Top Accessibility Testing Tools: Screen Readers & Audit Solutions

In today’s digital-first world, accessibility is no longer a nice-to-have—it’s a necessity. Accessibility testing ensures that digital platforms such as websites, applications, and eLearning tools are inclusive and usable by individuals with disabilities. By adhering to standards like WCAG 2.2, Section 508, and EN 301 549, organizations can create digital experiences that are functional for all users, regardless of their abilities. But accessibility isn’t just about compliance—it’s about ensuring that everyone, including those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments, can fully interact with and benefit from digital content. This guide explores the tools, techniques, and best practices in accessibility testing.

What is Accessibility Testing?

Accessibility testing is a subset of usability testing that ensures digital content can be accessed by individuals with disabilities. The key goal is to ensure that content follows the POUR principles:

• Perceivable: Users must be able to recognize and use content in different ways (e.g., text alternatives for images, captions for videos).
• Operable: Users must be able to navigate and interact with content (e.g., keyboard accessibility, clear navigation structure).
• Understandable: Content must be clear and readable (e.g., consistent structure, easy-to-understand instructions).
• Robust: Content must be accessible via a wide range of assistive technologies (e.g., compatibility with screen readers and alternative input devices).

We can achieve this by using various accessibility testing tools that assist in identifying and resolving accessibility barriers. These tools help test screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, color contrast, and overall usability to ensure compliance with standards like WCAG 2.2, Section 508, and EN 301 549.

Key Accessibility Tools

Accessibility testing tools fall into two main categories:

1. Assistive Technologies (AT) – These are tools used directly by individuals with disabilities to interact with digital platforms, such as screen readers and alternative input devices.

2. Accessibility Audit Tools – These tools help developers and testers identify accessibility barriers and ensure compliance with standards like WCAG 2.2, Section 508, and EN 301 549.

Assistive Technologies for Accessibility Testing

Screen readers are assistive technologies that convert on-screen content into speech or braille output. These tools enable users with visual impairments to navigate digital platforms, read documents, and operate applications.

JAWS (Job Access With Speech)

• One of the most widely used commercial screen readers.
• Supports over 30 languages with advanced synthesizers.
• Works with Microsoft Office, web browsers, PDFs, and email clients.
• JAWS provides customizable scripting support through its JAWS Scripting Language (JSL), allowing users to enhance accessibility and streamline interactions with complex applications. This feature enables users to:
• Create custom scripts to improve compatibility with applications that may not be fully accessible.
• Automate repetitive tasks and optimize workflows.
• Modify keystrokes and commands for a more intuitive experience.
• Enhance the way JAWS interacts with dynamic or custom-built software.
• Includes OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to read text from images and scanned documents.

NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access)

• Free and open-source screen reader.
• Works with major applications like Microsoft Office, Google Chrome, and Mozilla Firefox.
• Supports braille displays and advanced speech synthesizers.
• Includes ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) support for better web accessibility.

VoiceOver (Built-in for macOS & iOS)

• Integrated screen reader that works seamlessly across MacBooks, iPads, and iPhones.
• Gesture-based navigation for touchscreen devices (iPhones/iPads).
• Supports braille displays, rotor navigation, and VoiceOver gestures.
• Works with Safari, Mail, iMessage, and other macOS/iOS applications.
• Provides image recognition to describe objects and text in photos.
• Users can adjust speech rate, voice customization, and verbosity settings.

ChromeVox

• Designed for Chromebooks but can be added to Google Chrome on macOS & Windows.
• Provides voice feedback and keyboard shortcuts for web navigation.
• Works with Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides.
• Supports ARIA attributes and HTML5 semantic elements.

TalkBack (Android’s Built-in Screen Reader)

• Android’s default gesture-based screen reader.
• Reads out buttons, links, notifications, and on-screen text.
• Supports gesture navigation, voice commands, and braille display integration.

Screen Reader Accessibility Testing Checklist

Page Structure & Navigation

✅ Verify headings (H1-H6) follow a logical order for easy navigation.
✅ Check for a functional “Skip to Content” link.
✅ Ensure landmarks (‘nav’, ‘main’, ‘aside’) are correctly identified.
✅ Confirm page titles and section headers are announced properly.

Keyboard & Focus

✅ Test if all buttons, links, and forms are fully keyboard accessible.
✅ Verify proper focus indicators and logical tab order.
✅ Check for keyboard traps in pop-ups and modal dialogs.
✅ Ensure dropdowns, modals, and expandable sections are announced correctly.

