Top 4 Tools For Accessibility Testing

In this article, I’m going to describe some best accessibility testing tools.

Do you know, What is Accessibility Testing?.. If not, Don’t worry about it. You can learn through this article.

Accessibility Testing……

Accessibility Testing is defined as a type of Software Testing performed to ensure that the application being tested is usable by people with disabilities like hearing, colour blindness, old age and other disadvantaged groups. It is a subset of Usability Testing.

So we can do the accessibility Testing In Two ways.

1. Manual Testing -: In manual testing, we can use various kinds of accessibility software like NVDA, Google now, Windows magnifier.

2. Automated Testing -: In automated testing, we can do the testing purposes using scripts or test automation frameworks like selenium.

Why Need To Do Accessibility Testing…..

In the world, there are so many people who have various kinds of disabilities. like…

Visual (Blind, low-vision, colour blind), Hearing (Deaf, Hard of hearing), Motor ( Spinal cord injury, MS, Cerebral palsy), Cognitive (Autism, learning, TBI, memory, Attention)

Various Kinds Of Disabilities

They also use web application to do day-to-day works and learning thing. So, they use different kinds of Software for access to the web application. Such as...

Screen Readers -: NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver OS(MAC)

Speech recognition Software -: Google now, Cortana, Amazon Lex

Screen Magnification Software -: MAGic, Windows Magnifier, Zoom on Macs

So, In this chapter, we talk about how to do accessibility testing using the most popular four accessibility testing tools.

1. NVDA…..

NVDA is a free, open-source screen reader for Windows. It is currently the second most popular screen reader in use and is excellent for web accessibility testing. Participants in this session will start using NVDA to test their web pages for accessibility. NVDA should be tested with the latest versions of Firefox.

If we use this accessibility tool for accessibility testing, Firstly we need to install this tool. So, lets us know the steps of install this tool.

1. Open your web browser and go to the download page for NVDA: https://www.nvda-project.org/wiki/Download.
2. Click on the download link for the latest stable version of the program.

Click on NVDA 2010.1 installer

3. You can also download a portable version of NVDA that can be installed on a USB drive and used on multiple computers (such as on a public computer in the library).

4. Choose Run on each security warning to start downloading the installer file for NVDA.

Choose Run

Choose Run

5. Choose Yes on the User Account Control window.

Choose Yes

6. When the NVDA Setup Wizard opens, choose Next on the first screen, then I Agree on the license agreement screen.

7. Continue selecting Next to install NVDA with the default options.

8. When you get to the final screen of the setup wizard, check the box next to Run NVDA to start using the program right away, then Choose Finish to exit the wizard.

Choose Finish

9. NVDA will display a welcome screen. Choose OK to close this screen and start using NVDA.

Choose Ok

After install using the above steps, We should know, How we use this tool for accessibility testing. Now we know how to use this tool.

In NVDA, we should test the features by reading every elements, headers, landmark and tabbing through links.

WE will need to use the NVDA modifier key in combination with other keys for some keyboard shortcuts. The modifier key can be configured, if we are using a laptop it’s most likely set to ‘CAPS LOCK’.

Keyboard shortcut keys for NVDA

2. JAWS…..

Jaws Tool

JAWS, Job Access With Speech, is the world’s most popular screen reader, developed for computer users whose vision loss prevents them from seeing screen content or navigating with a mouse. JAWS should be tested with Internet Explorer 11 (Edge). JAWS provides speech and braille output for the most popular computer applications on your PC...

• Read documents. emails, websites and apps
• Easily navigate with your mouse
• Scan and read all of your documents, including PDF
• Fill out web forms with ease
• Easy to use with Daisy formatted basic training
• Save time with Skim Reading and Text Analyzer
• Surf the net with web browsing keystrokes

If we use this accessibility tool for accessibility testing, Firstly we need to install this tool. So, lets us know the steps of install this tool.

1. First, open your favourite Web browser, you can use Chrome or any other
2. Download the JAWS installation file from the trusted download button link https://www.malavida.com/en/soft/jaws/
3. Select Save or “Save as” to download the program. Most antivirus programs like BitDefender will scan the program for viruses during download.

• If you select Save, the program file is saved in your Downloads folder.
• Or, if you select “Save as”, you can choose where to save it, like your desktop.

4. After the downloading JAWS completed, click the .exe file twice to running the Installation process

5. Then follow the windows installation instruction that appears until finished

6. Now, the JAWS icon will appear on your Desktop

7. Click on the icon to running the Application into your Windows 10 PC.

After install using the above steps, We should know, How we use this tool for accessibility testing. Now we know how to use this tool.

In JAWS, we should test the features by reading every elements, headers, landmark and tabbing through links.

WE will need to use the JAWS modifier key in combination with other keys for some keyboard shortcuts. Lets we know about some of them.

Keyboard shortcut keys for JAWS

3. VoiceOver OS (Mac)…….

VoiceOver Tool

“VoiceOver” is the default screen reader on Mac desktop devices. It’s recommended to use the latest OS that we have access to test with Safari.

In VoiceOver, we should test the features by reading every elements, headers, landmark and tabbing through links. We will need to use the VoiceOver modifier (VO) key ‘CTRL + OPTION/ALT’ in combination with other keys for keyboard shortcuts.

Keyboard Shortcuts

4. axe DevTools……

axe DevTool

The free axe DevTools browser extension is ideal for development teams to test your web applications to help identify and resolve common accessibility issues.

It’s simple to use, doesn’t require advanced accessibility knowledge and won’t waste your time with false positives.

Development teams can choose between a Chrome, Firefox, or Edge browser extension to automatically test for accessibility defects directly within your browser.

Chrome extension users can unlock additional features by upgrading to axe DevTools Pro. Get started for free! 14-day trial — No credit card required.

If we use axe dev tools for accessibility testing, We need to install tools as chrome/Firefox/ Edge extension. So, lets us know the steps of install this tool.

1. Open your web browser and go to the download page for axe DevTools: https://www.deque.com/axe/
2. Click Install Free chrome extension.

So, If we use this tool for Accessibility testing, help us to find:

• Lacking keyboard support
• Missing labels
• Invalid ARIA attributes
• Colour contrast

So, I hope, you guys can able to improve your knowledge about Accessibility Testing and Testing tools use for Accessibility testing from this article.

Thanks For reading this article !!..