Testing for Accessibility and Compliance

Name: Testing for Accessibility and Compliance
Author: Anne Ross

Learn about the tools used to test web accessibility

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Course: On-Demand

Hi, I'm Dr. Annie Matthew Ross. Upon completion of this lesson, you should be able to describe web accessibility compliance. The Americans with Disabilities Act, or the ADA, has devised standards for website design. These standards are different from 508 and state that all electronic and information technology, like websites, must be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Those legally required to follow ADA requirements are state and local government agencies, private employers with 15 or more employees, and businesses that operate for the benefit of the public. The WCAG compiled a list of three levels of compliance for websites, level A, which some users can access, level AA, which almost all users can access, and level AA, which all users can access. For ADA compliance, it is recommended meeting level AA requirements. The ADA has put together a compliance checklist for websites consisting of 18 steps. Step 1. Read the law documentation. Step 2. All media files and maps should have alternative text. Step 3. All of your online forms should have some descriptive HTML text. Step 4. All hyperlinks should have a descriptive anchor text. Step 5. All pages on your website have skipped navigation links. Step 6. All the text content should be structured using proper heading tags. Step 7. All PDF files should be accessible. Step 8. All videos should have subtitles, transcripts, and audio description. Step 9. The color contrast of your web pages should be sufficient according to the WCAG. Step 10. All fonts should be accessible. Step 11. All HTML tables should be populated with column headers, row identifiers, and cell information. Step 12. All audio files on your website should have a written caption. Step 13. All call-to-action buttons on your website should have an accessible name and an audio label. Step 14. All your websites should be accessible with keyboard navigation. Step 15. Have a web accessibility policy page. Step 16. Have easily locatable contact information to allow users to request accessibility information. Step 17. Test your website accessibility according to the website content accessibility guidelines. And Step 18. Automate your website accessibility check to prevent missing critical accessibility issues. You should now be able to describe web accessibility compliance.

Beginner Provider : Anne Ross 4 Lessons · 10m in Arabic, German, English, Spanish, French, Portuguese, Urdu, Chinese

Course Description

These lessons on Testing for Accessibility and Compliance will cover testing and compliance for web accessibility. There are a lot of areas to be mindful of when coding and developing websites to ensure they meet accessibility standards. To help with this, developers and designers can use testing tools to look at all aspects of accessibility on their websites. This course will describe the tools used to test accessibility and the types of testing used.

It may be tempting to believe that a few coding tweaks here and there have solved accessibility issues for your website, but without proper and sustained testing, you will not know if the changes you’ve made are sufficient or if more needs to be done. The tests that are available will examine the color contrast, link descriptions, website navigation, and many other aspects of a website’s design and structure. Some tests are automated, while others are manual, and both are necessary for optimal accessibility. In this course, we will describe the difference between automated and manual testing, as well as the actions that can be automated or must be done manually.

What You'll Learn

Determine whether a website meets web accessibility compliance standards
Utilize testing tools to evaluate accessibility across a website
Perform automated testing to identify accessibility issues
Perform manual testing for aspects that cannot be automated
Distinguish between automated and manual testing and when each applies

Key Takeaways

There are many areas to be mindful of when coding and developing websites to ensure they meet accessibility standards.
Without proper and sustained testing, you cannot know whether accessibility changes you have made are sufficient or whether more needs to be done.
Accessibility tests can examine color contrast, link descriptions, website navigation, and other aspects of a website's design and structure.
Some accessibility tests are automated and others are manual, and both are necessary for optimal accessibility.
This course describes the difference between automated and manual testing, including which actions can be automated and which must be done manually.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is this course for?

It is for developers and designers who code and build websites and want to ensure those websites meet accessibility standards using testing tools.

What does this course cover?

It covers web accessibility compliance, the tools used for accessibility testing, automated testing, and manual testing, including the difference between automated and manual testing and which actions can be automated or must be done manually.

What skills will I gain from this course?

You will gain skills in ADA compliance, compliance testing, web accessibility, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, web testing, and accessibility inspector/plans examination.

Does the course cover both automated and manual testing?

Yes. The course describes both automated and manual testing and explains that both are necessary for optimal accessibility, along with the actions that can be automated and those that must be done manually.

What aspects of a website do these accessibility tests examine?

The available tests examine color contrast, link descriptions, website navigation, and many other aspects of a website's design and structure.