With millions of individuals living with disabilities worldwide and numerous businesses depending on the internet to draw in and keep clients, digital accessibility is more important than ever.
At first, the world of internet accessibility may seem extremely daunting to someone unfamiliar with it.
Thankfully, there are several web accessibility tools out there now that make following the most recent recommendations and standards easy.
Choosing the web accessibility testing tool that works best for you can be difficult because there are what seems like an endless number of options available. You need to choose the appropriate technology to evaluate and enhance the accessibility of your websites and web applications.
10 Best Web Accessibility Testing Tools Shortlist
You’re in my hands! I’ve compiled a shortlist of the top web accessibility testing tools in this post by drawing on my extensive expertise with hundreds of 10 best web accessibility testing tools programs.
- Tricentis Testim: The best tool for agile software teams to test websites for accessibility
- accessiBe: The best program for online accessibility powered by AI with tools for fixing source code
- Siteimprove: Ideal for Compliance with the Office of Civil Rights (OCR)
- Equally AI: The greatest real-time tracking automated web accessibility testing solution
- Equal Web: The best automated remediation tool for web accessibility testing
- TPGi’s ARC Platform: The best platform for web accessibility with a tool for policy administration
- UserWay: The best accessibility solution powered by AI that doesn’t alter website code
- WAVE: The greatest for Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and Chrome browser extensions
- UsableNET: The greatest network of qualified testers for adaptable technologies for manual user testing
- Google Lighthouse: The best JavaScript-programmatically operated automated online accessibility solution.
1: Tricentis Testim
Tricentis Testim is renowned for helping agile software teams perform thorough website accessibility tests. Testim combines AI-driven tools with intuitive interfaces to simplify test creation and execution.
It integrates smoothly into existing CI/CD pipelines, making it a go-to for companies practicing continuous delivery. Testim allows testers to create highly customizable test scenarios that cater to accessibility standards like WCAG 2.1 and Section 508.
The tool also supports cross-browser and cross-device testing, ensuring that websites remain accessible to users across various platforms. Its AI learning capability also helps in reducing flaky tests, providing stable results over time.
For teams focused on agile methodologies, Testim offers flexibility, scalability, and detailed reporting to improve accessibility efforts throughout the software development lifecycle.
2: accessiBe
accessible is an AI-powered program focused on enhancing online accessibility. It offers a suite of tools designed to automatically detect and fix issues within the website’s source code, ensuring compliance with the latest accessibility standards such as ADA, WCAG 2.1, and EN 301549.
Its AI scans web pages, identifies errors like missing alt-text, improper use of ARIA attributes, or issues with keyboard navigation, and then implements code fixes automatically.
Additionally, accessible provides detailed reports, tracking improvements over time.
With minimal manual input required, this tool significantly reduces development time while providing a powerful solution for ensuring ongoing compliance. accessible intuitive dashboard makes it easy for developers and non-technical users alike to manage accessibility enhancements effectively.
3: Site improve
Site improve excels in web accessibility, particularly for organizations striving to meet the standards set by the Office of Civil Rights (OCR).
It offers automated checks for WCAG 2.1 compliance and provides actionable insights for resolving any issues found. Site improve not only highlights problems but also categorizes them by severity, making it easier for teams to prioritize fixes.
Additionally, the tool features a built-in policy administration component, allowing organizations to create and monitor policies that govern web accessibility standards internally.
It also includes educational resources to train teams on accessibility best practices. Site improve is especially useful for institutions under scrutiny by the OCR, as it emphasizes maintaining compliance with civil rights regulations.
4: Equally AI
Equally AI delivers a real-time tracking solution for automated web accessibility testing, helping developers meet regulatory standards with minimal effort. It uses AI to continuously monitor websites for accessibility issues, offering recommendations and solutions as they arise.
What sets Equally AI apart is its real-time tracking capability, which gives teams immediate feedback on accessibility issues as they update their sites. This allows for dynamic, on-the-fly fixes that maintain user experience and compliance with laws such as ADA and WCAG.
With intuitive dashboards and comprehensive reports, it’s easy to monitor progress and ensure that accessibility improvements are consistently upheld.
5: Equal Web
Equal Web specializes in automated remediation for web accessibility testing, simplifying the process for companies aiming for compliance with standards like WCAG and Section 508.
The tool scans websites, identifies issues, and provides automated solutions that help ensure compliance. What sets Equal Web apart is its focus on remediation, offering automated code corrections to enhance accessibility without requiring extensive manual intervention.
Its simple interface allows users to quickly deploy fixes and monitor their effectiveness. Equal Web also supports a wide range of integrations, making it a flexible solution for developers and organizations across various industries.
