Definitive Guide to Accessibility Testing

You’ve optimized your website for SEO. You’ve invested in UX design, nailed your branding, and streamlined your content. But if you’re not testing for accessibility — you’re leaving a significant gap in your website strategy and user experience.

Website accessibility issues aren’t always visible — but they can break the experience for users with disabilities, particularly those who rely on assistive technologies. They can also lead to costly lawsuits, lost conversions, and reputational damage. And the longer they go unnoticed, the more expensive they become to fix.

That’s where web accessibility testing comes in. When done right, it becomes a key part of quality assurance — not just a compliance checkbox. 

Below, we’ll break down the different types of accessibility testing, explore how and when to use them, and share practical tips for building a scalable, effective testing process that fits your organization’s workflow. We’ll also discuss why accessibility is important in creating accessible, compliant digital content.

What is Accessibility Testing?

Accessibility testing is a type of usability testing that ensures websites and other digital content can be used by people of all abilities. This includes ensuring your site works seamlessly with assistive technologies, such as screen readers, voice recognition software, or alternative input devices such as sip-and-puff systems.

For example, a user relying on a screen reader needs clear, descriptive labels on buttons and images to understand and navigate your site effectively. If those labels are missing or unclear, they can’t complete basic tasks like filling out a form or completing a purchase. Testing helps you identify those issues and fix them, increasing both the functionality and inclusivity of your online content.

Why is Accessibility Testing Vital?

From expanding your audience reach to reducing your legal risk, accessibility testing is key to building accessible, high-performing digital experiences. Below, we’ll take a closer look at why accessibility testing should be prioritized.

Accessibility and Legal Requirements

Web accessibility is no longer optional — it’s a legal requirement. In the U.S., the Department of Justice (DOJ) has made it clear that online spaces are considered places of public accommodation under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and must be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Similar laws apply in other regions, including Canada’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the European Accessibility Act (EAA). Most of these laws cite the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) as the standard for compliance. 

Despite the DOJ's recent update to the ADA website and the removal of outdated content, none of these changes have affected its stance on digital accessibility — online accessibility and equal access remain clear legal expectations.

WCAG: How it Applies to You

WCAG is an internationally recognized standard that defines what makes digital content accessible to people with disabilities. The guidelines are used in most accessibility laws to determine compliance and usability for individuals with disabilities. However, it’s important to note that the EAA uses POUR principles to determine compliance.

WCAG 2.0 was the first version widely adopted into law, followed by WCAG 2.1, which introduced additional criteria for mobile accessibility and cognitive disabilities. The latest version, WCAG 2.2, adds new success criteria aimed at improving usability for people with low vision, limited dexterity, and cognitive challenges. 

While some regions, such as the EU, are beginning to reference WCAG 2.2 as the standard for compliance, most current legal requirements still point to WCAG 2.1 Level AA as the baseline for compliance.

Consequences of Non-Conformance

The days when accessibility was a nice-to-have are long gone. Failing to meet accessibility standards can result in various consequences — from ADA demand letters and lawsuits to loss of customers and damage to brand reputation. Most legal action often occurs due to a gap in conformance with WCAG guidelines, especially when no clear plan or accountability is in place. 

With accessibility lawsuits increasing, many organizations have chosen to partner with accessibility services that include both technical expertise and legal insight. The most reliable partners don’t just help you meet the standards — they stand by their work with guarantees and ongoing support to reduce your risk and help you maintain accessibility over time.

A stylized webpage with a magnifying glass positioned over an accessibility icon.

What Accessibility Testing Looks For?

As mentioned above, accessibility testing focuses on identifying specific issues that prevent people with different disabilities from using your website smoothly. Most testing involves scanning your content for WCAG violations that prevent users from accessing information or navigating your site. These issues range from technical barriers to content challenges, depending on the type of disability — we’ll cover those in more detail below.

