In today’s digital world, accessibility is essential—not just a nice-to-have. December 3rd, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, reminds us how crucial it is to create inclusive digital spaces. For over 1 billion people living with disabilities, accessible technology is a gateway to independence and equal opportunity.
Agile development thrives on delivering value quickly and iteratively, and accessibility should be part of that value. By integrating accessibility testing early in your workflow, you can catch barriers before they become costly problems. This approach ensures your product works for everyone, reflects your commitment to inclusivity, and helps you stay compliant with legal standards.
What is accessibility testing?
Accessibility testing ensures your digital products are usable by everyone, including people with disabilities. It focuses on whether websites, apps, or software are accessible to individuals with different needs, such as:
- Visual disabilities: Blindness, low vision, or color blindness.
- Auditory disabilities: Hearing loss or deafness.
- Motor disabilities: Limited mobility, tremors, or difficulty using a mouse.
- Cognitive disabilities: Dyslexia, memory challenges, or difficulty concentrating.
This testing isn’t just about ensuring compatibility across platforms—it’s about creating experiences that allow everyone to interact with your product effectively and inclusively.
Key goals of accessibility testing
Here’s what accessibility testing aims to achieve:
- Remove barriers: Ensure all users, including and especially those with disabilities, can interact with your product effortlessly and independently.
- Enable assistive technologies: Support tools like screen readers, braille displays, or voice navigation to accommodate diverse user needs.
- Deliver inclusive experiences: Create digital products that provide equal access and usability for everyone, regardless of their abilities.
Why does accessibility testing matter?
Imagine a banking app without alternative text for icons or sufficient keyboard navigation support. For users with visual disabilities relying on screen readers, this could make the app frustrating or even impossible to use. Similarly, users with color blindness might struggle to interpret critical information if color contrast isn’t adequate. Accessibility testing identifies these gaps, ensuring everyone can manage their finances with ease.
Beyond compliance, accessibility testing fosters inclusivity, enhances user satisfaction, and opens the door to broader business opportunities. Here’s why accessibility testing matters:
1. Enhances the experience of ALL users
Accessible products benefit everyone, not just individuals with disabilities. Features designed for accessibility often help users in various everyday situations:
- Temporary limitations: Someone with a broken arm or articulation challenges can navigate apps more easily using voice controls.
- Situational barriers: A user accessing a website in bright sunlight benefits from high-contrast text, while someone multitasking can rely on keyboard shortcuts for faster navigation.
- Design considerations: Accessibility features like color-blind-friendly palettes improve clarity and usability for all users, regardless of ability.
By addressing these barriers, accessible products enhance usability, engagement, and retention for a wide range of users.
2. Legal and compliance considerations
Digital accessibility isn’t just good practice—it’s a legal requirement in many regions.
- The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lawsuits: In 2022 alone, over 3,000 lawsuits targeted businesses with inaccessible websites.
- Global regulations: Countries like the UK (Equality Act) and the EU (Accessibility Directive) enforce accessibility mandates. Failing to meet these standards can result in fines, lawsuits, and reputational damage.
3. Supports agile principles
For agile leaders, accessibility testing aligns with delivering user-centric value. Integrating accessibility into sprints ensures every release meets the needs of all users.
- Reduces costly rework: Identifying and fixing accessibility issues early in the software development lifecycle (SDLC) is faster and more cost-effective than addressing them post-release.
- Drives continuous improvement: Accessibility testing fits naturally into agile’s iterative approach, enabling incremental enhancements in every sprint.
How to approach accessibility testing in agile workflows
Accessibility testing should be a natural part of your agile workflow, ensuring inclusivity is prioritized at every stage of the SDLC. By integrating accessibility best practices into your processes, you can identify and resolve issues early, avoid costly rework, and create better experiences for all users.
1. Define accessibility early
Accessibility starts with planning. Make it part of your user stories and include it in your definition of done.
- Add accessibility requirements alongside functional requirements.
- Specify acceptance criteria like ensuring form fields are labeled for screen readers or that navigation works seamlessly with a keyboard.
Example: For a login page, specify that all input fields must have proper labels so users relying on assistive technologies can interact effectively.
2. Test accessibility throughout the SDLC
Accessibility isn’t a one-time task—it needs to be addressed in every phase of development:
- Design phase: Use accessibility testing tools like Stark or Color Contrast Analyser (CCA) to check for accessible color contrasts, readable font sizes, and adaptable layouts.