6: TPGi’s ARC Platform
TPGi’s ARC Platform is a robust solution for web accessibility testing, offering a wide array of tools to help organizations comply with standards like WCAG 2.1 and ADA.
One standout feature is its policy administration tool, which helps teams manage and enforce internal accessibility policies across their digital properties. ARC Platform provides automated testing capabilities, along with manual testing options, to ensure a comprehensive approach to web accessibility.
It also integrates with various project management tools, making it easier for teams to track progress, assign tasks, and ensure accountability in meeting accessibility goals.
7: UserWay
UserWay offers an AI-powered web accessibility solution that enhances websites without requiring any changes to the underlying code. This tool is ideal for businesses that want to ensure accessibility without undergoing a complete redesign.
User Way’s widget is easy to install and automatically enhances a website’s accessibility by adjusting contrast, font size, and other elements that improve user experience for people with disabilities.
The AI continually updates the site to meet evolving standards and regulations like WCAG and ADA, ensuring long-term compliance. UserWay also provides detailed analytics and reporting, helping organizations track their accessibility efforts.
8: WAVE
WAVE is a free browser extension designed for Microsoft Edge, Firefox, and Chrome, making it accessible to developers looking for quick and effective web accessibility checks.
This tool highlights accessibility issues on web pages, providing visual feedback that helps developers identify and resolve problems quickly. WAVE focuses on detecting issues related to WCAG compliance, including missing alt text, improper heading structure, and ARIA usage.
As a browser extension, WAVE is particularly useful for on-the-fly checks during the development process. It also integrates with other tools and services, such as automated testing systems, to provide more comprehensive testing capabilities.
9: UsableNET
UsableNET is known for its expansive network of qualified testers who specialize in manual accessibility testing.
This makes it an excellent solution for businesses that require adaptable technologies and manual user testing to ensure compliance with WCAG 2.1, ADA, and other regulations.
UsableNET combines automated scans with human input, ensuring that websites are accessible to all users, regardless of their specific needs. The service also includes expert consultations, where accessibility specialists provide personalized feedback and solutions.
UsableNET’s approach ensures thorough testing and helps businesses build digital experiences that are not only compliant but also user-friendly.
10: Google Lighthouse
Google Lighthouse is a popular open-source tool that offers automated accessibility audits through its programmatic interface, powered by JavaScript. It is part of Google’s suite of tools for web developers and is often used to test performance, SEO, and accessibility.
Lighthouse provides a detailed analysis of a website’s accessibility, scoring it against WCAG standards. Its reports include actionable recommendations to resolve issues and improve overall accessibility.
For developers looking for a free, programmatic solution that integrates well with automated CI/CD pipelines, Google Lighthouse is an excellent choice. It is easy to use, highly customizable, and regularly updated by Google’s developer community.
The Best Web Accessibility Testing Tools Summary
| Tools | Price | |
| Tricentis Testim | From $450/month | Website |
| accessiBe | Start at $490/year. | Website |
| Siteimprove | Pricing upon request | Website |
| Equally AI | $279/per year for the small package | Website |
| Equal Web | Free plan with limited features and paid subscriptions starting at $39/month. | Website |
| ARC Platform by TPGi | From $29/user/month | Website |
| UserWay | $490/per month for a small site | Website |
| WAVE | From $16/user/month | Website |
| UsableNET | Pricing is available upon request. | Website |
| Google Lighthouse | Free for all users | Website |
What Are Web Accessibility Testing Tools?
Tools for evaluating and improving the accessibility of websites and web applications are known as web accessibility testing tools.
By identifying components that can impede accessibility for people with impairments, they evaluate for compliance with accessibility standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
These tools verify that web content is accessible to a wide variety of users by checking things like color contrast, keyboard navigability, and screen reader compatibility.
Increasing the accessibility of websites for people with disabilities, such as those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments, is one of the advantages and applications of online accessibility testing tools.
By helping to comply with legal and ethical standards for web accessibility, they lessen the possibility of facing charges for non-compliance.
These tools increase website accessibility, improve user experience for all users, reach a wider potential audience, and boost the reputation of the business.
Tools for automated accessibility testing are great if you want to get started making modifications right away and save time. Though manual testing solutions may need more time, they are typically more comprehensive and detailed due to their non-reliance on technology.
Whichever choice you select, though, unless you pay for a full service that includes implementation, you’ll need a developer’s assistance to put any modifications into practice.
You should be selective about the tools you employ because the best accessibility solutions are always in line with the most recent version of the WCAG rules, which are updated every other year.
