1. Successful Website Accessibility Testing
Balancing Automated Scanning, Manual Testing and Assistive Technology

2. Jeff Singleton Senior Accessibility Consultant
More than two decades of evaluating and supporting information and communication technology
In depth knowledge of accessibility guidelines, standards and assistive technologies
Lectures on accessibility topics at National and International Disability and Technology Conferences
Developed and taught various training programs and courses focused on accessibility compliance

3. Goals 1
Identify where to focus the testing effort to maximize accessibility coverage with minimal effort and cost
Gain insight to the strengths and weaknesses of automated scanning, manual testing and use of assistive technology
Identify the quickest and most effective way to improve your accessibility testing methods and process 2 3

4. Scoping the Testing Effort
Maximizing Coverage with Minimal Effort and Cost

5. Where to Start?
Identify which standards and guidelines we will strive to conform
Identify the most visited pages on our site
Identify the templates that make up the framework of our site
Determine the critical user tasks/scenarios on our site
Identify the testing approach for the accessibility audit

6. Standards and Guidelines
Knowing our target goal allows us to:
Document issues against the published standards and guidelines
WCAG 2.0, Section 508, EN , etc.
Report on progress toward conformance with the standards and guidelines
Prioritize which are most important to our organization
Speak the same language with all stakeholders

7. Most Visited Pages Identify the highest traffic pages on our site
Give these pages special attention during our testing
Ensuring they are accessible allows the site to appear more accessible

8. Page Templates Identify the templates that make up our site
Once identified, select representative examples that contain the largest selection of features allows on the template
Fix issues related to templates first

9. User Tasks and Scenarios
Example task and scenarios:
Signing up for a newsletter
Creating a user account Modifying the user profile
Changing a user password

10. “Key” User Tasks and Scenarios
Example task and scenarios:
Signing up for newsletter
Creating a user account
Modifying a user profile
Changing a user password
If an e-commerce site:
Searching for a product
Reviewing product description
Adding product to cart
Checking out

11. Testing Approach
Keyboard Only
Assistive Technology
Contrast
Cognitive

12. Keyboard Only Test Pass
Verify we can interact with all content and controls, no mouse!
Ensures a foundation for Assistive Technology to work
Addresses many potential mobility impairment issues
Boosts general usability of the site

13. Assistive Technology Test Pass
Allows us to identify accessibility issues beyond KB testing
Types of Assistive Technology
Screen Readers
Screen Magnifiers
Assistive Input
Voice Command
Etc.
Requires the ability to switch mindsets
Partner with a 3rd party consultant if necessary

14. Contrast Test Pass Contrast level of 4.5:1 required for most content
Contrast can easily be tested with an automated scanning tool
Make note of potential contrast issues during keyboard test pass and flag for closer inspection

15. Cognitive Test Pass Often overlooked due to time
Can also be difficult to perform
Be alert to identify basic issues during test passes
Non-descript link text
Referencing content/controls by color or location
Complex wording

16. 1 2 3 4 5 Plan, Road Map, Guide, etc. We now know:
Standards and Guidelines
Most Visited Web Pages
Page Templates and Locations
Critical User Scenarios and Tasks
Testing Approach

17. Automated Scanning, Manual Testing & Assistive Technology

18. Automated Scanning Tools

19. Scanning Tools Are Not A Complete Solution
Some content is difficult or impossible to check programmatically:
Logical flow/meaning of content
Tab Order
Keyboard Access
Images with Text
Meaningful Alt Text
Etc.

20. Benefits of an Accessibility Scanning Solution
Easily Scan a Site for Accessibility Issues
Report on a Site’s Current State of Accessibility

21. Benefits of an Accessibility Scanning Tool (cont.)
Report the progress made of over time
Provides ongoing monitoring, tracking and reporting of content

22. All Tools Are Not Created Equal
Prior to Investing in a Scanning Solution:
Consider your needs now
Consider your future needs
Select a tool that can scale with your organization’s website
Is there a limit on how many pages can be scanned at one time?
Can the solution scan mobile web content? How is the done?
What checkpoints are included out of the box and how much configuration is required?

24. Accessibility Testers

25. Accessibility Testers
Familiar with
QA Testing Methodology
Assistive Technology
Proper methods of documenting identified issues
Challenges of Assistive Technology Users
Accessibility Guidelines and Standards
Accessibility Testing *is* their job!!!

26. Assistive Technology

27. Assistive Technology – Buyer Beware!
Which ones to use?
Screen Reader
Magnifier
Voice Command
Etc?
Steep Learning Curve
Customized vs Default Settings
Auto Correction of Poor Coding

28. Did We Achieve Our Goals?1
Identify where to focus testing to maximize accessibility coverage with minimal effort and cost
Gain insight to the strengths and weaknesses of automated scanning, manual testing and use of assistive technology
Identify the quickest and most effective way to improve your accessibility testing methods and process 2 3

29. Further Resources at compliancesheriff.com
Question and Answer
Further Resources at compliancesheriff.com
Case studies
Whitepapers
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