Digital accessibility is about more than just checking boxes on a WCAG requirement list; it’s a commitment to usability and inclusion, by providing the same digital experience to all users, regardless of their abilities. In honour of Global Accessibility Awareness Month, our Accessibility Centre of Excellence is sharing five truths that every organization should know when considering Accessibility Testing.
1. AUTOMATED TOOLS AREN’T ENOUGH.
Checks using automated tools are a great start, but these only catch 25–35% of accessibility issues. Manual testing by an Accessibility Testing Specialist uncovers real-world barriers that automation misses; it allows the human tester to map compliance issues and educate the product owner on both the impact and potential fixes.
PLATO utilizes a combination of automated accessibility tools and manual testing techniques to maximize coverage and compliance for our clients.
2. CROSS-TECHNOLOGY TESTING MATTERS.
Different screen readers, browsers, page objects and end-user preferences lead to very different experiences. A page that works with one combination may break with another, which is why cross-technology testing matters.
PLATO is tool-agnostic and uses a broad range of tools and assistive technologies.
3. CONTENT AND DESIGN MATTER AS MUCH AS CODE.
Accessibility is more than just a developer’s concern. Project sponsors, project managers, content creators, designers, and marketing specialists each influence accessibility. For an example, colour contrast, text size, alt text for non-text features, and proper spacing between elements are a few of the design-specific considerations that play a crucial role in overall accessibility compliance. The right time to highlight these considerations is during the project requirement phase, though these types of issues are often reported late in the overall development cycle.
PLATO consults with our clients at the project requirement phase. providing advice to the entire product team and helping to ensure that accessibility requirements are prioritized and tested at every stage of development. This ensures that the visual and aesthetic elements of the product are balanced with accessibility requirements.
4. SCOPING ACCESSIBILITY TAKES STRATEGY.
We live in the world of Agile development, which is a just-in-time approach where you develop on small requirements, test, and reiterate based on quick feedback. Because of this, we don’t recommend that every page be tested in the initial phase, just the right ones.
Good scoping leads to efficient fixes that focus on areas where accessibility truly impacts the user experience. Initial Accessibility Testing should highlight key issues to the project team, thereby prompting them to address accessibility problems at their root and not just apply standalone fixes to every page. The first set of issues will depict the state of accessibility of the product and may highlight the accessibility awareness and required skillset of the project team on accessibility. Sometimes it is necessary to ensure that everyone on the team has basic training on accessibility before beginning development work. Such training can be a game changer for the organization because accessibility is not just about meeting the WCAG requirements; it’s a commitment to usability and inclusion, by providing the same digital experience to all users, regardless of their abilities.
PLATO works with our clients to prioritize everyday user journeys, key templates, and high-traffic content and build the right testing strategy for their Accessibility Testing project.
5. ACCESSIBILITY CREATES SOCIAL IMPACT.
Building accessible software helps users of all abilities participate fully in work, education, and community. It’s a tangible way to advance equity, inclusion, and social impact.
We’re sharing a sneak-peak of next month’s PLATO Panel Talks, focused on Accessibility Testing. If you want to learn more, you can listen here.
At PLATO, we believe Accessibility Testing is about more than just compliance; it is about creating better digital experiences for everyone. If your team is considering where to start, contact PLATO for a consultation with our accessibility experts.
Abhishek is a QA evangelist who is passionate about quality assurance and testing at all levels of the organization. He is currently the Director of Service Delivery, Ontario, and also leads Web Accessibility TCoE at PLATO. Abhishek is PMP and has played key roles throughout his career in positions like Service Center Manager, Delivery Manager, QA Portfolio Manager, and led Managed Services Testing Teams spread across the globe. Abhishek loves to train and coach teams in software testing and its principles.