Why Do You Require These Implements?
Using web accessibility tools makes sense for several reasons, including:
- Increased Availability of Clients: You are placing a barrier between your company and potential clients when your website is inaccessible. You can automatically increase your consumer base and revenue by making your website as accessible as feasible to as many people as possible.
- That’s the legal Requirement: While each nation has a slightly different disability act, many developed nations are tough on companies that don’t follow the required standards for internet accessibility. Noncompliance may lead to exorbitant penalties and costly legal actions.
- Enhancement of brand image: Prioritizing web accessibility also benefits your brand’s reputation. Customers like to do business with companies who are committed to improving society and are inclusive.
What Are the Things You Need to Check?
Testing can start once you decide which web accessibility technologies to utilize. The following are a few important points to check in:
- Listening: Does your website have audio and video content? If so, it’s important to think about how a person with hearing loss could utilize your website. You must provide transcripts for any audio files and subtitles for any videos you upload to guarantee that people can view all media.
- Movable: The next thing to do is accommodate users with mobility issues. Your website must be keyboard-compatible because not all users will use a mouse to navigate it. Verify that you understand the controls now in effect and have checked your command orders.
- Vision: Then some users are blind or visually impaired; a large number of them will require assistive technology, like screen readers, to access your website. Your website should have an easy-to-use navigation and content structure, and all media should include captions and alternate text to make this a fun and interesting experience. Since some visitors to your website could only have partial visual impairments, even the fonts you choose and the color contrast you utilize matter.
- Mindset: Finally, some users have cognitive impairments. Ensuring that everything on your website is simple to find and comprehend is necessary to help these users. Menus and forms are excellent instances of this.
Essential Techniques for Accessibility Testing
Ensuring that digital content and applications are accessible to everyone, including individuals with disabilities, is vital for compliance, usability, and inclusivity.
Here are the essential techniques for accessibility testing:
1: Automated Testing
Automated testing involves using tools and software to detect accessibility issues in a website or application. These tools scan the code, layout, and elements for common accessibility barriers based on established guidelines such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Some key points include:
- Speed & Scalability: Automated tools can quickly scan large portions of a website, identifying issues such as missing alt text, improper heading structures, insufficient color contrast, or broken links.
- Tools: Popular automated testing tools include WAVE, Axe, and Lighthouse. These tools highlight potential violations and suggest corrections.
- Limitations: While efficient, automated tools cannot identify all issues, particularly those requiring human judgment, such as whether alternative text is descriptive enough or if the interface is logically navigable by assistive technologies.
2: Manual Testing
Manual testing is a hands-on process that involves human testers going through the site or app to verify accessibility. This testing focuses on ensuring that people using assistive technologies (e.g., screen readers, keyboard-only navigation) can interact with the site effectively.
Key aspects include:
- Keyboard Navigation: Ensuring that all interactive elements (forms, menus, buttons, etc.) are accessible using just the keyboard (e.g., with Tab and Enter keys).
- Screen Reader Testing: Manual testing includes using screen readers like JAWS, NVDA, or VoiceOver to ensure content is read correctly and navigation is logical.
- Focus Management: Testers ensure that visual focus is clearly visible when tabbing through elements and that it moves logically through the page.
- Usability Check: Human testers assess content understandability, such as whether language is clear, links make sense out of context, and media content has captions and transcripts.
3: User Testing
User testing involves having real users, especially individuals with disabilities, interact with the website or application to provide insights into the actual usability and accessibility of the platform. This process can uncover issues that automated or manual testing may overlook.
Some essential points are:
- Real-World Feedback: Individuals with disabilities (e.g., users with visual, auditory, cognitive, or mobility impairments) provide direct feedback on their experience.
- Assistive Technology Insights: User testers bring their own assistive technologies, offering valuable insights into how well the website or application works with various tools.
- Usability & Practicality: This type of testing emphasizes how users perceive the overall usability, making it crucial for improving the accessibility experience beyond just technical compliance.
4: Compliance Checking
Compliance checking ensures that a website or application adheres to relevant accessibility standards and legal requirements, such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or the WCAG 2.1 guidelines.
This testing technique focuses on:
- Regulatory Standards: Checking against established accessibility laws like ADA (in the US), EN 301 549 (in Europe), or local regulations.
- WCAG Compliance: Ensuring adherence to the A, AA, or AAA levels of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Compliance checking involves reviewing site components like color contrast, text alternatives, navigability, and media controls.
- Documentation: Auditors provide detailed reports of compliance, including areas that meet or fail to meet the accessibility standards and suggestions for remediation.
