Testing for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) compliance ensures your website is usable for everyone, including people with disabilities. A proper audit requires a mix of automated tools and human testing. The global benchmark for most businesses is WCAG 2.1 Level AA (or the newer WCAG 2.2 Level AA).

Learn how to test your website for ADA compliance. This step-by-step guide covers the best tools and manual checks to meet WCAG accessibility standards.

Phase 1: Automated Testing Tools

Automated tools are the best place to start. They scan your code and provide a rapid, detailed report of programmatic accessibility issues (like missing alt text or broken ARIA labels).

• WAVE Accessibility Tool: A highly visual browser extension by WebAIM that highlights errors and structural issues directly on your webpage.
• Axe DevTools: A powerful browser extension for developers by Deque that runs comprehensive, fast accessibility checks.
• Google Lighthouse: Built directly into Chrome Developer Tools. It provides a baseline accessibility score out of 100 and actionable fixes.
• Accessibility Insights: Microsoft’s tool (available for Chrome/Edge) that offers both a “FastPass” automated check and a guided manual assessment.
• ARC Toolkit: A Chrome extension by TPGi favored by accessibility professionals for digging deep into code structures.

Phase 2: Manual Keyboard Navigation

Many users with motor disabilities or vision impairments rely entirely on a keyboard to navigate the web. You must ensure your site is fully functional without a mouse.

• The Tab Test: Use the Tab key to move forward through links and buttons, and Shift + Tab to move backward.
• Focus Indicators: Ensure every interactive element has a highly visible outline (focus ring) when selected via keyboard.
• The Interaction Test: Use the Enter or Spacebar keys to open menus, click buttons, and submit forms.
• The Escape Route: Use the Esc key to close pop-ups or modal windows. Ensure users never get “trapped” in a specific section of the page.

Phase 3: Screen Reader Testing

Screen readers convert text and website code into synthesized speech or Braille. Testing with these tools helps you understand how visually impaired users experience your site’s structure.

• NVDA (Windows): Free, open-source, and widely used globally.
• VoiceOver (macOS/iOS): Built natively into all Apple devices.
• JAWS (Windows): A premium, highly robust screen reader standard in many corporate environments.
• TalkBack (Android): Built natively into Android devices for mobile testing.

Phase 4: Visual and Contrast Checks

Content must be visually distinct and readable for users with low vision or color blindness.

• Color Contrast: Text and interactive elements must have a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 against their background (3:1 for large text).
• Contrast Checkers: Use the Colour Contrast Analyser (CCA) by TPGi (a downloadable desktop app) or the WebAIM Contrast Checker (web-based) to verify your colors.
• Zoom Testing: Use your browser’s zoom feature (Ctrl + + or Cmd + +) to zoom in to 200% and 400%. Ensure the text doesn’t overlap, cut off, or force users to scroll horizontally to read sentences.
• Color Reliance: Ensure information is never conveyed by color alone (e.g., instead of just making a required form field red, add an asterisk or text warning).

Phase 5: Media and Document Checks

Accessibility extends beyond the web page’s HTML to the files and media hosted on it.

• Images: Ensure all informative images have descriptive alt text. Decorative images should have empty/null alt attributes (alt="").
• Video: All videos must have synchronized closed captions for the deaf/hard of hearing.
• Audio: Podcasts or audio-only files must have a text transcript available.
• PDFs: Documents hosted on your site must be properly tagged for screen readers. (This is often done via Adobe Acrobat Pro’s built-in accessibility tools).

Phase 6: The POUR Principles Audit

When manually reviewing your site or working with a developer, evaluate your content against the four foundational pillars of WCAG:

• Perceivable: Can users identify content and interface elements by means of the senses? (e.g., alt text, captions, contrast).
• Operable: Can users successfully use controls, buttons, and navigation? (e.g., keyboard access, enough time to read, no flashing content that could trigger seizures).
• Understandable: Is the content clearly written and is the interface predictable? (e.g., straightforward language, consistent navigation menus).
• Robust: Can the content be reliably interpreted by a wide variety of browsers and assistive technologies? (e.g., clean, error-free HTML code).

Phase 7: Real User Testing

The ultimate test of accessibility is lived experience. Engage people with disabilities to use your site, navigate key user journeys (like checking out or filling out a contact form), and provide feedback. This reveals real-world usability barriers that checklists and automated tools simply cannot catch.