Accessibility Testing for Low Vision/Blindness

One of the key goals of accessibility testing for people with visual impairments, including low vision or color blindness, is to ensure users can navigate and understand digital content just as easily as sighted users. This involves looking beyond just surface-level visuals and diving into how content is structured, announced, and interacted with using assistive technologies like screen readers.

Testing usually focuses on the following:

• Screen reader compatibility: Ensuring content is announced clearly and in the right order for screen readers like JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver. 

• Semantic HTML: Verifying correct use of headings, landmarks, lists, and tables for logical structure.

• Alternative text (also called alt text): Ensuring non-text content, such as images, charts, and graphs, has clear, descriptive alt text.

• Keyboard navigation: Confirming that all interactive elements can be used without a mouse.

• Form accessibility: Ensuring form fields have proper labels and that error messages are announced clearly.

• Visible focus indicators: Making sure keyboard users know exactly where they are on a page. 

• Text resizing and zoom support: Testing that content remains visible and readable even when enlarged.

• Color contrast: Ensuring text has sufficient color contrast with background elements.

Accessibility Testing for Physical Disabilities

For users with limited mobility or dexterity, accessibility testing ensures these users can easily interact with and navigate through using alternative input methods, including keyboard commands and shortcuts, alternative input devices, voice control, or switch devices. Key areas of focus include:

• Full keyboard accessibility: Verifying that all interactions can be done using keyboard commands and shortcuts alone.

• Logical and consistent focus order: Ensuring the tab order follows the correct flow of the page and is intuitive.

• Visible focus indicators: Confirming that users can easily track their position on the page while tabbing through content.

• Large clickable targets: Making sure that buttons and links are large enough and spaced appropriately for users with limited motor control.

• Voice command compatibility: Testing for compatibility with voice navigation tools like Dragon or NaturallySpeaking or built-in OS voice control.

• Reduced reliance on drag-and-drop: Providing alternative ways to complete actions that don’t require precise cursor movements.

Accessibility Testing for Learning and Cognitive Disabilities

Users with learning or cognitive disabilities may struggle with focusing on or interpreting online content. Accessibility testing ensures content is clear, predictable, and easy to use. Key areas include:

• Clear, simple language: Ensuring content is easy to read and free of jargon or unnecessary complexity.

• Consistent navigation and layout: Navigation elements, including menus, buttons, and page structures, are consistent and predictable across web pages.

• Descriptive links and buttons: Using labels like “Download the Report” over vague link text like “Click Here.”

• Error prevention and recovery: Helping users avoid mistakes and providing clear error messages on how to fix them.

• Logical content structure: Using headings, lists, and clear section breaks to organize information.

• Avoiding distractions: Keeping flashing, animations, and automatically-playing content to a minimum.

• Plain, readable typography: Using accessible fonts, adequate spacing, and avoiding overly stylized text.

Accessibility Testing for Auditory Disabilities

For users with auditory disabilities, such as d/Deafness or hard of hearing, accessibility testing focuses on ensuring that all essential audio content is available in an alternative format. Testers will look for:

• Captions for videos: Ensuring that all videos have clear, accurate captions.

• Transcripts for audio content: Providing written transcripts for audio content like podcasts, recordings, or videos.

• Visual indicators for alerts: Making sure alerts, notifications, or important sounds are accompanied by visual cues. 

• No audio-only instructions: Avoiding cases where users are expected to rely solely on sound alone to complete a task or understand content.

By systematically searching for and fixing these issues, you not only improve the experience for your users but also bring your content closer to legal requirements (including those mentioned above).

Think of it this way: accessibility testing is the frontline defense against accessibility issues that could exclude users or lead to compliance violations —  helping you build digital experiences that work better for everyone.

Stylized web browser with green check marks next to resolved issues and the AudioEye icon above the page

How Does Accessibility Testing Work?

You know what accessibility testing is and what it looks for — but how does it actually work?

Most testing starts with an automated scan to catch common issues like missing alt text or low color contrast. From there, accessibility experts go deeper into content, using tools like screen readers and keyboard-only navigation to explore key user flows — like logging in, filling out a form, or purchasing. Most testers will use multiple tools across different browsers and devices to ensure everything works consistently. Some organizations take a hybrid approach to accessibility testing, using both automated and manual testing for broader, more accurate coverage.

