Accessibility ensures everyone can use your application, including people with disabilities. It's also a legal requirement in many jurisdictions. Here's how to test and improve accessibility.
Core Principles (WCAG)
POUR Principles:
Perceivable
- Text alternatives for images
- Captions for video
- Sufficient color contrast
Operable
- Keyboard accessible
- Enough time to read
- No seizure-inducing content
Understandable
- Readable text
- Predictable navigation
- Input assistance
Robust
- Compatible with assistive tech
- Valid HTML
- Future-proof
Automated Testing
Axe DevTools
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Lighthouse CI
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ESLint Plugin
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Manual Testing
Keyboard Navigation
Test all functionality with keyboard only:
Tab Move to next focusable element
Shift+Tab Move to previous element
Enter/Space Activate buttons, links
Arrow keys Navigate menus, sliders
Escape Close modals, cancel
Check for:
- Visible focus indicators
- Logical tab order
- No keyboard traps
- Skip links for navigation
Screen Reader Testing
Popular screen readers:
- VoiceOver (Mac): Cmd+F5 to enable
- NVDA (Windows): Free download
- JAWS (Windows): Commercial
Test scenarios:
- Navigate by headings (H key)
- Navigate by landmarks (D key)
- Read page content
- Fill out forms
- Interact with custom components
Common Issues and Fixes
Images
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Forms
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Buttons and Links
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Color Contrast
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Focus Indicators
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ARIA Usage
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Live Regions
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Testing Checklist
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Conclusion
Accessibility is an ongoing practice, not a checkbox. Start with automated testing, complement with manual testing, and involve users with disabilities when possible.
Building accessible applications benefits everyone—and it's the right thing to do.