What is accessibility testing with an example?

Accessibility testing focuses on ensuring that all the standard guidelines and procedures pertaining to accessibility are strategically applied while developing a software product or application.  The objective of this testing method is to ensure that the website or application is fully accessible and usable, catering especially to all the needs of disabled people. In this article, you will get to know about the significance of accessibility through relevant examples.

What is accessibility testing?

It is a testing method that ensures a specific application or website that is being built is usable and accessible to a wider audience including the disabled community also. It is considered best when accessibility testing is incorporated into your existing strategies. Assistive technologies are used in this testing method such as a special keyboard, screen magnification software, screen reader software and speech recognition software.

The application is evaluated from an end-user’s perspective that is having learning, cognitive, visual, hearing and physical disabilities.

 

Following are a few key examples of accessibility testing:

1. Accessible Hyperlinks: The main navigational features of the web experience are the links, which help people move from point to point easily and quickly. Accessibility barriers can be presented by links if they are not developed keeping accessibility in viewpoint. All links should be color contrast compliant, keyboard accessible, visually distinct, readable and clear.

 

2. Consistent navigation: Consistency in navigational controls, layout and design helps people to use a website easily and effectively. Key tips include repeated navigation links being positioned in the same location on different pages, controlling elements consistently, using icons and skipping links.

 

3. Sequential heading structure: Headings are crucial for content and navigation and they aren’t just design elements. Actual heading elements (that don’t look big or bold) are used for coding the headings part, and they are nested in a hierarchy so that the content is organized and presented as it’s meant to be read and understood.

 

4. Keyboard accessibility: All the activities of a mouse should be available to disabled people in the form of a keyboard emulator, keyboard and input device. The pillar of an accessible web is full keyboard support. There can be nuances in key controls and techniques. It is better to test your own website for keyboard accessibility.

 

5. Image alt text: Assistive technologies such as screen readers rely on text and hence anything graphical should have a complete text alternative. Most common alt text mistakes include descriptions for purely decorative images, skipping the text that is contained in the image and using the word “image.”

 

The strategic need to perform accessibility testing:

1. Potential lawsuits are avoided: There are a few Fortune 500 companies that have been sued because the Government found that their websites or applications were not disabled-friendly.

 

2. The necessity of accessibility legislation: Government agencies in most the countries expect business owners to develop website or application that also caters to the needs of disabled people.

Following are a few legal acts by various governments:

·         Ireland: Disability Act of 2005

·         Australia: Disability Discrimination Act – 1992

·         United Kingdom: Disability Discrimination Act – 1995

·         United States: Americans with Disabilities Act – 1990

 

3. The market for disabled people should be taken into consideration: Approximately 15% - 20% (the numbers may alter based on the current dynamics) of the population has disability issues.

These disabilities include visual, hearing, motor and cognitive impairment. Any website or application that is being developed for a customer, should also be disabled-friendly. Accessibility testing should be a part of the Software Testing Life Cycle.

 

Conclusion: If you are looking forward to implementing accessibility testing for your specific project, then do get connected with a premium software testing services company that will provide you with a pragmatic testing roadmap that is in line with your project specific requirements.

About the author: I am a technical content writer focused on writing technology specific articles. I strive to provide well-researched information on the leading market savvy technologies.