Presented at 9:15am in Governors Square 12 on Wednesday, November 17, 2021.
#34392Speaker(s)
- Lyssa Prince, Technical Assistance Specialist, WebAIM
Session Details
- Length of Session: 1-hr
- Format: Lecture
- Expertise Level: Beginner
- Type of session: General Conference
Summary
This session will cover how to develop an accessibility testing process using six steps, from defining or choosing a checklist all the way to working with your audience to correct accessibility barriers found during the assessment.
Abstract
Web accessibility testing can seem like a big scary monster that you don’t want to confront for fear of being eaten alive. There are so many questions surrounding it, such as: • Which testing tools should I use? • Do I need to test every single page of my website? • Do I have to perform manual testing? In this session, we’ll answer these questions and more as we discuss how to develop an accessibility testing process that is manageable and is much more impactful than handing over a set of automated test results. We’ll break down the process into these six steps: 1. Define your testing checklist(s) 2. Choose your tools 3. Define what you will test 4. Perform the assessment 5. Create a digestible report 6. Provide ongoing assistance Along the way, we’ll dive into the specifics of each step, from looking at sample checklists to talking about the pros and cons of various testing tools like WAVE, Axe, Accessibility Insights, and some bookmarklets. We’ll also discuss where enterprise testing tools may fit into the process. We’ll focus on a component-based approach to defining the scope of the assessment, which leads to a much more efficient assessment experience. A component, or pattern, is a piece of functionality commonly used across a website, such as an accordion or form, or a process, such as a cart checkout. Testing by component rather than by page can not only lessen the cognitive load of assessment work, it can also lead to a better experience working with your audience to review and correct any issues found. This session will also stress the importance of creating a report that provides all the issues found in your assessment in a method that will be digestible for your audience. Finally, combining your report with ongoing support in the form of training or one-to-one assistance will help you avoid overwhelming your audience and lead to a higher chance of correcting the most accessibility errors.
Keypoints
- Choosing accessibility testing tools and a checklist that work best for you is important.
- Testing by component increases the efficiency of your accessibility testing.
- Sharing an accessibility error report is helpful, but ongoing support and training will get better results.
Disability Areas
All Areas
Topic Areas
Uncategorized, Web/Media/App Access
Speaker Bio(s)
Lyssa Prince
Lyssa Prince is a Technical Assistance Specialist for WebAIM. She works across a range of areas in digital accessibility, providing training, creating courses and supporting resources, designing evaluation processes, and guiding remediation efforts. Lyssa is especially interested in making accessibility more approachable by reducing overwhelm and helping people get started. She discovered digital accessibility while on the path to becoming a librarian and holds a Master’s degree in Library and Information Studies (LIS) from the University of Oklahoma. She draws on these LIS principles every day, bringing a user-centered perspective and a commitment to equitable access to information to her work. Lyssa is also a DHS Trusted Tester and an IAAP Certified Professional of Web Accessibility (CPWA).