Accessibility Software Testing

Back to: Software Testing Tutorials

Accessibility Software Testing

In this article, I am going to discuss Accessibility Software Testing. Please read our previous article, where we discussed Security Software Testing. At the end of this article, you will understand the following essential pointers related to Accessibility Software Testing.

1. What is Accessibility Software Testing?
2. Mention the Software Where Accessibility Testing is Used
3. What is the Purpose of Accessibility Software Testing?
4. What are the Factors to Measure Web Accessibility?
5. How Should Accessibility Testing Be Done?
6. Mention the Software Accessibility Testing Tools
7. What are Myths About Accessibility Testing?
8. Example of Software Accessibility Testing
9. What are the Advantages of Accessibility Software Testing?
10. What are the Disadvantages of Accessibility Software Testing?

What is Accessibility Software Testing?

One type of software testing is accessibility testing, which involves determining how simple it is for people with disabilities to use a given piece of software. The goal is to ensure that regardless of any specific disabilities, physically impaired people can easily access every new component. Usability testing and accessibility testing are both steps in the system testing process.

During the accessibility testing process, the system or component is utilized the same way a person with a disability would. People may suffer from impairments such as non-functioning organs, hearing, learning, or visual impairment. Usability testing is a subcategory of accessibility testing which takes users with disabilities into account.

Mention the Software Where Accessibility Testing is Used

This testing aims to confirm accessibility and usability. These are a few instances of such software:

• Software for speech recognition: This program converts spoken words into text and serves as a computer system input.
• Software called a “screen reader” enables people with low vision or blindness to read text on a screen using a braille display or a voice synthesizer.
• Software that magnifies text and other items on a screen assists people with vision impairments to read more easily.
• Some keyboards are specifically made for those with motor control issues. They can type faster thanks to these keyboards.

What is the Purpose of Accessibility Software Testing?

The main goal of accessibility testing is to accommodate those with disabilities, such as:

• Hearing Deficiency: In this condition, the person has sensory problems, such as hearing loss and deafness, and cannot hear or hear clearly. People who have trouble reading have a learning disability.
• Physical Impairments: People with this kind of handicap cannot operate a keyboard or mouse with one hand and struggle with hand tasks, muscle retention, and impaired motor function.
• Visual Impairments: “Visual impairments” refers to conditions such as total blindness, impaired vision, color blindness, flashing effect issues, and visual strobe. A person with cognitive deficits will struggle to learn, have poor recall, and cannot recognize more complex situations.

What are the Factors to Measure Web Accessibility?

1. Pop-ups: Pop-ups can be perplexing for users who are blind. When a pop-up unexpectedly appears when the screen reader is reading the page from top to bottom, the reader will begin reading it before the actual content.
2. Language: Because people with cognitive disabilities have trouble learning, it is crucial to make sentences short and simple enough for them to understand.
3. Navigation: Keeping the website consistent and avoiding frequently changing web pages is crucial. It takes time to become accustomed to new layouts.
4. Avoiding flashy text and plain language on the page are excellent practices.

How Should Accessibility Testing Be Done?

Two methods of accessibility testing are available:

Manual:

Several tools are available to test a software program’s accessibility, but they could be costly or lack the necessary expertise. As a result, manual testing determines whether the software product is accessible. For instance:

• Software brightness testing: Verify the software product’s brightness. Check to see if it is adjustable. Verify whether it is suitable for someone with poor vision.
• Software sound testing: Examine the software’s audio output. Verify that a deaf person can use it appropriately.
• Trying to find captions: Verify the caption’s visibility and expressiveness. For instance, clear captions make it easier to grasp the picture and video content when loading photos on websites and increasing the font size to huge Verify that the considerable font size is available before using it.
• Set the contrast too high: The high contrast mode highlights the website’s content. Cascading style sheet (CSS) disablement Checking the backdrop color, text style, and text presentation style is easier by disabling CSS.
• Use the field label: The field label is visible when examining the template. It is helpful when filling out the form so that the required information can be filled out when signing up or placing an order.
• Zooming experiment: Try the zoom option to determine whether the image is clearly visible.
• Toggle Navigation: determines whether pressing Ctrl+Home causes the focus to jump to the page’s top. For those who have motor difficulties, this is advantageous.

Automated:

Many testing methodologies take advantage of automated automation. There are various computerized technologies for accessibility testing in the automatic process. These tools consist of:

• WebAnywhere: It is a screen reader utility called WebAnywhere, and it does not need any specific installation.
• Hera: It is used to evaluate the software application’s design.
• aDesigner: This tool helps test software from the perspective of those who are blind.
• Vischeck: Visualizing how the image will appear when various user types access it is made easier with the aid of the Vischeck tool.

