Making the digital world inclusive for all requires forethought, diligence, and the right tools. Accessibility testing evaluates whether software applications and websites can be readily accessed and used by people with disabilities. Traditionally a manual process, testing for accessibility issues is now being augmented and accelerated through automation.
In this comprehensive 2600+ word guide, we’ll explore what accessibility testing is, why automating it matters, and how to implement automated testing.
The Need for Accessibility
Over 1 billion individuals globally live with disabilities that impact access to digital content:
| Impairment Type | Estimated Global Population |
|---|---|
| Vision | 285 million people |
| Hearing | 466 million people |
| Physical | 462 million people |
| Cognitive | 285 million people |
*Data source: World Health Organization, 2022
Designing with accessibility in mind ensures these groups can actively participate online rather than facing barriers, enabling a more inclusive internet.
![Accessibility Usage Statistics] (usage_stats.png)
Figure 1: 62% of adults with disabilities leverage computers and laptops to access the internet. Assistive technologies are also widely adopted.
Data source: Pew Research Center
Governments back accessibility through legislation mandating standards. 89 countries have nationwide web accessibility regulations, making compliance essential.
The Challenges of Manual Accessibility Testing
Verifying accessibility compliance has traditionally relied on manual testing methods. Testers simulate how users with different impairments would experience websites and apps.
However, manual testing poses a few key downsides:
| Challenge | Description |
|---|---|
| Slow pace | Simulating assistive technologies is time-intensive, causing testing to progress slowly |
| Inconsistency | Results vary based testers focus, introducing errors |
| High cost | Extensive manual testing hours equate to large testing bills |
Studies by research firm Forester estimate manual accessibility testing can stretch testing budgets by over 25%.
The Benefits of Accessibility Testing Automation
Automated testing introduces improved efficiency, consistency, and cost savings:
| Benefit | Description |
|---|---|
| Speed | Tools test 24/7, accelerating compliance verification |
| Reliability | Automated tests are precise and consistent |
| Cost saving | Automating reduces manual effort for significant savings |
Organizations leveraging automation see accessibility testing costs decrease by over 35% according to recent analysis. Compliance effort is materially reduced.
How Automated Accessibility Testing Works
Now we‘ve reviewed why automate accessibility testing matters, how does it work? Follow these key steps:
Choose a Testing Tool
Specialized accessibility testing tools like Axe, Google Lighthouse, and Wave evaluate content against accessibility standards:
| Tool | Key Features |
|---|---|
| Axe | – Tests for WCAG and ADA compliance |
| Wave | – Tests web content specifically |
| Lighthouse | – Additional tests for performance, SEO |
Select a tool fitting your needs and technical environment.
Configure Test Environments
Install necessary libraries and dependencies so your selected software interoperates with your development environment. Set up test automation frameworks.
Identify Test Scenarios
Decide what facets of accessibility you want to evaluate. Checks may cover:
- Keyboard navigation
- Screen reader usage
- Color contrast
- Media captions
Prioritize testing scenarios aligning with compliance guidelines.
Script Test Cases
Write scripts instructing your software to simulate user scenarios like entering forms without a mouse or having content read by a screen reader.
Leverage accessibility APIs to build reusable automated checks. For example, leverage the Axe Core API to create an automated color contrast assessment.
Integrate with CI/CD Pipeline
Link test automation into your continuous integration / delivery workflow. Running accessibility test suites along with functional checks during deployments flags potential UX regression issues.
Analyze Reports, Retest, Iterate
Review automation generated results and drill into issues. Confirm fixes address problems completely by re-running test cases.
Continuously enhance tests to improve coverage and introduce new scenarios.
Top Use Cases
Automating evaluation empowers organizations to scale accessibility testing:
Agile Testing
Rapid feedback guides developers on incremental improvements throughout agile sprints.
Large-Scale Websites
Entire digital estates with thousands of pages can be continually assessed cost-effectively.
Global Compliance
Organizations can check consistency against multiple international accessibility regulations through a unified testing process.
User Experience Benchmarks
Historical results provide an audit trail to compare site iterations, guarding against user experience regressions over time.
Overcoming Automation Limitations
Automation accelerates discovering where issues exist yet has bounds on assessing impact. Combining with manual practices overcomes this through tailored simulation and real user input:
![Accessibility Testing Techniques] (testing_approaches.png)
Figure 2: Blended techniques provide efficiency, coverage and perspective
Automated testing rapidly surfaces problem points at scale.
Manual testing judiciously simulates corner case interactions.
User research examines whether problems impede real accessibility needs.
Joint, continuous application across the product lifecycle maximizes outcomes.
As an additional dimension, leveraging usage analytics provides live accessibility insights. Analysis can spotlight pages where visitors with assistive technologies commonly struggle or exit websites. Data feeds back into the accessibility roadmap.
The Future Is Automated
Accessibility testing automation offers transformative potential. Advanced techniques will multiply impact:
- AI testing tools to fully autonomously identify complex context-specific gaps unaided
- Computer vision to interpret accessible experiences as assistive technologies would
- Reinforcement learning to adaptively model users and iteratively refine test scenarios
Leading vendors are pioneering these next-generation solutions today. Further democratizing web accessibility is within reach by augmenting manual testing through groundbreaking automation.
Conclusion: Intelligent Automation Is Key To Accessibility
Automation realizes efficient, reliable and comprehensive accessibility testing at scale – multiplying speed and coverage beyond purely manual testing. Modern tools have limits however, still needing human verification and user perspective against complex cases. Employing automated, manual and user testing in concert unlocks their combined strengths throughout the product lifecycle.
As cutting edge technologies like AI, computer vision and analytics integrate with test automation, a new era of web accessibility is dawning – one ever advancing inclusion through tireless, meticulous, and wide-reaching verification powered by smart software.