When testing is done, testers tie issues to WCAG guidelines, prioritize them by how much they affect users, and return clear guidance on how to fix them. After changes are made, testers recheck the work and may set up ongoing monitoring to ensure ongoing compliance with accessibility requirements over time.

What’s the Difference Between Manual and Automated Testing?

When it comes to accessibility testing, organizations often lean on automated testing tools or manual accessibility audits to evaluate their web applications, mobile apps, and other digital content.

Here’s what many organizations don’t realize: neither approach is enough on its own. To build an accessible, compliant, and user-friendly experience, you need both — working together. 

Automated Accessibility Testing

Automated accessibility testing tools automatically scan your digital content for common issues, making them a fast, efficient tool for getting started with accessibility. They can flag issues such as:

• Missing or empty alt text on images

• Low color contrast ratios

• Improper heading order

• Missing form labels

• ARIA attribute misuse

These tools are a great starting point and can help you catch “low-hanging fruit” quickly, but automated tools can’t catch everything. Most tools can only identify common issues, meaning a significant number of barriers can go undetected, putting your organization at risk for non-compliance. 

For example, an automated tool might confirm that a button has a label — but it can’t tell you if that label is meaningful or descriptive to a real user. And it won’t know if the visual design confuses someone with cognitive disabilities. 

Manual Accessibility Testing

Manual testing (or expert testing) fills in the gaps left by test automation. It involves human testers evaluating your site using assistive technologies, screen readers, screen magnifiers, and keyboard-only navigation to ensure compatibility. This approach helps catch more complex issues that automated tools might miss, including:

• Ambiguous or redundant link text

• Inaccessible custom widgets and modals

• Unintuitive keyboard flows

• Confusing form instructions

• Poor focus management

While expert audits can offer deeper insight, they are time-consuming and resource-intensive, especially if they are done line-by-line across every page of your site. Unless you’re working with a trained accessibility expert or someone with lived experience using assistive technology, it’s easy to miss context-driven problems that affect real users.  

Why You Need Both

The most effective accessibility strategy combines both — relying on automation for speed and scale and expert testing for accuracy and depth. Automation helps catch routine issues early in development. Expert testing ensures that the end experience actually works for users with disabilities — not just machines. 

A hybrid approach to accessibility testing provides a more complete picture of your digital content’s accessibility and helps you prioritize meaningful improvements supporting compliance and usability.

What are the Biggest Challenges in Accessibility Testing?

Even with the numerous benefits of accessibility testing, challenges can make it difficult to start or maintain a dedicated accessibility program. These include a lack of internal resources or commitment, misconceptions about the importance or ROI of accessibility, and even the perception that toolbars, widgets, or automated testing alone are sufficient to deliver a fully accessible experience to every website visitor.

The key to overcoming these challenges is to start small, stay consistent, and focus on progress over perfection. Building accessibility into your existing workflows — whether that’s through regular testing checkpoints, using automation to catch issues early, or partnering with experts for more in-depth audits — can make accessibility more manageable and scalable over time.

A stylized web page, with an icon of a human on the left side and a magnifying glass with an accessibility symbol on the right side.

How to Create an Accessibility Testing Plan

If you want your accessibility efforts to stick — and scale — you’ll need more than a one-time audit or a reactive fix. A sustainable testing program requires structure, prioritization, and the right mix of tools and expertise. 

Here’s how to create a robust, scalable testing process that works for your organization long term.

1. Create a Comprehensive Asset List

First, start by mapping out the full scope of your digital presence. This includes your web pages, mobile apps, customer portals, and any downloadable content such as PDFs, reports, or forms. Accessibility testing doesn’t stop at your homepage — anything a user can click, download, or interact with should be on your radar.

