I posted awhile back about some great accessibility tools out there, such as the Firefox Accessibility Extension and WebAIM’s WAVE. (Wow, that was a year ago??)

Using automated tools are a tremendous help in figuring out problematic code or color contrasts that just don’t feel like they are sufficient. However, your testing shouldn’t end there!

Similarly, don’t assume that a non-disabled person testing their site or application with assistive technologies is good enough. I’ve been asked by well-intentioned fellow non-disabled web designers, “Well, how can we get our hands on a screen reader to do testing?”

The best way to ensure your experience is as accessible as possible is to reach out to actual disabled users for testing.

This hit home for me when I watched Scott Mayer (Multiple Facets of Accessible Design – Scott Mayer presentation) demonstrate how blind users navigate both good and bad experiences via a screen reader.

For one, the speed at which the automated voice spoke was surprisingly rapid — and he even slowed it down for our benefit! Two, a sighted user trying their hand at a screen reader just isn’t the same as someone who is completely dependent on one and uses it day in and out.

Sure, a web surfer with hearing can plug their ears and watch a video, but afterwards, they can simply unplug them and go about their lives. A deaf user doesn’t have that luxury. You may think a pretend session gives you a glimpse into their world, but it doesn’t really.

Having access to disabled testers may be challenging depending on the resources in your area. There are some alternatives on the web, such as forums like the Accessify Forum, where you can post a site and ask for feedback.

The bottom line is that, whenever possible, you should use multiple avenues of testing for accessibility, the best being actual disabled users who could be part of your audience.

Tags: accessibility tools, assistive technology, screen readers, user testing

I’ve had the opportunity recently to do some basic accessibility testing on some sites, and thought I’d share just a few of the tools I use to make certain aspects easier. There are many out there, with varying degrees of usefulness. This list barely scratches the surface.

Firefox Accessibility Extension 1.4.5.0
This toolbar gives you a handful of features that aid in accessibility testing. You can run a report that notes accessibility failures. You can easily identify important elements of a page such as title, headings, frames, and links. It gives you image options such as viewing alt tags in context, or viewing the page without images altogether.

There are also built-in validation offerings, as well as color contrast findings and keyboard navigational aids. It directs you to options such as the Cynthia Says Web Content Accessibility Report and WebAIM WAVE

Web Developer 1.1.6 add-on for Firefox
Another Firefox extension that enables you to check out aspects of accessibility is Web Developer for Firefox. You can easily disable elements such as CSS and images, as well as run automated tests such as Validate CSS, Validate HTML, and Validate Section 508, which utilizes Cynthia Says.

Juicy Studio Luminosity Colour Contrast Ratio Analyser
There are numerous tools out there for testing color contrast, but I find myself in the habit of using the one at Juicy Studio. In determining if text on backgrounds (colors or imagery) meets the minimum WCAG 2.0 requirement of 4.5:1 (3:1 for larger text), all you have to do is enter the foreground and background colors and you’ll see how you’re doing.

GrayBit.com
This is an interesting tool that renders a site in grayscale. By pulling color out of the equation, it enables you to get a raw sense of visual contrast.

Of course, none of these really do everything for you. Looking right in the code of a page, or carefully navigating through with your own senses offer invaluable insights as to how well a site has been set up.

Tags: accessibility tools, color contrast, firefox