Content & Readability

✅ Ensure images and icons have meaningful alt text.
✅ Confirm link text is descriptive (avoid “Click here”).
✅ Test ARIA-live regions for announcing dynamic content updates.
✅ Verify table headers and reading order for screen reader compatibility.

Forms & Error Handling

✅ Check that all form fields have clear labels.
✅ Ensure error messages are announced properly to users.
✅ Test real-time validation messages for accessibility.
✅ Confirm dropdown options and auto-suggestions are readable.

Multimedia & Dynamic Content

✅ Verify captions for videos and transcripts for audio content.
✅ Ensure media controls (play, pause, volume) are keyboard accessible.
✅ Test ARIA roles like role=”alert” and aria-live for dynamic updates.

Accessibility Audit Tools

These tools help developers and testers detect accessibility issues by scanning websites and applications for compliance violations.

WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool)

• Developed by WebAIM, WAVE helps identify accessibility issues in web pages by providing a visual representation of detected errors, alerts, and features.
• Highlights WCAG 2.1 & 2.2 violations, including missing alt text, color contrast issues, and structural errors.Provides detailed reports with suggestions for improvements to enhance web accessibility.
• Offers real-time analysis without requiring code changes or external testing environments.
• Includes a contrast checker to evaluate text-background color contrast for readability.
• Supports ARIA validation, ensuring proper use of ARIA attributes for screen reader compatibility.
• Works with private and locally hosted pages when used as a browser extension.

Axe DevTools

• Detects WCAG 2.1 & 2.2 violations in web applications.
• Provides detailed issue reports with remediation guidance.
• Integrates into CI/CD pipelines for continuous accessibility testing.

Lighthouse

• Google’s open-source accessibility auditing tool.
• Checks for WCAG compliance, ARIA attributes, and semantic HTML.
• Provides an accessibility score (0-100) with suggestions for improvement.
• Works for both mobile and desktop testing.
• macOS/iOS compatibility:
• Fully functional on macOS via Chrome DevTools.
• For iOS web apps: Use Lighthouse via remote debugging on Safari.

ARC Toolkit

• Developer-friendly tool for in-depth accessibility testing.
• Provides reports on ARIA attributes, focus order, and form structure.

ANDI (Accessible Name & Description Inspector) Tool

• Identifies missing or incorrectly labeled interactive elements.
• Checks for ARIA roles, form labels, and navigation issues.

Color Contrast Analyzer

• Evaluates text-background contrast ratios based on WCAG standards.
• Supports color blindness simulation to improve UX design choices.
• Helps designers create accessible color schemes for readability.

BrowserStack Accessibility Testing

• Enables cross-browser accessibility testing on real devices and virtual machines.
• Supports WCAG and Section 508 compliance testing for web applications.
• Integrates with automation frameworks like Selenium, Cypress, and Playwright for end-to-end accessibility testing.
• Provides a Live Testing feature to manually check screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, and color contrast.
• Works seamlessly with JAWS, NVDA, and VoiceOver for real-world accessibility validation.

Cypress + axe-core

• A JavaScript-based end-to-end testing framework that can be extended for accessibility testing.
• Supports integration with axe-core to automate WCAG compliance testing within CI/CD pipelines.
• Provides real-time DOM snapshots to inspect and debug accessibility issues.
• Offers keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility testing using Cypress plugins.
• Enables automation of ARIA role validation and interactive element testing.

Playwright + axe-core

• Supports automated accessibility testing across Chromium, Firefox, and WebKit browsers.
• Integrates with axe-core to detect and fix accessibility violations in web applications.
• Allows headless and UI-based testing for better debugging of accessibility issues.
• Enables keyboard interaction and screen reader testing to ensure operability for users with disabilities.
• Provides trace viewer and accessibility tree inspection for advanced debugging.

Best Accessibility Testing Tools Comparison

The following table provides a comparison of key accessibility testing tools across different platforms, highlighting their license model and best use cases to help teams choose the right tool for their needs.

Conclusion

Ensuring digital accessibility is not just about compliance—it’s about inclusivity and equal access for all users. With the right tools and testing strategies, organizations can create digital experiences that cater to users with diverse abilities. From screen readers like JAWS and NVDA to automated auditing tools like axe DevTools and Lighthouse, accessibility testing plays a crucial role in making websites and applications usable for everyone.

At Codoid, we specialize in comprehensive accessibility testing solutions. Our expertise in tools like JAWS, NVDA, axe DevTools, Cypress, Playwright, and BrowserStack allows us to identify and fix accessibility barriers effectively. Whether you need automated accessibility audits, manual testing, or assistive technology validation, Codoid ensures your website meets WCAG, Section 508, and EN 301 549 compliance standards.

Frequently Asked Questions