How We Test Accessibility of a Website
Table of Contents:
- Why Manual Testing Matters When You Test Accessibility of a Website
- Why a Site Accessibility Test Alone Is Not Enough
- Why Manual Checking Matters When You Test Accessibility of a Website
- Meet Our Team
- Contact Us
Why Manual Testing Matters When You Test Accessibility of a Website
Most other companies that offer a website accessibility test typically rely on automated assessments and perhaps some simulated experiences of disabled users. While these methods can provide some insight, they fall short of truly understanding the barriers people face. That is why we focus on manual checking by real people, not machines.
If you are serious and want to test accessibility of a website properly, manual methods must lead the way. A site accessibility test done by a machine might tell you whether your alt text is present. Our team will tell you if it is meaningful.
Why a Site Accessibility Test Alone Is Not Enough
Automated tools are helpful, but they can only identify around 25 percent of the problems. If your site passes an automated scan, that does not mean it is accessible. It just means 75 percent of potential issues have not even been checked yet.
A proper website accessibility test must involve people who can assess real-world usability. A site that works perfectly for a mouse user might be completely unusable with keyboard navigation. Manual testing fills in these gaps.
Why Manual Checking Matters When You Test Accessibility of a Website
When you test accessibility of a website using only automated tools, you miss the human side of the experience. Our team uses screen readers, voice navigation tools, and a range of assistive tech. This gives us a complete view of how your website performs in the real world.
Every site accessibility test we carry out is done manually, with live testing by real people. This includes individuals with visual impairments, mobility issues, cognitive differences, and more. They will find issues that machines will not even notice.
Meet Our Team
Our testers have different disabilities and use a range of assistive technologies. They do not simulate a user experience. They live it. That is why every site accessibility test we conduct is rooted in genuine lived experience.
If you want to carry out a proper website accessibility test, you need people who understand what barriers feel like. Whether you want to test accessibility of a website for compliance or improve the user experience, our team delivers trusted insights.
Mede
Superpower: Blindness
Weapons: JAWS + Keyboard
Mede has been blind since she developed a degenerative eye condition as a child.
She completed her Master’s Degree in Marketing at Sussex University this year.
She also uses the screen reader JAWS, in conjunction with a keyboard, when she is in a site accessibility test as well as day-to-day use.
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She is passionate about disability. Accessibility in Marketing is something she is able to give a unique perspective on how to test accessibility of a website.
Iona
Superpower: Cannot use hands
Weapons: Voice and Dragon Dictation Software
Iona can speak 17 languages. She also used to photograph some of the world’s biggest rock bands.
Following a brain injury some years ago, she has a hand disability. Accessibility is restricted by the limited use of her hands and using them causes pain. In effect, she is unable to use a keyboard or a mouse. Instead, Iona uses Dragon Dictation software to navigate and test accessibility of a website.
She also has ADHD and a colour contrast check is one of the first things she does in a site accessibility test. She does not need to use a contrast ratio checker because she knows that poor contrast makes her feel tired more quickly.
Sara
Superpower: Neurodivergent
Weapon: Dark Mode
Sara is an engineer. She also has extreme ADHD and dyspraxia and finds certain elements of websites, such as pop-up windows, very distracting.
She also finds white backgrounds give her a headache and she always performs a colour contrast check, as poor contrast will affect her ability to read the page clearly. Like Iona, she does not need a contrast ratio checker as poor contrast affects her almost immediately in a site accessibility test.
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Although she can use both a keyboard and a mouse, she often has to copy the text from a page and paste it into an application such as Microsoft Word, just so she can absorb the information correctly.
Lleona
Superpower: Blind
Weapons: NVDA Screen readers, keyboard
Lleona was diagnosed with retinoblastoma and was blinded due to retinal detachment when she was a child. She is an Associate in Computer Technology, an active advocate within the disability community and the lead writer/conceptualist of VIFAL's YouTube channel.
In addition to the Live Audits when she will test accessibility of a website, she also records some insightful audio reviews of PDFs and other documents.
Krista
Superpower: Blind
Weapons: JAWS and NVDA screen readers, keyboard
Krista is a blind skier and a copywriter. She uses both JAWS and NVDA screen readers in conjunction with a keyboard. She also shoots and edits her own videos.
She reads websites with her screen reader at such a fast pace normally that she has to slow it down by 65 percent so I can understand it when we are recording a live site accessibility test!
Watch this amazing video clip to see her doing exactly that!
Contact Us
If you want to test accessibility of a website properly and get results you can trust, speak to us today. You will get a detailed site accessibility test carried out by real disabled people who know what to look for.