In today’s digitally driven world, everyone should have equal access to online resources, regardless of physical or cognitive abilities. This assertion is not just a principle but a necessity, with over 61 million adults in the United States living with a disability, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Government websites tasked with providing essential information and services hold a unique responsibility regarding accessibility. According to a report by the American Foundation for the Blind, an estimated 25.5 million Americans are visually impaired. Furthermore, the World Health Organization reports that over 5% of the world’s population has disabling hearing loss. These numbers illustrate the vast audience that relies on accessible digital platforms, especially government websites.

Automated accessibility testing is a specialized area wherein a digital product, such as a website or application, is evaluated for its usability by individuals with a range of disabilities. It includes those with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments. The aim is to ensure a website is user-friendly, navigable, and accessible.

The Current State of Accessibility in Government Websites

Understanding the current accessibility of government websites is crucial in identifying the challenges and crafting appropriate solutions. There’s a significant gap between websites that are fully accessible to all users, including those with disabilities and those without. As per a WebAIM survey in 2020, 97.4% of homepage scans revealed WCAG 2.0 failures, highlighting the severity of this issue. Following are some of the accessibility challenges that occur on government websites:

Lack of Image Descriptions:

Many websites fail to include alternative text (alt text) for images, which screen readers use to describe images to visually impaired users.

Absence of Video Transcripts or Closed Captions:

Video content often lacks closed captions or transcripts, making it inaccessible to individuals with hearing impairments.

Complicated Navigation and Lack of Keyboard Functionality:

These issues can create barriers for people with motor disabilities who rely on keyboards for web navigation.

Cognitive Accessibility Oversights:

Overly complex language, lack of clear instructions, and distracting elements can make websites challenging for individuals with cognitive impairments.

The Role of Automated Accessibility Testing

Automated tools can detect and address many of these issues, but to ensure comprehensive accessibility, manual testing and expert insights are often required. Accessibility experts can consider the unique ways different individuals interact with digital content and identify potential barriers that automated systems might miss.

Achieving full website accessibility is not just about compliance. It’s an opportunity to reach a wider audience, enhance user experience, and build a positive brand image. By addressing the accessibility gap, government entities can reinforce public trust and demonstrate their commitment to inclusivity.

Challenges in Implementing Accessibility Testing

Implementing accessibility testing for government websites is an essential task but is also challenging. To implement effective solutions, it’s crucial first to understand these challenges. Let’s look at some of the most common challenges:

Technical Issues:

Accessibility testing requires specialized knowledge and deep understanding of various disabilities. Recognizing the different ways users interact with digital platforms is crucial. While automated accessibility testing tools can help detect and rectify many accessibility issues, they may not pick up on all potential barriers. For instance, understanding if a website’s color contrast is sufficient for those with color blindness, or assessing if a site’s navigation is intuitive for users with cognitive impairments, often requires manual testing and expert judgment.

Budgetary Constraints:

Implementing comprehensive accessibility testing can be a significant financial undertaking. Budget constraints can limit the amount of testing conducted, potentially leaving some accessibility issues unaddressed. It’s essential to view accessibility testing not as an optional expense but as an integral part of product development. While the upfront costs might seem high, the long-term benefits, such as increased user engagement, reduced legal risks, and improved public reputation, can yield a substantial return on investment.

Regulatory Compliance:

Compliance with laws and regulations such as the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), WCAG 2.0 & 2.1, and Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act can present a challenge. These laws require that all digital content be accessible to people with disabilities. Navigating these requirements and ensuring compliance can be complex, requiring a nuanced understanding of the law and its implications for website design and functionality.

Why is Accessibility Testing Crucial for Government Websites?

The digital sphere has transformed the way governments interact with their citizens. However, with this advancement comes the responsibility to ensure that all citizens can easily access and use the provided services regardless of their abilities. Here are the reasons why accessibility testing is crucial for government websites:

Ensuring Equal Access to Information:

Government websites are often the primary source of important information and services for citizens. These websites serve many essential purposes, from renewing licenses and paying taxes to accessing healthcare information and voting procedures. Accessibility testing helps ensure that everyone, including those with disabilities, has equal access to this information and these services.

Impact on Reputation and Public Trust:

An accessible website signals that the government is committed to inclusivity and equity, thus strengthening the public’s trust. On the other hand, failing to prioritize accessibility can lead to reputational damage and diminished public confidence. By conducting thorough accessibility testing, governments can demonstrate their commitment to serving all citizens equally.