- Development phase: Write semantic HTML, apply Accessible Rich Internet Applications (ARIA) roles and attributes to enhance accessibility, and validate keyboard navigation by ensuring all interactive elements are focusable and operable using standard keys like Tab, Enter, and Esc. Avoid relying on mouse-specific actions and test navigation through typical workflows to confirm accessibility compliance.
- Testing phase: Use a combination of automated tools and manual testing methods like screen reader validation or keyboard-only navigation.
Pro tip: Integrate accessibility checks into your CI/CD pipeline. This allows your team to catch violations with every build, making the process scalable and consistent.
3. Focus on high-impact areas first
Agile thrives on delivering value incrementally. Start with workflows that impact the most users, such as navigation menus, form submissions, and authentication flows.
Example: A team working on an e-commerce platform began by testing their checkout process for accessibility, ensuring it was functional for all users before expanding to other sections.
4. Involve real users
Automated tools like Axe, WAVE, or Lighthouse can identify many accessibility issues, such as missing alt text or low contrast. However, they can’t replicate the real-world experience of users relying on assistive technologies. Collaborate with people who use screen readers like NVDA or JAWS, voiceovers, voice commands, or other tools to uncover usability barriers that might be missed internally.
Invite users with disabilities to test key workflows. Reach out to local accessibility associations or advocacy groups to help find the right candidates for user testing. Use their feedback to refine the product and address gaps effectively.
Example: A SaaS provider tested their dashboard with blind users and uncovered navigation challenges that automated testing failed to detect. This highlights the importance of involving users with disabilities early in the development process, such as during brainstorming or initial design stages. By integrating their feedback from the start, teams can avoid costly rework and ensure accessibility is built into the product from the ground up, aligning with agile principles.
5. Iterate and improve
Accessibility testing fits perfectly into Agile’s iterative model. Treat it as an evolving requirement that grows with each sprint.
- Regularly review processes to ensure they align with the latest standards like web content accessibility guidelines (WCAG 2.0).
- Use retrospectives to evaluate accessibility efforts and plan improvements for future sprints.
Tools and techniques for effective accessibility testing
A strong accessibility testing strategy combines automated tools, manual testing techniques, and user collaboration to ensure accessibility compliance and usability. Here’s how to approach it effectively:
1. Choose the right tools for your team
Not all tools will suit your needs, so focus on what aligns with your workflow, team expertise, and product requirements.
- For CI/CD pipelines: Tools like Axe DevTools and Pa11y integrate seamlessly into automated workflows to catch issues early.
- For visual feedback: Tools like WAVE and Lighthouse provide actionable insights on color contrast, structure, and form labeling.
- For deeper audits: Open-source tools like Tenon offer detailed reports, which are ideal for in-depth compliance testing.
Pro tip: Consider tools that support collaborative features, allowing team members to track progress and prioritize fixes efficiently.
2. Automate routine checks
Automated tools save time by identifying common issues like missing alt text, improper ARIA roles, and low contrast. For instance:
- Use Axe DevTools during development to detect and resolve issues as code is written.
- Run Lighthouse audits during QA to generate scores and suggestions for improvement.
- Add Pa11y to your CI/CD pipeline to ensure consistent accessibility across builds.
Pro tip: Regular automation ensures that you’re staying compliant without adding extra manual workload during every sprint.
3. Validate usability through manual testing
Automated tools are powerful but can’t replicate real-world user experiences. Manual testing ensures your product is genuinely accessible.
- Keyboard navigation: Test workflows by navigating your product using only a keyboard.
- Screen reader testing: Use tools like NVDA or JAWS to ensure content is accurately conveyed to users with visual disabilities.
- Dynamic content checks: Evaluate pop-ups, modals, and other interactive features for accessibility.
4. Collaborate with users with disabilities
No tool is better than real feedback from individuals who rely on assistive technologies. Working directly with users with disabilities ensures your product meets practical needs.
- Reach out to advocacy groups or accessibility consultants to connect with real users.
- Invite these users to participate in usability testing for high-priority workflows like navigation and forms.
- Incorporate their feedback into your design and testing processes.
5. Manage and document efforts
TestRail helps centralize your accessibility testing efforts, making it easier to organize, track, and optimize results.
- Create test cases for both manual and automated checks, ensuring consistent coverage.