5: Continuous Monitoring
Accessibility is not a one-time task; continuous monitoring ensures that websites and applications remain accessible as updates and changes occur.
This process includes:
- Automated Monitoring Tools: Regular automated scans can be set to run periodically, catching issues that may arise due to updates, content additions, or platform changes.
- Real-Time Alerts: Tools can alert teams when accessibility regressions occur, allowing for quick fixes before they negatively impact users.
- Accessibility Policies: Implementing internal accessibility policies and protocols ensures that all future updates adhere to accessibility standards.
- Performance Tracking: Over time, performance is tracked using accessibility metrics to ensure continuous improvement and adherence to accessibility goals.
The process of accessibility testing is complex and calls for a number of technologies, including automated systems, human verification, real-user input, compliance audits, and continuous observation.
Every method is essential to maintaining the usability, accessibility, and compliance of digital platforms with regard to accessibility requirements.
Developers and organizations may design more inclusive experiences for all users by combining all of these testing methodologies.
Conclusion
The landscape of accessibility testing tools continues to evolve in 2024, with each tool offering unique benefits and approaches to identifying and resolving accessibility issues.
Whether you’re a small team or a large enterprise, incorporating these accessibility testing tools and essential techniques will ensure your digital content remains accessible to all users, regardless of ability.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
1: What are the most popular accessibility testing tools available in 2024?
In 2024, some of the most widely recognized accessibility testing tools include WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool), Axe Accessibility Checker, Lighthouse, Tenon, and Sort Site.
These tools are designed to assess websites and applications for compliance with accessibility standards like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Section 508.
WAVE provides a visual representation of accessibility issues directly on the webpage, while Axe is a powerful browser extension used for detecting issues during development.
Lighthouse is integrated within Chrome and provides reports on performance, SEO, and accessibility, and Tenon allows for customized testing with a focus on developer workflows. Sort Site, on the other hand, is a comprehensive tool for auditing websites for usability, SEO, and accessibility errors.
2: How do accessibility testing tools help ensure compliance with WCAG 2.1 and Section 508 standards?
Accessibility testing tools automate the process of identifying potential accessibility barriers on websites or applications by scanning for issues that violate the WCAG 2.1 and Section 508 guidelines.
These tools flag issues like missing alt text for images, improper use of headings, insufficient color contrast, and keyboard navigation barriers. By providing detailed reports that highlight where accessibility issues exist and suggesting possible fixes, these tools guide developers, designers, and content creators toward compliance.
They help ensure that web content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust for people with disabilities. This not only helps businesses avoid legal repercussions but also improves user experience for a diverse audience.
3: What types of issues can accessibility testing tools detect?
Accessibility testing tools detect a wide range of issues that impact the usability of a website for individuals with disabilities.
Common problems identified include missing or incorrect alternative text for images, insufficient color contrast between background and text, incorrect heading structures, broken or improperly labelled links, and keyboard accessibility issues.
These tools can also flag problems with form fields, such as missing labels or placeholder text, and dynamic content that may not be accessible to screen readers.
Some advanced tools go beyond standard checks and can identify ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) implementation errors, focus order problems, and non-compliant interactive elements.
4: Can accessibility testing tools identify all accessibility issues on a website?
While accessibility testing tools are incredibly useful, they cannot identify all accessibility issues. These tools are effective in catching many common problems, especially those related to code or structure, but they have limitations.
They may not detect issues with semantic meaning, content clarity, or contextual usability that require human judgment.
For example, tools might miss cases where images have alt text but the descriptions are inaccurate or insufficient. Additionally, automated tools may not test for user experience challenges that real users with disabilities might encounter, such as navigating complex forms or dealing with dynamic content.
Therefore, a combination of automated testing and manual audits is necessary for thorough accessibility evaluation.
5: How often should accessibility testing be performed, and can it be integrated into development workflows?
Accessibility testing should be conducted throughout the development lifecycle, from the design phase to post-launch. Integrating these tools into continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines ensures that accessibility is addressed early and consistently.
Developers should regularly test new features or changes to ensure they meet accessibility standards, and scheduled audits should be performed to maintain compliance over time.
Some tools, like Axe, can be embedded directly into the development process, allowing developers to catch issues as they code. Regular testing is essential because websites and apps evolve, and staying compliant with the latest guidelines helps create a more inclusive and user-friendly environment.
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I’m Ibrar Ahmed, a WordPress and SEO expert with 5+ years of experience helping businesses of all sizes improve their online visibility and organic traffic. Proven track record of success in increasing search engine rankings, leads, and sales.
