Minimum manual accessibility testing

On this page:

Overview

Keep in mind that these issues are only a starting point for assessing digital technology to ensure access to people with disabilities. Your first step should be to address all issues found in a Siteimprove scan.

You may then need the information on this page to manually verify the accessibility of:

  • Custom-built content chunks
  • Server-side code
  • Custom-built interactive features
  • iFrames
  • Non-Framework websites
  • Web applications
  • Embedded media or content hosted on third-party services
  • Third-party applications or digital services

Web pages

Be sure to check each issue in different web browsers using different types of hardware (Chrome, Safari, Edge; Mac, PC, etc.).

Keyboard access (web developer)

Can users access all functions and content, and complete all tasks, independently, by using only the keyboard (Tab, Enter, Spacebar, Esc, and arrow keys)?

Verify in particular:

  • No keyboard traps (such as an automatically refreshing social media embedded feed) could prevent a user from advancing through the entire page.
    • Tab very, very slowly through any such feed to observe whether a user can close it, or move past it, at a reasonable point; if the feed keeps refreshing by automatically adding additional entries to be shown, it causes a trap for those who are unable to use quick keyboard strokes, or a mouse, to navigate.
  • Expandable elements can not only be expanded, but can also be collapsed automatically or with a keyboard command, so they do not block other content.

Resources

Logical reading order (web developer)

Does keyboard navigation follow a logical, predictable order?

Resources

Skip links (web developer)

Can keyboard-only users bypass long navigation menus, embedded social media feeds, etc., without having to use excessive tabbing?

Resources

Visual focus indicator (web developer)

Can users visually track where they are located on the page while navigating with a keyboard?

Resources

Alt text (content creator)

Are all important images and graphics labeled with meaningful text, associated captions, or adjoining descriptions so, for example, people who are blind and use assistive technology will have access to the relevant information contained in the image or graphic?

For linked images, does the alternative text tell users where the link will take them, rather than describe the image?

Resources

Links (content creator)

Are links well-named and unambiguous, so users who are blind will understand the purpose and destination of each link without having to read nearby content?

Common examples of ambiguous link names include:

  • "Click here"
  • "Read more"
  • "See all"
  • The full URL rather than a descriptive label
  • "Event notice"
  • Other ambiguous phrases

Resources

Color alone (web developer, content creator)

Are there any instances where color alone distinguishes an object or state? If so, add another way to distinguish the object or state.

For example, make sure color is not the only way to distinguish link text from the surrounding paragraph text, and ensure color-coding is not the exclusive way used to convey important calendar dates (for example, "no school" dates are marked in purple).

Resources

Color contrast (web developer, content creator)

Using an eyedropper tool or other manual method (automated testing is generally insufficient unless manually verified), is there at least a 4.5:1 contrast ratio for normal size text and a 3:1 contrast ratio for large scale text, comparing foreground and background colors of all text elements and text inside graphics? (Text inside logos can be ignored for these purposes.)

Resources

Tables (content creator, web developer)

Does the page avoid using layout tables?

If data tables are present, are they necessary to convey information, or could a more accessible means of presentation be considered instead?

If a data table is used, is it simple, so no cells span multiple columns or rows?

Are column and row headers programmatically labelled?

Resources

Buttons, form controls, and other operable elements (web developers, content creators)

Are these labelled appropriately, both programmatically and visually?

Do the visual labels continue to be properly associated with the elements when the screen is enlarged?

If the elements have different states (such as form fields that are required for successful submission), are those conveyed by something other than color alone?

Resources

Heading structure (content creators, web developers)

Are headings programmatically labelled with a meaningful hierarchy, so people who are blind and using a screen reader can navigate a page according to its headings, listen to a list of headings, and skip to where they want to begin reading?

Resources

Embedded videos and slide carousels (web developers, content creators)

Note:
Indiana University does not recommend use of slide carousels.

Do embedded videos or carousels launch or rotate automatically, and is that behavior necessary? If so, can a user pause or stop the video or carousel, and later replay the video or carousel, with keyboard commands? The ability to stop the video or carousel rotation can be important, not just while users are on the video or carousel, but while they are in other parts of the page.

Resources

Magnification (web developer)

Have you re-tested everything when content is magnified to the "point of reflow", or in "responsive mode", when the formatting changes to be more mobile-friendly (typically around 200% on standard laptop screens)?

Is all content and all functionality preserved and useful?

  • Can "hamburger menus" (that is, expandable menus) be opened, navigated (including any sub-level items), and closed automatically or easily with the keyboard?
  • Is logical reading order on the page preserved, without the need to scroll right to left? If vertical scrolling is required inside windows or objects, can it be done with the keyboard? Do elements meant to be together (such as form labels and text entry boxes) stay together upon magnification?

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Electronic documents

Note:
Indiana University does not recommend including PDFs or other document types on your website, as even when accessible they are a poor user experience, especially on mobile devices.

Making PDFs properly accessible is expensive and tedious, and when the content needs to change, you must again incur the associated effort and expense. If you need to retain the information, convert it to content on web pages. Instead of PDF forms, use a web form builder such as Machform or FireForm.

Hosting inaccessible files on another service such as Google Docs or SharePoint is not an acceptable solution.

In addition to addressing the questions listed for web pages, have you conducted an accessibility review of any remaining documents using the software's accessibility checker (for example, "Check Accessibility" feature in Microsoft Word, "Accessibility Check" feature in Adobe Acrobat Pro DC, etc.)?

Resources

Videos

Is captioning present or is a transcript available? Transcripts are recommended for all videos. When audio can be fully understood separately from viewing the video and does not reference video content, only then may a transcript also take the place of captioning.

Does the captioning or transcript meaningfully convey the content of the audio track (not just phonetically)?

Does the captioning or transcript indicate the names or appropriate descriptions of the speakers, if more than one person is speaking?

Does the captioning or transcript use capitalization and punctuation appropriately, if that is important to understanding the content?

Is important on-screen information also conveyed audibly, so people who are blind or have low vision have access to the content?

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Social media posts

Social media is increasingly common, but not always accessible. By making your social media content accessible, you expand your reach by increasing the number of readers who can engage with it.

If graphic images are used, are they accompanied by text that conveys the same information?

If videos are used, are they accessible as described in the videos section on this page?

Resources

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Last modified on 2024-07-30 09:56:45.