Written by Kamsy Umeaku, IT Accessibility Intern
Accessibility testing ensures that everyone can access different websites, apps, and software, no matter their disabilities. Testing for accessibility involves checking if it complies with the WCAG guideline, testing to see if it works with assistive technologies like screen readers, and ensuring it is keyboard navigable. By removing these barriers, people with disabilities like vision, hearing, motor, or cognitive impairments will be able to use the web. Accessibility testing enhances usability, boosts search rankings, and ensures legal compliance with laws.
To successfully test for accessibility, it involves auto and manual testing. Tools like Andi, Axe Devtools, Waze, and more help to detect common issues, while manual testing helps to detect issues that automation may miss. Some of the best practices include using semantic HTML, providing alt text, ensuring good color contrast, and enabling full keyboard functionality. Without accessibility, we lack inclusiveness and are leaving a big part of the world without access to the web.