- Link test cases to accessibility standards like WCAG for better traceability.
- Assign and monitor tasks to keep your team aligned on priorities.
Pro tip: Use TestRail to record feedback from real users alongside automated test results, creating a comprehensive view of your accessibility progress.
Image: In TestRail, you can trace, manage, and update tests from a single dashboard—one the entire team can access.
This balanced approach of combining the right tools, manual techniques, and real-user feedback ensures your accessibility efforts are both effective and user-focused.
Common challenges in accessibility testing (and how to overcome them)
Even with the right tools and processes, accessibility testing comes with its own set of challenges. Here are some common hurdles QA teams face and how to tackle them effectively.
1. Lack of expertise
Accessibility testing requires specific knowledge, and not all teams are familiar with standards like the WCAG guidelines or how assistive technologies work.
- Solution: Provide training on accessibility standards and tools. Use internal documentation or bring in consultants to upskill your team.
- Example: A fintech team reduced errors in their testing process by hosting a hands-on workshop on using screen readers like NVDA.
2. Bias in testing
Testing by individuals without disabilities can miss critical usability barriers.
- Solution: Involve real users who rely on assistive technologies. Their feedback provides insights that tools or testers without disabilities can’t uncover.
3. Time constraints in agile workflows
Frequent sprints and tight deadlines can make comprehensive accessibility testing feel unmanageable.
- Solution: Automate repetitive checks using tools like Axe or Lighthouse. Prioritize high-impact workflows like navigation and forms for manual testing. Pro tip: Add accessibility testing to your definition of done to ensure it’s not skipped under pressure.
4. Complexity of dynamic content
Features like modals, pop-ups, and dynamic forms often have hidden accessibility issues.
- Solution: Test these elements manually with assistive technologies and ensure ARIA roles are correctly implemented during development.
5. Overlooking accessibility in design
Accessibility issues often stem from design decisions that aren’t inclusive.
- Solution: Conduct design reviews with accessibility tools like Stark to catch issues like low contrast or poor layout adaptability before development.
Accessibility testing doesn’t need to be perfect from the start. Addressing these challenges incrementally ensures your product becomes more inclusive with each sprint.
Measuring success in accessibility testing
Success in accessibility testing is about more than compliance—it’s about creating inclusive products that provide equal access and usability for everyone. This includes addressing accessibility across web pages, mobile apps, and interactive elements to ensure a seamless user experience. Here’s how to measure and demonstrate progress:
1. Start with a baseline- Conformance levels
Start by assessing your product’s current accessibility to establish a baseline. You can use WCAG 2.1 conformance levels A and AA as benchmarks to measure progress incrementally across sprints, ensuring your accessibility goals are consistently met.
2. Involve your users in the process
Metrics are useful, but feedback from users with disabilities provides deeper insights into accessibility barriers. Usability tests with real users can uncover issues automated testing tools might miss.
3. Monitor defect trends over time
Track the number, severity, and recurrence of accessibility-related defects. This helps you identify patterns and ensure fixes are robust. If issues keep recurring, it may indicate the need for process adjustments or additional training.
4. Analyze behavioral metrics
Accessibility improvements often lead to noticeable changes in user behavior. Track metrics like task completion rates, session durations, and feature engagement to gauge the impact of your efforts.
5. Use test management to stay organized
Centralizing your accessibility testing efforts helps teams stay on track. By documenting test cases, tracking outcomes, and linking tests to specific accessibility goals, you can keep efforts aligned and measurable while making it easier to review progress over time.
Image: In TestRail, you can centralize all of your testing activities to make it easier to access and manage test assets, reduce duplication, and ensure consistency across the testing process.
6. Foster a culture of continuous improvement
Accessibility is an ongoing process, not a one-time goal. Build feedback loops into your agile workflows and revisit your accessibility efforts regularly during retrospectives. With each sprint, make incremental improvements that enhance usability and inclusivity.
Bottom line
By integrating accessibility into your agile workflows, collaborating with real users, and continuously measuring success criteria, you ensure your product meets the needs of all users while driving innovation, user satisfaction, and business growth.
Ready to streamline your accessibility testing process? With TestRail, you can organize your test cases, track progress, and ensure accessibility stays a core focus in every sprint. Take the next step toward building better, more inclusive digital experiences.
Learn how TestRail can support your accessibility efforts today with a free 30 day trial!