Legal Implications and Risks:

Non-compliance with accessibility laws such as the ADA and Section 508 can lead to legal consequences. Government entities can face lawsuits, financial penalties, and mandated compliance deadlines if their websites are found to be non-compliant. Thorough website accessibility testing can help identify and rectify potential issues, reducing the risk of legal repercussions.

Resolving Accessibility Challenges

While the challenges of implementing accessibility testing are substantial, they are not difficult to handle. With the right strategies and resources, government entities can create digital environments that are inclusive and accessible to all users. Here are some practical solutions to the challenges:

Leveraging Automation in Accessibility Testing:

Automated accessibility testing tools can quickly scan websites and identify accessibility issues, such as missing alt text, keyboard accessibility, or color contrast deficiencies. These tools can be a cost-effective way to identify and address many common accessibility issues. However, while automation can increase efficiency, it should be complemented with manual testing to capture those nuances that require human judgment.

Training and Awareness for Web Developers and Designers:

Building accessibility into a website starts at the design and development stage. By providing proper training and raising awareness about the importance of accessibility among web developers and designers, organizations can ensure that accessibility considerations are integrated from the beginning, thus reducing the need for extensive modifications later. This proactive approach can also save resources in the long run.

Collaborating with Accessibility Experts:

Accessibility testing is a specialized area that requires deep knowledge about various disabilities and how they affect the way people use digital platforms. Collaborating with accessibility experts can provide the insights and expertise needed to conduct comprehensive testing and make websites accessible. Experts can help interpret and apply accessibility standards, test websites with different assistive technologies, and provide recommendations for improving accessibility.

Strategic Decision-Making for Implementing Accessibility Testing

Creating an accessible digital environment requires strategic decision-making at the highest levels. Here are some key considerations to help you make informed decisions about implementing accessibility testing:

Evaluating Costs and Benefits:

It’s crucial to recognize that the costs of accessibility testing are an investment in better service delivery, increased user engagement, reduced legal risk, and improved public reputation. While the upfront costs might be tangible, the long-term benefits can significantly outweigh them. A cost-benefit analysis can provide a clearer picture of the return on investment and help justify the resources allocated to accessibility testing.

Prioritizing Accessibility in Digital Transformation Efforts:

Digital transformation is a priority for many government entities. However, these efforts will not reach their full potential if they do not include all citizens. Making accessibility a central part of your digital transformation strategy can ensure that new technologies and services are inclusive from the outset, thus saving resources on remediation efforts later.

Implementing an Accessibility Policy:

An organization-wide policy can guide efforts towards achieving and maintaining digital accessibility. Such a policy can define the standards to adhere to (e.g., WCAG 2.1), identify responsible parties for implementation and testing, set timelines for achieving goals, and establish procedures for addressing accessibility complaints. This strategic move communicates your organization’s commitment to accessibility both internally and externally.

Accessibility Testing Tools for the Public Sector

Choosing the right tools can significantly improve the effectiveness of your accessibility testing efforts. Here are some top-rated tools that are particularly suited to the needs of the public sector:

WAVE:

Developed by WebAIM, WAVE is a free, user-friendly tool that evaluates web page accessibility. It provides visual feedback about the accessibility of your web content by injecting icons and indicators directly into your page.

Axe:

Deque’s Axe is an accessibility testing toolkit that comes as a browser extension and provides robust and reliable testing for all types of disabilities. It’s an excellent tool for developers who must test their code during development.

JAWS Inspect:

This tool simplifies accessibility and compatibility testing, rendering an efficient process with output that’s easy to understand by non-technical professionals. JAWS Inspect uses transcripts of JAWS output to help quickly diagnose issues and share them with the broader team.

Siteimprove:

Siteimprove’s platform offers many features, including accessibility testing. It checks your website’s compliance with accessibility standards and provides detailed reports and recommendations.

DYNO Mapper:

This tool not only performs accessibility testing but also generates visual sitemaps. It tests websites for WCAG 2.1 compliance and offers results with solutions that can be categorized by issue, page, or priority.

How TestingXperts Can Help with Accessibility Testing for the Public Sector

Digital accessibility ensures all users can interact with your digital platforms efficiently and effectively. This is where TestingXperts can assist. With years of experience and a commitment to digital inclusivity, Tx provides comprehensive accessibility testing services dedicated to the unique needs and challenges of the public sector.

