What Is Accessibility Testing?
"The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect." - Tim Berners-Lee, Inventor of the World Wide Web
In the ever-evolving digital landscape, accessibility has become more than a compliance checklist - it’s a responsibility. According to the World Health Organization, over 1 billion people—roughly 16% of the world’s population—experience some form of disability. Yet, countless websites and applications remain inaccessible, creating barriers that exclude these users from digital experiences.
A study by WebAIM (2024) revealed that 96.3% of homepages had WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) failures. This highlights the urgent need for structured, reliable Accessibility Testing to ensure inclusivity and legal compliance.
In this blog, we’ll dive deep into Accessibility Testing-what it is, why it matters, the frameworks that govern it, and how platforms like DevAssure simplify and accelerate accessibility validation.
What is Accessibility Testing?
Accessibility Testing is a type of software testing that verifies if applications are accessible by individuals with disabilities including those with visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor impairments.
Moreover, the main goal of accessibility testing is to ensure that users can access the application irrespective of any disability.
🔍 Examples of Accessibility Testing:
Color Contrast
Verifying color contrast ratios for readability by color-blind users.
There are people who have some form of color vision deficiency or color blindness, which can make it very difficult to distinguish between certain colors, like red and green. If the text on a website has a low color contrast ratio against its background, these users may find it unreadable.
For eg: The primary check is to ensure that the contrast ratio between the foreground (e.g., text, icons) and the background meets the minimum requirements set by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Screen Reader Compatibility
Ensuring screen readers can interpret page elements properly.
Screen readers are a form of assistive technology used by people with visual impairments or certain cognitive disabilities. They read aloud the content on a screen, and if the website or application isn't built with this in mind, the user will miss out on crucial information.
Major things such as Alt text for images, ARIA roles and labels are verified in this stage.
Form Field Validation
Checking if form fields have proper labels and error handling.
Receiving user’s input and storing it in the backend is an essential part of any application. Users with disability may have some challenges in doing so. In this type of testing, software testers intentionally fill out forms incorrectly to trigger error messages so that they can verify all the validation as well as form error messages are accessible and understandable.
Importance of Accessibility Testing
Accessibility Testing isn’t just ethical—it’s essential. Here’s why:
✅ 1. Promotes Inclusivity
Accessibility testing is so important because it ensures everyone, regardless of their ability, can access the respective software application.
✅ 2. Legal Compliance
Performing Accessibility testing can help companies avoid lawsuits and meet legal standards like ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), Section 508, and the EN 301 549 regulations in the EU.
✅ 3. Enhances SEO
Accessibility also plays a huge impact in SEO(Search Engine Optimization).Accessible Websites generally follow semantic HTML best practices and this helps improve search engine visibility.
✅ 4. Improves User Experience for All
Proper Keyboard navigation, readable fonts, and clear headings benefit every user and not just those with disabilities.
✅ 6. Reduces Development Costs
Finding and fixing accessibility issues early during the testing phase can save rework and technical debt down the line.
WCAG Compliance in Accessibility
🏛 What is WCAG?
WCAG stands for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. These are internationally recognized guidelines developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure digital content is accessible to everyone.
📜 Definition
WCAG is a set of technical standards that outline how web content should be:
- Perceivable
- Operable
- Understandable
- Robust
These standards form the backbone of most accessibility laws globally, including the ADA in the U.S. and the AODA in Canada.
The 4 Principles of WCAG
The WCAG framework is based on four core principles called POUR (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust).
1. Perceivable
Information and UI components in a web application must be presented in ways that users can perceive. This means that the content should be available to at least one of the user’s senses.
Examples:
- Text alternatives for images (alt text)
- Captions for audio content
- Proper heading structures
2. Operable
When it comes to the second principle “operable”, users must be able to operate the interface using a variety of input methods, including keyboards and screen readers.
Examples:
- All functionalities available via keyboard
- Enough time to read and use content
- Avoiding flashing content that can trigger seizures
3. Understandable
The third principle “Understandable” refers to the clarity as well as easy understanding of the functionality and content of respective application.
Examples:
- Predictable navigation and behavior
- Helpful error messages
- Language that’s readable for the target audience
4. Robust
Robustness generally refers to the compatibility of the software with current and future assistive technologies.
