Tech Notes
Accessibility testing is a critical process in digital product development, often undervalued and misunderstood. During my internship at the American Foundation for the Blind, I discovered how collaborative approaches significantly enhance both the efficacy and depth of these evaluations. I have had the opportunity to learn the actualities of accessibility testing, and one key takeaway was that the outcome and quality of these tests is seriously amplified through the inclusion of collaborative work. This post will explore the role teamwork has had in my learning career and techniques to improve your projects, both powered by relevant research in the field.
Understanding Accessibility Testing
Accessibility testing is a critical process within the development of digital products, aimed at ensuring that websites, applications, and other digital platforms are usable by all people. This includes but is not limited to individuals with visual, auditory, cognitive, and motor impairments. The essence of accessibility testing is to verify that all users, regardless of their abilities, can access and navigate digital content with ease, without encountering barriers that could hinder their experience.
Accessibility testing involves checking various aspects of a digital product, such as compatibility with screen readers, keyboard navigability, appropriate contrast ratios for text readability, among others. The purpose of this testing is not just to meet legal requirements, such as those outlined in the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)’s Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), but to create an inclusive digital environment where everyone has equal access to information and services. Effective accessibility testing not only accommodates diverse user needs but also enhances overall usability, elevates customer satisfaction, and strengthens brand reputation by demonstrating a commitment to inclusivity.
Common Challenges
When I began developing accessibility testing reports on my own, I found it quite difficult to spot problems that I had not been personally impacted by before. At AFB, we have the fortunate opportunity to connect directly with assistive technology users, and receive detailed feedback on each project we work on. That collaboration has been game-changing. It's not just ticking boxes but really understanding the user experience. Getting that direct input has helped me grow so much as a tester. I've learned to anticipate challenges I wouldn't have considered before. It's a constant learning process, but it's worth it to create truly inclusive products.
Another common challenge is the tendency to treat accessibility testing as an afterthought, something to be done after the primary development process is complete. This approach often leads to a rushed or incomplete evaluation, where only the most obvious issues are addressed. Furthermore, without the involvement of individuals with disabilities in the testing process, it becomes difficult to fully understand the real-world implications of accessibility barriers– and in fact should not be done this way at all. This can result in a product that technically meets accessibility standards but fails to provide a seamless and intuitive user experience for everyone.
Why Teamwork Matters
Accessibility testing is most effective when approached as a collaborative effort, rather than in isolation. When working alone, it's easy to set your own goals and potentially declare the testing process complete prematurely, missing critical issues that may only become apparent with additional perspectives. Involving a mentor or collaborating with others, especially those with lived experiences of disabilities, is invaluable in identifying issues that might otherwise be overlooked by someone who does not face the same challenges.
It’s important to recognize that seeking mentorship or collaboration is not a sign of inadequacy, regardless of your role within the company. Rather, it’s an acknowledgment that accessibility is a complex, nuanced field where continuous learning is essential. Everyone has something to contribute and something to learn, and by working together, you can achieve a more thorough and effective accessibility testing process.
Building Your Teams
I'd like to pivot here to share my insight on building a team. The first and most important step in creating any accessibility-focused project is to include team members with a wide range of skills and backgrounds. As the W3C emphasizes, involving diverse userbases in accessibility evaluation provides diverse perspectives that can help identify a broader range of issues (W3C, 2018). In my experience, working with colleagues and mentors that have a wide array of experiences and assistive technologies they use on a daily basis has been invaluable in creating truly inclusive digital experiences. Their firsthand knowledge and insights have consistently led to more comprehensive solutions, uncovering potential barriers that might otherwise have been overlooked. This collaborative approach not only improves the end product but also fosters a culture of empathy and understanding within the team, ultimately driving innovation in accessibility.
The work “Beyond Accessibility Compliance” (2022) stresses the importance of involving people with disabilities in the design and testing process, via affirming that although your product may have been visually designed to meet accessibility standards– your teams need to also include continuous testing. Perhaps most importantly, "Beyond Accessibility Compliance" emphasizes that accessibility is everyone's responsibility, not just that of designers. This shift in perspective ensures that inclusivity is considered at every stage of development, from initial concept to final product and beyond.
If your team lacks an in-house accessibility expert, consider consulting with nonprofits like AFB or conducting usability studies with your customer base to gather tailored feedback on your implementations. Additionally, regular meetings and shared documentation foster ongoing communication, enabling development teams to take an active role in testing and refining accessibility features. As even a small amount of experience gained in an accessibility setting can place a developer ahead of the curve on inclusive development.
Leverage Collaborative Tools
Collaborative tools have become one of my best friends in accessibility testing during application development. In university, the student teams I was a part of utilized issue tracking software like JIRA, or GitHub issues to manage accessibility bugs and then keep track of proper fixes in Confluence, ensuring that everyone is aligned on best practices. Creating a repository of solutions to common accessibility issues can help save you time and help new team members get up to speed quickly. When working on projects in university, professors usually only care about hitting deadlines and meeting functionality requirements– with limited resources for a dedicated accessibility team, we had to get creative, implementing libraries with built-in accessibility features (Material-UI, n.d.) and planning for improvements later.
Creating an inclusive culture within your team is essential for effective collaboration. Encourage open communication and ensure that all team members, regardless of their role or background, feel comfortable sharing their thoughts and feedback. Allowing team members to communicate directly with edge users of your products can provide invaluable insights that go beyond just collecting feedback through an email address or a survey. This direct interaction can lead to a deeper understanding of the real-world challenges users face, ultimately leading to better, more accessible products.
I encourage you to evaluate your current accessibility testing processes. Are you or members of your development teams working in isolation, or have you embraced a team-based approach? Consider how including team-based efforts can improve your outcomes and ensure that your products are accessible to all users. Implementing iterative systems where small, consistent improvements are made over time can lead to significant long-term benefits. Remember, accessibility is not just a legal requirement; it's a moral imperative– and improving the accessibility of your products improves the experience for everyone. By fostering collaboration and inclusivity within your teams, you can create digital experiences that are truly accessible to all.
Resources
- Chadha, S. (2022). Beyond Accessibility Compliance: Building the Next Generation of Inclusive Products. Apress.
- Whiting, M. E., Hugh, M., & Bernstein, M. (2019). Fair Work: Crowd Work Minimum Wage with One Line of Code. Proceedings of the AAAI Conference on Human Computation and Crowdsourcing, 7(1), 197-206. https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/HCOMP/article/view/5283
- World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). (2018). Involving Users in Evaluating Web Accessibility. Web Accessibility Initiative. https://www.w3.org/WAI/test-evaluate/involving-users/
About the Author
Nathan Race is an intern at the American Foundation for the Blind’s Talent Lab program, and a Computer Science graduate from Wayne State University. With a background in full-stack development, Nathan is passionate about finding practical solutions to improve digital accessibility. In his spare time, he works on small projects aimed at enhancing the usability of popular websites. Nathan is dedicated to making the digital world more inclusive and user-friendly through engaging learning content, and exciting new technologies.
About AFB Talent Lab
The AFB Talent Lab aims to meet the accessibility needs of the tech industry – and millions of people living with disabilities – through a unique combination of hands-on training, mentorship, and consulting services, created and developed by our own digital inclusion experts. To learn more about our internship and apprenticeship programs or our client services, please visit our website at www.afb.org/talentlab.
