According to the CDC, over 61 million Americans live with some form of disability. Complying with website accessibility laws, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), is therefore a vital part of any modern-day business strategy. Or at least it should be. But in order to make your website ADA-compliant, you first need to test it. After all, you have to know where you are to know where you’re going. While the prospect of conducting rigorous accessibility audits might seem daunting, this guide breaks down the process step by step, equipping you with everything you need to take action.
What are the types of testing for Website ADA Compliance?
Let’s start with the different types of accessibility testing methods, of which there are three: automated, manual, and user testing. While each one brings its own unique set of benefits and challenges, a combination of all three methods is generally recommended, as this provides optimal coverage of accessibility issues and will place you in a much better position for complying with the ADA’s strict requirements.
Automated testing
Automated testing is the best place to start. It’s the most efficient way to identify common accessibility issues, helping you check big ticket items off the list early on. Tools like an accessibility checker conduct rapid scans of your website’s code, flagging accessibility barriers, such as missing alt text or screen reader incompatibility. The software then uses the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) — an internationally-recognized set of standards for web accessibility — as a benchmark for offering actionable guidance on how to fix these issues.
Manual testing
Once you’ve taken care of the more prominent ADA failures, the next step is to conduct a series of manual tests. Manual testing moves away from software and automation, relying on real people, typically web developers or accessibility experts, to review your website for areas of inaccessibility.
Humans are able to pick up on the nuances that are often overlooked by machines. For example, automated testing might flag missing alt text, but it takes a human to determine if alt text is sufficiently descriptive.
User testing
Without question, the most insightful feedback comes from existing disabled users. This is called user testing. By collaborating with individuals who rely on assistive technologies, you are able to uncover barriers that neither manual nor automated testing can identify.
Consider, for example, the case of keyboard navigation. In order to be ADA-compliant, users need to be able to navigate your website using only a keyboard. A series of manual tests might confirm that a given drop-down menu can be opened using keyboard functions, but user testing might reveal that browsing the menu’s options is confusing or impossible due to poor focus management. This example underscores the importance of combining testing methods to make sure subtle details like this do not go amiss.
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The standards of ADA Web Compliance
To understand ADA web compliance, you first have to get to grips with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). As mentioned earlier, WCAG is a set of internationally-recognized standards for web accessibility, with new versions released periodically. It offers specific guidance on how to make your website accessible according to 3 levels of success criteria: Level A, AA, AAA.
The ADA relies on WCAG as the basis for its digital requirements. Therefore, all companies should aim to comply with WCAG 2.1 Level AA, or, if resources allow, Level AAA. The way to do this is to use WCAG 2.1 Level AA standards as your benchmark when conducting accessibility tests. This will give you a concrete indication as to where you are compared with where you need to be.
WCAG is built around four core principles – Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR). These principles emphasize designing content that:
- Perceivable: Can be sensed (e.g., text alternatives for images).
- Operable: Can be navigated and used by all (e.g., keyboard-friendly forms).
- Understandable: Is easy to comprehend (e.g., clear error messages).
- Robust: Works across a diverse range of devices and different types of assistive technologies.
WCAG uses these principles to prescribe specific guidance on various website elements. This guidance could be related to captioning videos, designing a consistent navigation structure, or ensuring that all functionality is operable via keyboard.
Who should perform ADA Testing?
Manual compliance testing for ADA is a team effort, which requires a diverse range of expertise depending on the goals of the audit. So, who exactly do you want to be involved when conducting these tests?
- Web developers: They address code-level barriers like semantic HTML and proper ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) implementation during manual audits.
- QA professionals: These testers identify and replicate accessibility bugs to ensure fixes are effective.
- UX/UI designers: Designers ensure that visual elements like contrast and layout support accessibility.
- Marketers/content managers: These professionals ensure content is easy to read, and that multimedia includes necessary aids like captions or transcripts.
- Disabled users: These individuals provide valuable feedback on a vast range of different website elements based on their lived experience as disabled internet users.
By making space and time to include all these different roles throughout your ADA web compliance testing, you’ll be sure to cover technical, design, and even content aspects of accessibility.
Types of website elements to test for ADA compliance
If you are new to the world of ADA compliance testing, it can be a challenge knowing where to start. This section outlines a series of website elements which tend to incur the most amount of ADA failures. Addressing these first helps tick off some big ticket items, giving you the best chance of success from the get-go.
Color contrast
Non-compliant ADA color contrast makes text unreadable for visually impaired users. One simple way to overcome this issue is to use aids like our accessibility toolbar, which gives users complete freedom to customize your site in the way that best suits their needs. Among other things, this includes the ability to adjust color contrast ratios to the acceptable 4.5:1 standard, or above, that is necessary to comply with the ADA.
Alt text for images
Alternative text for images, or ‘alt text’, is the textual description of an image, which is interpreted by screen readers so that users with visual impairments can still perceive the contents of an image without needing to see it. Every image should be tagged with alt text, ensuring the descriptions are clear, to the point, and jargon-free.
Form fields
Forms must include clear labels and instructions which users understand what input is required and where. Test whether all form fields are navigable via keyboard and whether error messages are prescriptive. For example, “Enter a valid email” gives the user far more context than just “Error”.
Multimedia Elements
Video captions and audio transcripts provide text-based alternatives to visual content, so that users with hearing impairments can still follow along. Captions should be checked for accuracy and spelling mistakes, ensuring that the intended message is not lost when converted to text.
Links
All links should have descriptive anchor text, as it provides context to screen readers, helping visually impaired users understand the link destination before they click on it. For example, anchor text that reads “Download our free guide” is much more descriptive than “Click here”. Use screen readers when testing for descriptive anchor links, so that you can be sure the link descriptions make sense when read aloud.
Stay ahead of the game when it comes to Digital Accessibility laws and compliance in the United States. Learn about all the different federal and state-level regulations, see real examples of web accessibility lawsuits in different regions and discover a 7-step action plan for building accessible websites.
The importance of testing to prevent ADA lawsuits
Following accessibility testing best practices is your best defense against ADA lawsuits. After every website adjustment or regulation update, run a series of tests to check your website is still accessible. This allows you to identify and address any accessibility issues as and when they arrive, but more importantly, before your customers find them.
In this way, you can think of testing as a safeguard against legal action, and all the problems that come with it, such as reputational damage, financial penalties, loss of market opportunities.
More benefits of testing for ADA Compliance
So, we’ve established that regular accessibility testing can help you avoid the worst of ADA-related lawsuits. But the business benefits of accessibility extend beyond mere legal compliance. It’s an opportunity to improve your website’s accessibility, and reap the rewards associated with doing so.
Here are several of the most compelling business benefits associated with ADA website compliance testing:
- Expands audience reach: Accessibility enables users with disabilities to engage with your site and use your services, boosting your sales in the process.
- Boosts SEO: Many ADA fixes, like adding alt text and proper headings, also improve search rankings.
- Enhances user experience: Accessibility improvements benefit all users, not just those with disabilities.
- Increases brand loyalty: Demonstrating inclusivity builds trust and loyalty among diverse audiences.
- Future-proofs your website: Compliance ensures compatibility with new devices and assistive technologies.
