What is Accessibility Testing?

Accessibility testing is a sort of software testing that ensures the programme under test is usable by persons with impairments such as hearing loss, colour blindness, old age, and other disadvantaged groups. Usability Testing is a subset of it.

An accessibility testing agency, helps people with impairments employ assistive technology to help them use software products. Below are a few illustrations of this kind of software:

  • Speech recognition software – Converts spoken words to text for use as computer input.
  • Screen reader software -A programme that reads the text on the screen aloud.
  • Screen Magnification Software- This software is used to magnify the monitor and make reading easier for visually challenged individuals.
  • Special keyboard-Users with motor control issues will benefit from a special keyboard designed for effortless typing.

Why is Accessibility Testing Necessary?

Why is Accessibility Testing Necessary

Reason 1: Cater to the Disabled Market.

Disability affects around 20% of the population.

One out of every ten persons has a serious impairment.

One in every two adults over the age of 65 has diminished skills.

Blindness, deafness, handicapping, and other bodily problems are examples of disabilities.

If a software product is made disabled-friendly, it may appeal to this large market. Accessibility concerns in software may be overcome by including Accessibility Testing into the standard software testing life cycle.

In addition, organizations can get a VPAT Certification, a document describing how their product or service conforms to the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, thus demonstrating their commitment to providing access to digital products and services. Accessibility testing is critical for ensuring a product meets applicable accessibility standards such as WCAG, Section 508, and ADA guidelines.

Reason 2: Comply with Accessibility Laws

Government authorities all across the globe have issued regulations requiring that IT products be accessible to individuals with disabilities.

Reason 3: Prevent Potential Lawsuits

Fortune 500 firms have previously been sued because their products were not accessible to the disabled. Here are a few notable examples.

National Federation for the Blind (NFB) vs Amazon (2007)

Sexton and NFB vs Target (2007)

NFB Vs AOL settlement (1999)

It is essential to design items that benefit the disabled in order to prevent potential litigation.


How Do You Perform Accessibility Testing?

There are two approaches to evaluating accessibility:

  1. Manual
  2. Automated

Accessibility testing might be difficult for testers who are inexperienced with impairments. It is preferable to deal with handicapped persons who have unique requirements in order to comprehend their difficulties.

Depending on the Disability, there are many methods for testing accessibility. We'll study each one individually.

1. Vision Disability

Assume for the moment that I am blind. I am entirely blind and needed to get to the XYZ Website. What choices do you have in such a circumstance? I'm unable to visit the XYZ website. What are my options?

There is a one-word option known as SCREENREADER. Yes, you are correct. SCREENREADER. What exactly is this Screen Reader? Software is utilised to narrate web content with this device. Essentially, anything is on your website, whether it is information, a link, a radio button, images, video, and so on. A screen reader will describe all of it for me. Screen Readers are widely accessible. I've worked with jaws before.

When you launch Jaws or another screen reader and navigate to a webpage, it will narrate the whole material to you.

2. Visual Impairment

I'd like to draw attention to two categories under the topic of visual impairment.

Color Blindness is the first. Color blindness is defined as not being entirely blind but being unable to see a certain colour adequately. Red and blue are the most prevalent hues that persons with colour blindness cannot see well. So, if I have red colour blindness and want to utilise a website that is 80% red, what should I do? Would I be comfortable using that website? No, it does not.

As a result, a website should be constructed in such a way that a person with colour blindness may easily view it. Consider the following example: a red button. To make it more visible, outline it in black. Then it is simple to access. Black & white are typically considered to be universal.

3. POOR VISION DISABILITY

POOR VISION DISABILITY

A second consideration is a person with impaired vision (not clear vision) or other visual difficulties (there are numerous eye diseases connected to the retina, for example) while accessing any site.

  •  In such instances, it is recommended to avoid using tiny font. Because it would be extremely beneficial to persons with low eyesight.
  • Additionally, those with visual problems would like to be able to zoom in on the text on the website to make it more pleasant for them. As a result, a website should be constructed in such a way that when enlarging it, the layout does not break when zooming the text. Otherwise, they will be

4. Other Impairment

Accessing the website without the Use of a Mouse is a critical consideration in Accessibility Testing for Disabled Audiences. A user should be able to use the keyboard to access any links, buttons, radio buttons, checklists, pop-up windows, dropdown menus, and other controls on the website.


Wrapping It Up

Accessibility testing in software engineering aids in making your programme accessible to people with disabilities. If adhering to accessibility requirements is impossible due to the complexity of your web application, create two versions of the website: one for ordinary users and one for disabled users.

Have a project in mind? Being an  accessibility testing agency, QAlified, encourages the release of inclusive software that can be used by people with disabilities. By conducting evaluations that integrate the use of automatic tools aimed at validating guidelines and standards with the execution of validations in particular circumstances, we help to improve the accessibility of a system. For more visit; QAlified now!!

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