A Quick Guide to Web Accessibility Testing Tools

If you’re aiming to provide an inclusive, legally compliant web experience, you’ll want to start by identifying existing accessibility barriers. That means investing in web accessibility testing tools. These tools help uncover barriers that may impact users with disabilities, so you can implement fixes that ensure your website works for everyone. But with so many tools available, how do you determine which ones are the most effective for your organization’s needs?

This blog post explores key accessibility testing tools, their capabilities, and how they fit into a comprehensive accessibility strategy.

What is web accessibility testing?

Web accessibility testing is the process of assessing whether a website or digital product is usable by people with disabilities and aligned with legal requirements. Testing tools and services typically focus on evaluating whether digital content conforms to established accessibility standards, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), and complies with laws such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Sections 508 and 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.

Why is web accessibility testing important?

Web accessibility is mandated by various global laws, making it essential to mitigating legal risks. Organizations that fail to comply with accessibility requirements may face lawsuits, financial penalties, and reputational damage, which can impact business operations and customer trust.

Additionally, organizations that prioritize web accessibility expand their market share. Inclusive experiences allow consumer brands to open their doors to the more than one billion people worldwide living with disabilities. For business-to-business (B2B) companies, digital accessibility unlocks sales opportunities by helping organizations meet buyers’ procurement requirements.

Regular accessibility testing is critical for proactively identifying and resolving barriers—reducing legal risk and ensuring that digital experiences remain accessible to all users. For thorough and actionable results, organizations should use a combination of automated testing tools and manual evaluations. We’ll explain more about each of these methods in the following sections of this blog.

What are automated web accessibility testing tools?

Automated accessibility testing tools help organizations quickly identify common issues that may prevent people with disabilities from accessing content.

These tools are most useful for providing a general benchmark of a website’s accessibility, and for proactively detecting issues during the digital experience creation process. However, they cannot yet surface all barriers.

Different tools offer unique features and capabilities, making it important to choose the right ones for your needs. Let’s explore some popular types of web accessibility tools.

1. Scanners and page audits

For a quick, high-level review of a website’s accessibility, teams can start with a free page scanner. These tools analyze individual web pages, highlighting common accessibility issues and areas that meet accessibility standards. For organizations needing a rapid scan of a single web page, the WAVE tool by WebAIM analyzes a URL and generates a report using red, yellow, and green icons to indicate errors, warnings, and passing elements.

2. Browser extensions

Developers and content creators can use browser extensions to identify accessibility issues directly within a live or pre-production website or app. Other team members may also use these tools to run quick, multi-page scans to test for accessibility issues across a specific series of pages, especially upon publication. By leveraging browser extensions earlier in the development process (when the tool allows it), teams prevent accessibility bugs from making their way downstream and into live experiences. This is particularly true when the extension is connected to an accessibility management platform, as is the case with the Level Access browser extension.

3. Test automation plugins & CI/CD integrations

By utilizing test automation plugins or accessibility testing libraries, organizations can build accessibility testing into their existing test automation frameworks. Once the appropriate package is downloaded and installed, users can run tests locally and surface accessibility issues during the development pipeline. This encourages a proactive, preventative approach to designing digital experiences with accessibility integrated from the start of the project. To learn more about embedding accessibility in test automation, access our guide to agile accessibility in development.

4. Design accessibility tools

A color contrast checker, like the Level Access Accessible Color Picker for Chrome, allows users to select or enter hex codes for foreground and background colors to determine their contrast ratio and ensure conformance with WCAG standards. If the contrast is insufficient, these tools provide adjustments and alternative color suggestions, along with updated hex codes. Another widely used option is the WebAIM Contrast Checker. Additionally, designers can explore free accessibility kits available in Figma, created by leading brands and industry experts to support accessible design practices.

