Accessibility Audit Tools

Techniques and tools for evaluating and enhancing accessibility in digital products.

“Accessibility errors” can manifest in various forms, such as websites lacking proper screen reader compatibility, mobile applications with inaccessible navigation, or public spaces without wheelchair ramps. As you can see in the graph, the number of accessibility errors on the website is increasing, thus leading to a higher bounce rate and no leads.

This can be avoided by using accessibility and audit tools that not only identify errors but also pave the way for their permanent removal, thus fostering an ecosystem for users to access the website easily.

To know more, Scroll down to understand the various tools and how accessibility audit tools help the website to become user-friendly.

Here’s a list of some popular accessibility audit tools:

1. WAVE: Developed by WebAIM, WAVE is a web accessibility evaluation tool that evaluates web content for accessibility issues. It provides detailed reports on errors, alerts, and features that need attention.

2. axe: axe is an open-source accessibility testing engine developed by Deque Systems. It offers automated and guided testing for web accessibility compliance. axe is available as a browser extension, command-line tool, and integrated within various development environments.

3.pa11y: pa11y is an automated accessibility testing tool that scans web pages for accessibility issues based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). It can be used via the command line, in a CI/CD pipeline, or integrated into other tools.

4. Siteimprove: Siteimprove offers a suite of accessibility tools alongside other web management solutions. It provides automated scanning, prioritised issues, and suggestions for fixing accessibility problems.

5. AInspector Sidebar: AInspector Sidebar is a Firefox browser extension that helps developers and testers evaluate the accessibility of web pages.It inspects web pages for features and issues related to WCAG 2.2 level A and AA requirements for making web pages more accessible to people with disabilities using web accessibility standards, including WCAG, ARIA and ARIA in HTML specifications.Apart from this, it provides detailed reports and highlights accessibility issues directly within the browser.

6. Tenon.io: Tenon.io is an accessibility testing tool that offers automated and continuous monitoring for accessibility compliance. It integrates with various development workflows and provides detailed reports with actionable insights.

7. Deque WorldSpace: Deque WorldSpace is an enterprise-level accessibility testing platform that offers comprehensive scanning, reporting, and remediation features. It is suitable for large organisations with complex digital assets.

8. Google Lighthouse: Google Lighthouse is an open-source tool for improving the quality of web pages. While not solely focused on accessibility, it includes accessibility audits and automated tools that improve the performance, quality, and correctness of your web apps.

9. AccessLint: AccessLint is a GitHub integration that automatically reviews pull requests for accessibility issues. It provides feedback directly within the pull request, enabling developers to address accessibility problems early in the development process.

10. Microsoft Accessibility Insights: Microsoft Accessibility Insights is a set of tools designed to help developers find and fix accessibility issues during development. It includes automated testing, manual testing tools, and integration with popular development environments.

How do the tools serve the website?

As we read above the tools, naturally the next question will be “how are these tools useful to websites”. Below are lists that how these tools serve different purposes along the accessibility journey:

1. Evaluation and Testing: Accessibility evaluation tools help identify barriers to accessibility within digital content, such as websites, applications, and documents. They scan for issues that may impede access for individuals with disabilities and provide feedback on how to address them.

2. Development and Design: These tools guide developers and designers in creating accessible user interfaces and experiences. They may offer features like code analysis, colour contrast checking, keyboard navigation testing, and screen reader compatibility checks.

3. Automation and Integration: Automated accessibility testing tools can be integrated into development workflows, including continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines, to catch accessibility issues early in the development process and ensure ongoing compliance with accessibility standards.

4. Training and Education: Accessibility training tools provide resources, tutorials, and interactive learning experiences to educate developers, designers, content creators, and other stakeholders about accessibility principles, guidelines, and best practices.

5. Monitoring and Reporting: Accessibility monitoring tools track the accessibility status of websites and applications over time, providing reports on compliance levels, ongoing issues, and improvements. They may offer features for scheduling scans, setting benchmarks, and prioritising remediation efforts.

6. Data Collection: Audit tools gather data from various sources, such as databases, files, logs, and user inputs. They may support automated data collection through integrations with other systems or manual data entry.

7. Risk Assessment: Audit tools assess risks associated with the audited processes or systems, helping prioritise audit activities and allocate resources effectively.

8. Compliance Checking: For compliance audits, these tools compare organisational practices or systems against relevant standards, regulations, or internal policies to ensure adherence and identify non-compliance.

9. Workflow Management: Audit tools facilitate the planning, scheduling, and execution of audit activities by managing audit timelines, tasks, assignments, and notifications.

10. Documentation and Evidence Management: They enable the documentation of audit procedures, findings, evidence, and supporting documentation, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the audit process.

11. Analysis and Reporting: Audit tools analyse audit data, generate reports, and visualise findings to communicate insights, trends, and recommendations to stakeholders effectively.

12. Issue Tracking and Remediation: They track audit findings, recommendations, and corrective actions, facilitating follow-up activities to address identified issues and improve organisational performance.

In conclusion, accessibility audit tools represent indispensable assets in the pursuit of digital inclusivity. As the digital landscape continues to expand and evolve, ensuring that websites, applications, and digital content are accessible to all individuals, regardless of ability, becomes increasingly critical. Accessibility audit tools serve as guides and guardians in this endeavour, offering comprehensive evaluations, actionable insights, and pathways to improvement.

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