By partnering with TestingXperts, you gain more than just accessibility testing services. You gain a strategic partner dedicated to promoting digital inclusivity. Our comprehensive testing ensures your digital platforms are accessible, usable, and compliant, thus reducing legal risks and enhancing user satisfaction.

Conclusion

The importance of digital accessibility in government websites is only set to increase. As more services move online and digital transformation accelerates, ensuring that all citizens can access and use these platforms will become essential to public service delivery. Let TestingXperts help you resolve the complexities of accessibility testing and ensure that your digital platforms are accessible to all users. Our expert team, customized approach, and commitment to promoting digital inclusivity can help you make your digital services inclusive and accessible.

The post Accessibility Testing in Government Websites: Challenges and Solutions first appeared on TestingXperts.

Content

1. What Is Accessibility Testing?
2. What Disability Challenges Do Accessibility Testing Address?
3. Why Is Accessibility Testing Required?
4. Overview of Web Accessibility Laws and Acts
5. A Glance At Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
6. A Detailed Checklist for Accessibility Testing
7. Types Of Accessibility Testing
8. Tools To leverage For Accessibility Testing
9. Conclusion
10. How Can TestingXperts (Tx) help?

Websites and apps have become essential to human lives, and their usage is rapidly rising. However, many people still need help accessing these apps and websites. To be exact, According to Wikipedia, more than 1 billion people in the world have some form of disability. It indicates that these 1 billion people need better and equal access to apps.

Therefore, no matter the industry, it has become essential to ensure that software applications are designed to be accessible to people with disabilities. Thus, developers should follow web accessibility guidelines while developing the app, and testers should perform accessibility testing to validate the seamless accessibility of an application or software.

What Is Accessibility Testing?

Accessibility testing is a software testing technique performed to ensure that web applications or mobile applications are accessible to everyone, including the different abled sections of society. This software testing technique verifies that an app is developed according to web accessibility standards to ensure equal access to all people, including people with specific disabilities.

What Disability Challenges Do Accessibility Testing Address?

Visible disabilities:

These include disabilities like low vision, color blindness, and partial or complete blindness. People with such disabilities need a special keyboard or braille keyboard, in-app screen reader, text-to-speech feature, etc.

Auditory disabilities:

These include disabilities like lack of hearing and deafness. People with auditory issues need sign language, alternative text for images, captions, and other features in an app.

Cognitive and neural disabilities:

Disabilities like Learning disability, memory impairment, multiple sclerosis, ADHD, Seizure disorder, etc., are some examples of cognitive and neural disabilities. People with disabilities need special app features like text-to-speech, well-written content in plain and easy-to-understand language, limited scrolling, etc.

Physical and motor disabilities:

Disabilities like Arthritis, Amputation, Muscular dystrophy, Spinal cord injury, etc., hamper the normal functioning of the human body. Therefore, people with physical and motor disabilities need special app features and support, like search fields, voice recognition software, eye tracking feature, etc.

Why Is Accessibility Testing Required?

Ensures inclusivity and fulfills societal responsibility:

Accessibility testing helps businesses ensure their apps are accessible to people with specific disabilities. It allows businesses to perform societal responsibility and ensures inclusivity.

Validates accessibility of app to all:

Accessibility testing involves thoroughly checking apps to ensure they comply with all web accessibility guidelines to make them accessible to people with various disabilities.

Uplifts the brand’s image:

When an app is accessible to all, it shows that a brand cares for its customers and ultimately helps to uplift the brand image.

Saves from legal complications:

If an app does not fulfill the web content accessibility guidelines, it can cause businesses to face legal difficulties and lawsuits. However, businesses should leverage accessibility testing of web and mobile apps to avoid legal complications.

Delivers better user experience:

Accessibility testing makes an app equally accessible to all people with or without disabilities and helps provide a better user experience

Helps to rank higher in search results:

Accessibility testing improves a website’s usability and helps to rank it higher on the search engine result page.

Improves the usability of website/app:

Website accessibility guidelines ensure to make web content equally accessible to all and improve the overall usability of an app/website.Businesses can ensure equal access to web content by including proper ALT tags and providing easy navigation through the keyboard.

Helps generate better revenue:

By adopting WCAG guidelines, businesses can significantly increase website visitors and user engagement. It allows companies to generate higher revenues as website visitors/prospects can be converted to leads/customers.

