologies.

Organizations can accomplish this in two ways: use case testing and collecting user feedback.

  • Use case testing involves an expert who is a native user of assistive technology attempting to complete core tasks on a website, such as logging in or completing a purchase, using assistive technology.
  • Collecting user feedback involves asking end users to provide assessments of their experience with a website. Many organizations offer a mechanism for users to share accessibility feedback on their site. Additionally, teams may conduct usability testing with focus groups that include users with disabilities.

Both use case testing and user feedback play a key role in enhancing web accessibility. Specifically, these practices can help teams accomplish the following objectives:

Identifying real-world issues

Users with disabilities may encounter barriers that standard automated and manual testing methods overlook. For instance:

  • A site may technically meet WCAG criteria but still present usability issues, such as confusing navigation, incorrect alt text, or poorly labeled buttons.
  • Users relying on assistive technologies might experience compatibility problems that automated tools cannot predict.

Providing insights on usability

Accessibility is not just about conforming with standards; it is about ensuring a seamless user experience. Use case testing and feedback from users with disabilities can help uncover accessibility pain points, such as:

  • Complex form submission processes.
  • Inaccessible error messages.

Unique benefits of user feedback

While many of the advantages of gathering user feedback can also be provided by use case testing, understanding real users’ experience offers some additional, specific benefits:

  • Supporting issue prioritization: Feedback allows organizations to prioritize accessibility fixes based on actual user needs. For example, a recurring issue reported by multiple users might signal a critical barrier that requires immediate attention.
  • Building empathy for users: Engaging with users who rely on accessibility features fosters empathy and awareness among developers and designers. This interaction reinforces the importance of accessibility as a user-centered practice, not just a technical or legal requirement.

Take a holistic approach to web accessibility testing

Web accessibility testing is an essential practice for creating inclusive digital experiences. While automated accessibility testing tools and manual evaluations form the foundation of accessibility assessments, use case testing and user feedback are indispensable for understanding real-world challenges and enhancing usability. By actively involving users with disabilities in the ADA testing process, organizations can build more inclusive websites that not only conform to standards but ultimately provide equitable experiences for all.

The Level Access solution supports a comprehensive approach to web accessibility evaluation, including automated and manual testing as well as use case testing by native users of assistive technology. To learn more about how we can help you gain thorough, actionable insight on your site’s accessibility, engage with our team today.

FAQ

How do manual accessibility testing, use case testing, and user feedback differ?

Manual accessibility testing refers to a process in which an accessibility expert manually reviews a website for conformance with accessibility standards. This evaluation may include use case testing, during which native users of assistive technologies try to perform real-life tasks on a website, such as adding items to a cart and proceeding to checkout, using assistive technology. Meanwhile, user feedback refers to assessments of a website’s accessibility provided by end-users.

User feedback provides valuable insight into the real-life experience of end users with disabilities on a website. Users with disabilities can provide unique insights into accessibility barriers, such as compatibility issues with assistive technology, confusing user flows, or poorly labeled elements.

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