5. Mobile accessibility testing tools

Ensuring mobile apps are accessible requires platform-specific tools. Google’s Accessibility Scanner helps test Android apps, while Apple’s Accessibility Inspector is designed for iOS applications. These tools allow developers and QA teams to identify mobile-specific accessibility barriers.

6. Document accessibility tools

For PDFs, the Document Accessibility Toolbar is a dedicated accessibility ribbon for Microsoft Word, making it easier to create accessible documents with built-in validation and optimization features.

Tools like Level Access’s PDF Accessibility Checker help users identify and fix common accessibility issues before sharing documents, ensuring compatibility with assistive technologies such as screen readers and keyboard navigation. These tools check for essential accessibility elements, including document tags, alt text for images, proper color contrast, and readable fonts.

The Level Access PDF Accessibility Checker also conforms to the PDF/UA standard, an internationally recognized guideline for accessible PDFs, allowing organizations to detect and remediate issues, like missing tags or incorrect reading order.

Why is manual testing important?

While automated tools catch common issues, they don’t offer a complete solution for accurately evaluating web accessibility. Specifically, these tools often miss rarer and more complex barriers that impact real users. Manual testing is necessary to identify these challenges, which may include context-specific usability issues. Manual tests (or audits) can also validate fixes, confirming that issue remediations were successful.

Choosing a manual testing partner

To ensure thorough and accurate manual testing, it’s wise to partner with a reputable accessibility expert. The right partner will bring expert analysis, real-world user feedback, and actionable guidance to help your team build an inclusive and compliant experience.

Prioritize a partner that provides:

1. Use case testing

Many manual testing processes focus primarily on conformance with accessibility standards. However, for comprehensive, authentic insight, it’s a best practice to engage a partner that can assess your product’s real-world usability for people with disabilities. Use case testing makes this possible.

During use case testing, a native user of assistive technology will endeavour to perform specific tasks, such as making a purchase, and document any challenges they encounter. This process can highlight pain points that may not be immediately obvious in technical evaluations. Incorporating feedback from use case testing elevates your accessibility efforts beyond compliance, resulting in a more seamless experience for every user.

2. Actionable audit results

After manual testing is complete, your partner will deliver an audit report: A list of specific issues that may hinder users from effectively navigating and interacting with the content. This report will typically include information about how these issues map to accessibility standards, like WCAG, and may explain how these barriers affect individuals with disabilities.

However, depending on the scope of your audit, a report may contain hundreds, or even thousands, of findings—and it can be difficult to know where to start. For that reason, you’ll want to choose a partner that can help you prioritize issues by providing context about their location and severity. The right partner will also offer clear, practical recommendations for remediating each identified issue.

3. Training and support

A strong accessibility partner will do more than just identify issues—they should equip your teams with the knowledge, skills, and strategic guidance needed for long-term accessibility success. Prioritize partners that provide training solutions, as well as ongoing support to help your organization integrate accessibility into day-to-day workflows.

Test for success with Level Access

Partnering with industry professionals enables organizations to incorporate best practices into their accessibility testing, ensure compliance with legal requirements, and develop sustainable accessibility strategies.

With over 25 years of experience, Level Access has supported organizations worldwide in building accessible, compliant and user-friendly digital environments.

By combining automated and manual testing with training and expert guidance, our solution empowers organizations to mitigate legal risk and improve usability for all. Test your website’s accessibility with Level Access by contacting a member of our team today.

FAQS

What is automated remediation in accessibility testing?

Automated remediation uses AI and machine learning to detect and fix common accessibility issues automatically. This helps organizations save development time, allowing teams to focus on complex issues that require human expertise.

Do accessibility testing tools work the same across all browsers?

Some accessibility issues are browser-specific so automated tools may produce different results depending on the browser’s rendering engine. It’s best to test accessibility across multiple browsers to ensure consistency.

If my site passes automated testing, does that mean it’s compliant?

No, automated tests only catch a portion of accessibility issues. Manual testing is necessary to ensure usability and compliance with accessibility laws.