{"id":14747,"date":"2020-07-27T20:40:42","date_gmt":"2020-07-27T15:10:42","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/coforge.site\/cigniti\/blog\/?p=14747"},"modified":"2020-08-21T18:26:54","modified_gmt":"2020-08-21T12:56:54","slug":"web-accessibility-testing-strategy-tools","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/coforge.site\/cigniti\/blog\/web-accessibility-testing-strategy-tools\/","title":{"rendered":"All that you need to know about Accessibility Testing"},"content":{"rendered":"

Accessibility is a human right. This is the crux of why each software application or web interface should be designed and developed keeping accessibility in mind.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web, aptly said, \u201cThe power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A web application or a software with an accessible design not only empowers people with certain disabilities to interact with the interface seamlessly but also benefits the larger population overall.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As Marcus\u00a0\u00d6sterberg, author at\u00a0<\/span>Web Strategy for Everyone<\/span><\/i>\u00a0says \u2013<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen speaking of disabilities, the blind and their needs are most often used as an example. It is deceivingly simplistic since accessibility is something most of the population can benefit from. We all benefit when we are tired, in bright sunshine with a mobile, are forced to use a gaming mouse with too-high sensitivity or receive the text version of video clips when we have forgotten our earphones and are in a quiet environment.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When a web app is developed or designed to be accessible, it allows the broader population from visually, cognitively, auditory, physically, neurologically,\u00a0verbally challenged individuals to non-native speakers, aging population, people with low internet bandwidth, individuals with temporary disabilities, and people in situation limitations of a bright or quiet environment to access the web with the same effortlessness and ease that otherwise an individual is able to do.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple said,\u00a0“When we work on making our devices accessible by the blind,\u00a0I don’t consider the bloody ROI\u201d, it hit home.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To gain a deeper understanding of the criticality of an accessible web application, consider this statistic:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

15% of the world population experience some form of disability.<\/i>\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

That makes about 1,170,000,000 people on earth who will have trouble interacting with a web application if it is not designed for easy access. Having an inaccessible web application can draw highly negative influence on an organization and may also open the door for lawsuits.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Web accessibility testing is a subset of usability testing in which the application is tested with people having all abilities and disabilities as the target user persona. As part of web accessibility testing, an application is evaluated for its ease of navigation, access, and understanding.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Accessibility testing vs. Usability testing<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Although accessibility testing and usability testing are often used interchangeably\u00a0and have some overlap, there is a fine difference between the two.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

As per the\u00a0<\/span>World Wide Web Consortium<\/span><\/a>, Accessibility addresses discriminatory aspects related to equivalent user experience for people with disabilities, while Usability is about designing products to be effective, efficient, and satisfying.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Web accessibility is about designing an application with focus on alleviating any form of barriers for disabled individuals, whereas, usability is centered on the user experience design and may or may not address the needs of people with disabilities.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The business imperative of accessibility testing<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to the reasons such as being able to cater to the market for disabled people, conform to the legislative laws, and avoid any potential lawsuits due to non-conformance, there are a few essential business use cases of accessibility testing that organizations must consider:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n