Accessibility Testing
Accessibility testing verifies that a product can be used by people with disabilities — visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive — checking screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, color contrast, and adherence to standards like WCAG. It's both a quality practice and, in many jurisdictions, a legal requirement.
Effective accessibility testing combines two layers: automated scanning tools that quickly catch a meaningful subset of issues (missing alt text, insufficient contrast, missing form labels), and manual testing with actual assistive technology — a real screen reader, keyboard-only navigation — since automated tools miss the majority of real-world accessibility problems on their own.
Beyond the moral and legal case, accessibility testing tends to surface general usability improvements too — clear focus states, logical tab order, and descriptive labels help every user, not only those relying on assistive technology, which is part of why accessibility work is increasingly treated as core UX quality rather than a compliance checkbox.