2. Prioritize What Matters Most

Once you’ve identified your assets, it’s time to triage. Focus your efforts on the highest-impact areas first — like pages with the most traffic, transactional flows (checkout, login, forms), and content that carries legal or reputation risk. You can also weigh current accessibility performance: if an asset is already in poor shape or has triggered complaints, it should rise to the top of your list.

3. Develop an Accessibility Policy and Statement

A formal accessibility policy outlines your organization’s long-term goals and standards for accessibility. This internal document helps align teams and secure buy-in. Your public-facing accessibility statement, meanwhile, communicates your commitment to users — including any known limitations and instructions for reporting accessibility issues. It’s not just good practice — it shows transparency and builds trust.

4. Set a Regular Testing Cadence

Testing should be built into your ongoing workflows, not treated as a one-time event. Many organizations rely on automated scans to catch routine issues on a weekly or monthly basis, while scheduling manual audits for deeper insights. This hybrid approach helps you maintain momentum, catch new issues as they arise, and ensure real-world usability over time.

5.Fix the Issues You Find

Testing is only half the equation — the real impact comes from acting on the results. Fixes might involve manual code fixes by developers, automated overlays, or a combination of the two. What’s most important is that you close the loop: each issue identified should be tracked, prioritized, and resolved based on severity and impact to users.

How to Choose an Accessibility Testing Partner

Choosing the right accessibility partner is just as important as committing to accessibility in the first place. As you evaluate your organization’s needs, it’s important to consider the following:

• Sample reports: Ask potential vendors to supply a sample report of accessibility test results, including identified issues, fixed issues, and outstanding issues that need to be corrected. For example, AudioEye provides in-depth reports of what was found during testing and the next steps. These reports can be shared across teams, keeping everyone aligned on the next steps and prioritization. 

• Interpretability: Ensure that reports are easy to understand, with guidance on next steps, and recommended fixes. Be sure these fixes fit seamlessly into your development process.

• Coverage: If you’re evaluating automated accessibility solutions, check to see how many WCAG criteria they test and against which version. Also, check if they supplement their automated solution with human experts who can check for additional (and more complex) accessibility issues. AudioEye’s Web Accessibility Checker, for instance, scans your content for 30 WCAG 2.1 violations (more than any other tool on the market) and applies Automated Fixes for those issues. We then supplement this testing with Expert Audits from accessibility experts and users with disabilities to give you more comprehensive coverage.

• Scalability: If you’re considering a manual-only accessibility solution, check to see how they can help you deliver accessible browsing experiences between audits and how they help fix issues found during their audit. For example, in addition to Expert Audits, AudioEye also provides Consulting, Accessibility Training, Mobile App Audits, and Legal Support, all of which help you continue creating and delivering accessible online content. 

The bottom line: Look for accessibility testing partners that don’t treat accessibility like a checkbox. Partners like AudioEye, who understand accessibility is a journey, not a destination, can help you stay up to date with regulatory changes and best practices and continuously deliver accessible, compliant digital content.

A stylized webpage with a series of purple checkmarks, signaling accessibility errors that have been fixed

The Accessibility Testing Workflow that Actually Delivers

Digital accessibility issues aren’t always obvious — but their impact can be huge. For users, they create frustrating, sometimes impassable roadblocks. For businesses, they create risk, hurt engagement, and limit your audience reach.

Ongoing accessibility testing mitigates those risks. It helps you catch issues early, fix them fast, and build digital experiences that work better for everyone. But not all testing methods are created equal — and relying on automation or expert testing alone can leave critical gaps in your site’s accessibility and compliance standing.

That’s where AudioEye comes in. 

AudioEye takes a three-pronged approach to accessibility, combining powerful automation with human-assisted AI technology to help you detect and fix accessibility issues. Our Developer Tools also bring accessibility testing directly to your development workflows, enabling you to detect and fix accessibility issues before they impact your users or become a legal problem.

Ready to see how accessible your site is? Use our free Web Accessibility Checker for an in-depth look — and a clearer path forward. 

Want to see how AudioEye provides up to 400% better protection than other accessibility approaches? Schedule a demo now.