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What is Accessibility

Approximately 15% of the global population lives with some form of disability, according to the World Health Organization's World report on disability. This means that around one billion individuals may face challenges when using an application or software product.

Accessibility testing ensures that web and mobile applications are accessible to people with disabilities, such as vision impairment, hearing problems, and other physical or cognitive conditions. By identifying and addressing barriers, developers can create inclusive and accessible products that can be used by everyone.

Thanks to our Talented QA expert

Elīna Šiškeviča
Elīna Šiškeviča
Accessibility Testing, Test Cases at TestDevLab

Key principles of accessibility​

The four key principles of accessibility, known as the POUR principles, are essential for creating inclusive digital experiences that accommodate all users:

  • Perceivable: Information and user interface components must be presented in a way that users can perceive them.
  • Operable: User interface components and navigation must be operable, including keyboard accessibility and logical content navigation.
  • Understandable: Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable, including clear language, instructions, and feedback.
  • Robust: Content must be compatible with different browsers and devices and interpretable by assistive technologies.

Screen readers​

Screen readers are an essential tool for accessibility testing. They are the main tools that accessibility testers are using. Below you will find the three main screen readers that are currently used to test for accessibility issues on platforms such as Windows, Android, macOS, and iOS. If you want to find out more information on how to use these screen readers, please click on the provided links.

NVDA

NVDA is a free and open-source screen reader for the Microsoft Windows operating system. It is one of the most popular screen readers in the world. NVDA is known for its flexibility and its support for a wide range of applications.

VoiceOver (iOS and macOS)

VoiceOver is a built-in screen reader for Apple devices, including iPhones, iPads, and Macs. It is a powerful and easy-to-use screen reader that is well-integrated with the Apple ecosystem. VoiceOver is known for its natural-sounding voices and its support for a wide range of gestures.

TalkBack (Android)

TalkBack is a built-in screen reader for Android devices. It is a simple and easy-to-use screen reader. TalkBack is known for its clear and concise feedback and its support for a variety of input methods.

Numeration​

WCAG recommendation numeration is a way to organize the recommendations into four groups based on the four principles of Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust. The first number in the numeration indicates the principle that the recommendation is associated with. For example, all recommendations related to the Perceivable principle start with the number 1.

The Perceivable principle numeration always starts with 1.x.x, the Operable principle numeration always starts with 2.x.x, the Understandable principle numeration always starts with 3.x.x, and the Robust principle numeration always starts with 4.x.x.

This numeration system makes it easy to find recommendations related to a specific principle. For example, if you are looking for recommendations on how to make your website more perceivable, you would look for recommendations that start with the number 1.

Here are some examples of WCAG recommendation numeration:

  • 1.1.1: Non-text Content (Level A)
  • 2.1.1: Keyboard (Level A)
  • 3.1.1: Language of Page (Level A)
  • 4.1.1: Parsing (Level A)