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Accessibility Chrome Extensions: How Reliable Are They Really?

Posted July 17, 2024

AudioEye

Posted July 17, 2024

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Stylized browser with AudioEye and Chrome icons next to it; larger accessibility icon is on the right.

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Accessibility Chrome extensions are browser add-ons that provide an overview of how accessible your digital content is. But how reliable are they really? We explore the pros and cons of accessibility extensions below.

You’ve reviewed accessibility guidelines, studied web accessibility best practices from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), and ensured your digital content complies with accessibility standards and laws. But how can you be sure your website or mobile app is 100% compliant with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)?

This may be when you turn to accessibility testing tools — like accessibility checker Chrome extensions — to determine how accessible your existing content is. The free tools run accessibility tests on your content to identify hidden (or not-so-hidden) accessibility issues that are negatively impacting the user experience. 

So what exactly are accessibility Google Chrome extensions? Let’s dive in.

What are Accessibility Checker Chrome Extensions?

As the name suggests, accessibility checker Chrome extensions are browser add-ons designed to enhance accessibility for users with disabilities. These tools check for common accessibility issues and suggest modifications to web content to make it more accessible. Other internet platforms, including Edge, Firefox, and Windows also provide website accessibility checkers that determine overall accessibility on web pages.


For example, an accessibility Chrome extension will examine the color contrast ratio of your text or images and determine if it meets the minimum 4.5:1 ratio recommended by WCAG. Or they’ll determine if your images include alt text. These are common accessibility issues that most browser extensions can detect and, in some cases, fix.

5 Common Accessibility Checker Chrome Extensions

To help you better understand how accessibility Chrome extensions work, let’s look at five common extensions.

1. WAVE

Part of the larger WAVE accessibility solution, WAVE Browser Extensions evaluates your web content for accessibility issues directly from your Chrome browser. The extension runs solely in your web browser, meaning no information is sent to the WAVE server. This ensures 100% private and secure accessibility reporting. 


Using a visual overlay, WAVE highlights accessibility errors directly on the page you’re auditing. You can then click on the error icons to get more information on the error and possible remediations. WAVE even points you to the “problematic” code via pop-ups so you can see exactly where the error is.

2. axe DevTools

axe DevTools browser extensions are designed to test your web applications to help identify and resolve common accessibility issues. Like WAVE, you can automatically test your digital content for accessibility defects directly from your Chrome browser. Results from the test are displayed in a list-view, which you can drill into to better understand errors better. Plus, you’ll get recommendations on where you might improve your website’s UI to make it more accessible to individuals with disabilities.

3. Google Lighthouse

Google Lighthouse is an open-source accessibility extension that runs directly on your Chrome browser. It can test the accessibility of any web page, whether it’s public or password-protected. The platform allows you to test for accessibility issues like alt text, appropriate button names and page titles, and more. Lighthouse will then share scan results in a report for easy access.

4. Siteimprove

The Siteimprove Accessibility Checker evaluates any of your web pages for accessibility issues at any given time. In addition to providing an overview of your page’s accessibility issues, it also provides insights into how these issues affect your users and recommendations on how to fix them.

The add-on runs directly within your Chrome browsers, allowing for a fast, secure evaluation of non-public or private pages, multi-step forms, and other dynamic content. With these insights, you can take the necessary steps to create more accessible content.

5. EqualWeb

The EqualWeb Accessibility Checker analyzes your digital content and provides a score based on overall accessibility. Your score also includes where accessibility issues and errors exist in your content and provides recommendations for remediation. Along with testing against WCAG guidelines, it tests against standards included in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and more.

Stylized web browser surrounded by pop-ups; man holding a laptop is in front of the browser.

Pros and Cons of Accessibility Chrome Extensions

The biggest thing to remember about accessibility Chrome extensions is this: They shouldn’t be the only tool you use to test for accessibility. They should be just one of the many you use to test and improve digital accessibility. 

To help you understand why you need more than just a Chrome extension, let’s look at the pros and cons.

Pros

Accessibility Chrome extensions are a great starting point for accessibility. Most tools provide you with a high-level overview of your site’s accessibility and where major accessibility barriers exist. You can also use more than one extension so you get double the coverage. 

Most browser add-ons are free of charge and easy-to-use — you can run an accessibility audit with the click of a button and get results almost instantly. This is perfect if you need answers quickly or don’t have the time or resources to do more in-depth testing.

Cons

The biggest drawback to using accessibility Chrome extensions is they can only test for specific WCAG criteria. For example, one study found that Google Developer can only detect 17% of accessibility issues. This is typical of most accessibility Chrome extensions. Most can only detect 50 of the more than 86 WCAG success criteria, meaning there are additional accessibility errors on your site going undetected by these tools.

Along with not being able to detect all WCAG success criteria, some tools deliver false passes or failures. For example, a browser add-on may be able to detect if your images have alt text or your videos contain graphics. However, they can’t tell you the quality of these features — meaning the extension might give you a ‘pass’ on these features when they actually need to be improved. 

Not all Chrome extensions are created equal as well. Some may not have been vetted by experts, so you could be using a tool that’s causing more problems than it actually solves. On the other hand, higher-quality extensions may require more technical knowledge or resources to set up. These add-ons can actually slow down site performance and cause a myriad of problems.

Here’s the bottom line: Chrome extensions are great for getting started with accessibility. They can give you a high-level overview of how accessible your current website or mobile apps are and help you get started on the path to WCAG conformance. However, they shouldn’t be your “end-all” solution to improving accessibility. Creating digital content that provides equal access for everyone requires hard work and the right toolkit.

That’s where an accessibility platform comes in.

Go From ‘Found It’ to ‘Fixed It’ with AudioEye

Accessibility Chrome extensions are great for identifying the accessibility problems you need to fix. Full accessibility platforms like AudioEye help take you the rest of the way. 

AudioEye’s Automated Accessibility Platform helps you enhance accessibility and usability across all your digital content. We start with a free accessibility scan that highlights where existing accessibility issues lie. Our platform then automatically resolves common accessibility issues, getting you one step closer to an accessible, compliant site. Anything our software can’t detect is found by our team of human testers who thoroughly audit your site for more complex accessibility issues. The end result: Digital content that’s accessible, inclusive, and legally compliant.  


Ready to get started on your accessibility journey? Enter the URL of your website in our free scanner below. Or schedule a demo to see the full power of AudioEye.

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