Examples:
- Proper use of HTML5 semantic tags
- ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles used correctly
Levels of Accessibility Testing
WCAG compliance is broken down into three conformance levels:
✅ Level A (Minimum Accessibility)
- Basic requirements that must be satisfied.
- Suitable for avoiding major accessibility barriers.
- Example: Providing alt text for images.
✅ Level AA (Mid-Range Accessibility)
- Most commonly targeted level for organizations.
- Balances accessibility with implementation effort.
- Example: Color contrast ratios of at least 4.5:1 for normal text.
✅ Level AAA (Maximum Accessibility)
- Highest and most complex level to achieve.
- Often pursued by government and healthcare organizations.
- Example: Sign language interpretation for all video content.
Most companies aim for Level AA compliance to meet legal and usability standards.
Who Performs Accessibility Testing in a Company?
Accessibility Testing is a collaborative effort involving several roles:
👨💻 QA Engineers
Quality Assurance Engineers are responsible for writing and executing accessibility test cases, often integrating them into automation pipelines.
🎨 UX/UI Designers
UX/UI Designers play an important part in ensuring visual accessibility. They check whether the visual design elements meet color contrast and layout requirements during the design phase.
💻 Front-End Developers
Front-end Developers contribute to accessibility by implementing accessibility standards like semantic HTML, ARIA attributes, and responsive keyboard navigation.
🧑🦯 Accessibility Specialists
Accessibility specialists are experts in WCAG compliance who audit digital assets using both automated and manual tools.
🧪 Manual Testers with Disabilities
In some cases, organizations use real-world users with disabilities who can offer invaluable feedback during exploratory testing.
Accessibility Testing Metrics
Tracking success in accessibility testing requires clear metrics. Here are key performance indicators (KPIs):
📊 1. Number of Accessibility Violations
Helps in identifying how far the product is from compliance. Tools like Axe and Lighthouse can be used for detection.
⌨️ 2. Keyboard Navigation Coverage
This metric covers the percentage of application that can be accessed using only the keyboard.
🧩 3. Screen Reader Compatibility
Screen reader compatibility checks how effectively screen readers like NVDA or JAWS can interpret page content.
🎨 4. Color Contrast Ratio
This particular metric measures if text and background combinations meet WCAG contrast requirements.
🧑⚖️ 5. Compliance Score (WCAG A/AA/AAA)
Compliance Score is an important metric that reflects the level of WCAG conformance achieved.
How DevAssure Helps Users in Performing Accessibility Testing
At DevAssure, accessibility is built into the core of the testing platform. Here's how we empower teams:
⚙️ 1. No-Code Accessibility Test Actions
Using DevAssure's No-code interface, users can seamlessly perfom Accessibility Testing with just a few clicks. DevAssure provides a library of pre-built accessibility validations—like checking color contrast, verifying alt texts, tab orders, and ARIA roles—with no code required.
🔍 2. Visual Accessibility Insights
Get real-time accessibility reports with highlighted problem areas, contrast ratios, and screen-reader issues directly as reports.
🚀 3. WCAG-Based Validation Framework
DevAssure’s engine checks every test against WCAG guidelines, ensuring you can maintain AA or AAA compliance effortlessly.
🤖 4. AI-Assisted Suggestions
DevAssure’s AI engine recommends accessibility fixes and test steps to help your team resolve violations faster.
🔄 5. CI/CD Integration
Accessibility tests can be integrated into your DevOps pipeline, enabling automatic checks during builds and deployments.
👥 6. Cross-Platform Support
DevAssure supports web, mobile, and desktop applications—ensuring accessibility everywhere your users are.
🚀 See how DevAssure accelerates test automation, improves coverage, and reduces QA effort.
Schedule a customized demo with our team today.
Conclusion
Accessibility isn’t just a checkbox—it’s a commitment to equality, usability, and quality.
From inclusive design to regulatory compliance, Accessibility Testing ensures your digital experiences are usable by everyone, regardless of ability. As regulations tighten and users demand more inclusive interactions, prioritizing accessibility becomes a strategic advantage.
With platforms like DevAssure, performing accessibility testing is no longer complex or manual. With AI-powered validations, WCAG alignment, and no-code execution, DevAssure democratizes accessibility testing—empowering every QA team to build inclusive, compliant digital products at scale.