Overview of Web Accessibility Laws and Acts

A Glance At Website Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

According to Wikipedia, The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are part of a series of web accessibility guidelines published by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the leading international standards organization for the Internet. They are a set of recommendations for making Web content more accessible, primarily for people with disabilities and for all user agents, including highly limited devices, such as mobile phones.

Web content accessibility guidelines consist of WCAG 2.0, 2.1 2.2. According to W3C, WCAG 2.2 is scheduled to be completed and published in early 2023 and is backward compatible with WCAG 2.1.

• It consisted of four principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust.

• Under the four principles are 13 guidelines.

• For each guideline, testable success criteria are provided with three levels of conformance: A (lowest), AA, and AAA (highest)

Four principles of WCAG 2.1

Perceivable:

Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.

Operable:

User interface components and navigation must be operable

Understandable:

Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable.

Robust:

Conformance levels of WCAG 2.1 

Level A:

Level AA:

Level AAA:

A Detailed Checklist for Accessibility Testing

Types Of Accessibility Testing

Manual accessibility testing:

In this accessibility testing method, testers with WCAG technical review knowledge and expertise review the web. Testers manually test all scenarios and identify all non-conformances with respect to WCAG guidelines.

Automation Accessibility Testing:

In this testing technique, testers leverage automated accessibility testing tools to test the accessibility of the web. It helps identify accessibility issues faster and with less effort than manual accessibility testing.

Native and hybrid mobile apps accessibility testing:

This testing method involves accessibility testing of all native and hybrid mobile apps. This testing method tests all accessibility scenarios for android and iOS apps.

Web app accessibility testing:

In this testing method, the testers evaluate the accessibility of web apps by checking various aspects of web content, such as content readability, images, color contrast, etc.

508 Compliance testing:

In this method, testers check whether an app fulfills the standards mentioned under the 508 compliance act. Testers check various aspects of an app, like text equivalents for every essential photo, image, logo, or other non-text elements.

Hardware accessibility testing:

This method involves conducting an in-depth evaluation of the product’s hardware accessibility to ensure conformance with section 508 and other standards. This ensures that the product hardware is accessible to all, including people with specific disabilities.

How to Create Effective Test Cases for Accessibility?

Web applications and software should be designed to cater to a diverse audience, including people with disabilities. Ensuring accessibility isn’t just a one-time task; it requires ongoing efforts, with one crucial aspect being creating effective test cases. Let’s take a look at how to develop effective test cases for accessibility:

Understand Accessibility Guidelines

To start creating impactful test cases, it’s necessary to grasp the fundamental accessibility guidelines. Familiarize yourself with established standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). These guidelines provide a solid foundation, helping you comprehend the principles of accessibility and pinpoint potential areas for improvement.

Collaborate with Diverse Experts

Effective test cases are born from collaboration. Engage a diverse group of experts, including accessibility specialists, developers, designers, and testers. This multi-disciplinary approach ensures that every facet of your product is thoroughly examined from different perspectives, enriching the quality of your test cases.

Define Clear Success Criteria

Ambiguity has no place in creating accessibility test cases. Clearly convey what success looks like for each test case. For instance, rather than saying, “The page should be navigable,” specify “, The page must be navigable using keyboard navigation alone, with clear focus indicators at all times.”

Cover Various Disability Scenarios

Accessibility encompasses a broad spectrum of disabilities. Your test cases should comprehensively address various scenarios, including visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor impairments. For example, test for proper screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, high contrast options, and video captioning.

Prioritize Real-World Scenarios

Effective test cases simulate real-world situations. Consider the different devices, browsers, and assistive technologies your users might employ. For example, ensure your test cases cover scenarios like using a screen reader on a mobile device with different orientations.

Test Across Different User Journeys

Users engage with your product in diverse ways. Mapping out different user journeys is crucial. For instance, test the accessibility of a checkout process for an e-commerce site, ensuring that users with disabilities can seamlessly complete a purchase.

Incorporate Negative Testing

Don’t focus on positive scenarios, as negative testing is equally vital. Craft test cases that explore failure points. For instance, test how your application handles form validation errors for users who rely on screen readers.

Include Edge Cases

Edge cases hold valuable insights when testing for situations that might be less common but can still impact users with disabilities. For instance, examine how your application handles sudden font size changes or interruptions in assistive technology usage.