Mention the Software Accessibility Testing Tools

The top 5 accessibility testing tools are listed below:

WAVE

WebAIM created the WAVE tool to assess how accessible web material is. By annotating the copy of the web page, it sets the accessibility of the material on the website.

• It checks the browser’s accessibility and stores nothing on the server.
• It can spot numerous WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) and accessibility problems.
• It also makes it easier for people to evaluate the web material.

SortSite

For Mac, OS X, and Windows, SortSite is a one-click user experience testing application. This technology is employed for websites, both inside and outside of the firewall.

• Mobile, desktop, and Internet Explorer browsers can all use this tool.
• It looks for script and HTTP error codes.
• It checks the entire website for faults with quality, such as broken links, accessibility, and browser compatibility.

JAWS

The world’s most widely used screen reader is called JAWS Job Access With Speech (JAWS). It was created for those whose eyesight impairment prohibits them from viewing the screen’s information and using a mouse to navigate.

• Eloquence and Vocalizer Expressive, two multilingual synthesizers, are included.
• Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Firefox, and touchscreen motions are all supported.
• It includes drivers for the Braille display and offers Braille input via the Braille Keyboard.

QualityLogic

It offers manual and automated testing services to assess the accessibility of websites.

• Visually impaired QA engineers aware of the requirements for making a website accessible utilize this tool.
• It aids in identifying problems such as contrast errors and structural issues.
• Additionally, it generates a compliance report with a list of the mistakes found.

DYNO Mapper

One of the most excellent tools available for checking website accessibility across all online apps.

• It includes site inspection, content inventory, and daily keyword tracking.
• It can generate a sitemap for any URL and analyzes the website’s HTML content.
• To create the sitemap, it additionally imports XML files.

What are Myths About Accessibility Testing?

Some of the misconceptions around accessibility testing are listed below:

1. Costly: Accessibility testing is not always necessary if accessibility problems are found during the design process in addition to the comprehensive testing; this reduces the expense and additional rework.
2. It takes time to make inaccessible websites accessible: Prioritize tasks and focus on the most critical requirements first; it is not crucial to implement all alterations at once.
3. Accessibility is boring: It is unnecessary to put text on a website to make it accessible; visuals can also be added to make it more visually appealing. However, the main priority is to make the website accessible to all demographic groups.
4. Only those with disabilities may undergo accessibility testing: It is a misconception that accessibility is only for people with disabilities; all sorts of users can benefit from accessibility testing, which raises the software’s reputation.

Example of Software Accessibility Testing

If a blind person uses the internet and clicks on anything, the voice response will be connected, allowing them to hear and use it. The browsers should read the response and comment on the invoice. The application or software should be designed so that whatever answer is given to the browser may be understood. The solution must be voice-connected right away. The blind individual can, therefore, easily access it. The application should be created so that even someone with physical limitations can use it without problems. Several guidelines for accessibility testing can be used while creating software or applications. A few essential strategies are as follows:

1. It is inappropriate to use or exhibit anything red or green.
2. Alt tags ought to be present in every comment.
3. With the aid of keywords, the program should be able to access every component.

What are the Advantages of Accessibility Software Testing?

Accessibility testing ensures that digital products, websites, and applications are usable by individuals with disabilities, offering numerous advantages:

1. Inclusivity: Facilitating access for all users, regardless of disabilities, promotes a more diverse and equitable user base.
2. Expanded Market: Capturing a broader audience enhances the market reach and potential revenue streams.
3. Legal Compliance: Adhering to accessibility guidelines helps organizations comply with disability laws and regulations.
4. Improved SEO: Accessible design often leads to better search engine rankings, benefiting overall visibility.
5. Enhanced Usability: Accessible features can benefit all users, improving user experience and satisfaction.

What are the Disadvantages of Accessibility Software Testing?

The drawbacks of Accessibility Testing are:

1. Time-consuming: Accessibility testing can be time-consuming, especially for complex applications or websites, as it involves extensive evaluation of various user interfaces and functionalities.
2. Costly: Implementing accessibility testing may require specialized tools, assistive technologies, and trained personnel, which can incur additional expenses.
3. Limited Automation: While some aspects of accessibility testing can be automated, many require manual evaluation, leading to potential human errors and resource-intensive efforts.
4. Subjective Assessments: Determining accessibility compliance can be emotional, as different testers may interpret guidelines differently, leading to inconsistent results.
5. Incomplete Coverage: Covering every possible user scenario and assistive technology may be challenging, resulting in potential gaps in identifying accessibility issues.

In the next article, I am going to discuss Structural Software Testing. Here, in this article, I try to explain Accessibility Software Testing. I hope you enjoy this Accessibility Software Testing article.