Use a Combination of Manual and Automation Testing

Test automation can significantly speed up the testing process. However, not all accessibility issues can be detected through automated tools alone. Utilize automation to cover the basics, but cover it with manual testing to catch minor errors and bugs.

Document and Iterate

Documenting your test cases in detail is essential. It not only aids in the testing process but also serves as a knowledge repository for future projects. Moreover, accessibility is an ongoing journey. Regularly revisit and refine your test cases to adapt to evolving standards and technologies.

Tools To leverage For Accessibility Testing

Wave:

Wave is a suite of evaluation tools that helps testers make web content more accessible to individuals with disabilities. It can identify many accessibilities and Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) errors and facilitates human evaluation of web content. This tool comes with chrome and Firefox extension and supports various CSS, HTML, XHTML, and Images formats.

Axe chrome plugin:

Axe automatically checks single, password-protected, or restricted pages. This tool supports various formats like HTML and XHTML. Since it is a web-based program, the license for access is free and easily accessible.

Dynomapper:

It is a sitemap generator that checks websites and online applications. This tool includes content inventory and audit, and daily keyword tracking. Dynomapper displays results within visual sitemaps to allow for easy and efficient project discovery and planning.

Automated accessibility testing tools (AATT):

It is an open-source tool that automatically checks single web pages and groups of web pages or sites, including password-protected or restricted pages. This tool contains HTMLCodeSniffer with both PhantomJS and Express.

AChecker –Accessibility Checker:

It is an open-source and customizable accessibility testing tool that allows testers to evaluate accessibility by simply entering URLs or uploading HTML files. This tool enables testers to choose desired guidelines like WCAG 2.0, Section 508, BITV, Stanca Act, etc. Testers can select a report format as per their requirements.

Screen Reader Tools

JAWS Inspect:

JAWS Inspect is a screen reader tool used for accessibility and JAWS compatibility testing. This tool uses transcripts of JAWS output to quickly locate issues and share them easily across quality control and compliance systems.

NVDA:

NVDA allows blind and vision-impaired people to access and interact with the Windows OS and many third-party applications. It is a screen reader that is used to perform accessibility testing by validating the output visual content as audio or braille.

Windows Narrator:

This accessibility feature is natively built into the Microsoft Windows OS. Testers use this screen-reading app to validate the ease of navigation for visually impaired Windows users to whom the text and notifications available on the screen are read out.

Conclusion

Today, it has become essential for businesses to ensure their website content is equally accessible to all people, including people with/without disabilities. People with specific disabilities like hearing loss, partially blind, motor limitations, etc., have special needs while developing an app or website. Correct usage of color contrast, proper placement of multimedia, use of captions and alt text, etc., are some of the best practices that must be considered. Businesses should leverage accessibility testing to ensure their apps and websites meet compliances like WCAG 2.1, Stanca Act, ADA act, etc. Businesses should leverage accessibility testing from a next-gen QA and independent software testing services provider to get equally accessible apps.

How Can TestingXperts (Tx) help?

At TestingXperts (Tx), we believe in a world that is fair to everyone and enable a comprehensive range of accessibility testing services. With high expertise and sound knowledge of accessibility testing regulations like W3Cs, i.e., WCAG 2.0, WCAG 2.1 (Level A: 30, Level AA: 20, Level AAA: 28), and specific regulations such as Section 508, UK-Equality Act, Stanca Act, Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, etc., we ensure standardized accessibility practices are followed within the application.

TestingXperts Differentiators

• Tx ensures all business-critical applications are accessible to everyone by bringing them in line with the latest accessibility standards like W3C’s, i.e., WCAG 2.0/WCAG 2.1, Section 508, ADA, RPWD & Stanca Act.

• In-house teams consisting of highly skilled team of experts, including differently-abled, who perform accessibility testing of applications

• Exposure to industry-leading open-source and commercial accessibility testing tools like AChecker, WAVE, aXe, Web Accessibility Toolbar (WAT), PowerMapper SortSite, Accessibility Insight, etc.,

• Exposure working with all industry-leading screen readers for accessibility testing like Job Access with Speech (JAWS), NonVisual Desktop Access (NVDA), Windows Narrator, TalkBack, VoiceOver, and ChromeVox

• Our teams have hands-on expertise working with leading mobile accessibility testing tools such as TalkBack, VoiceOver, etc.

• Our teams also deliver a detailed report in the Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) to stakeholders to help them make informed decisions.

• Seamless customer support

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