Summary

This document describes recommended protocols for testing the accessibility of in-house, vended, third-party, and other digital applications and systems intended for end users. The protocols are recommended for any technologies that require accessibility or security review or are subject to the University of Iowa IT Accessibility Policy. 

Note: Not all of these tasks will apply in every scenario, and some situations may require testing that is not described here. Applicability and order of testing tasks may depend on your project’s requirements or other factors.

Convene testing team

This group should define the scope of the assessment, identify and compile tasks for testing, determine success criteria, recruit test users, and perform any other testing tasks. The testing team should include the following roles:

  • Technology providers (e.g., accountable leads, service owners, or other responsible parties from the sponsoring unit, empowered to make high-level decisions regarding the product or service)
  • Domain experts (e.g., subject matter experts, technical specialists, stakeholders from the requesting unit, familiar with the purpose, function, operation, and content of applications or systems)
  • Accessibility experts (e.g., stakeholders or institutional support staff proficient in the practical application of accessibility principles, the use of assistive technology, the use and interpretation of accessibility assessment tools, and other accessibility competencies.)
  • Consider including people with disabilities whenever possible.

Essential workflows

Essential workflows are not necessarily discrete tasks but may include sequences of tasks that lead to the desired outcome. When testing third-party applications, consider the end-to-end user experience: how can the user achieve the results they want, and what barriers might they experience?

  • Essential workflows include, and are not limited to:
    • Understanding and performing documented and undocumented tasks necessary to achieve outcomes supported by the technology
    • Understanding and completing any external, ancillary, or supplementary tasks (e.g., authentication, assessments, surveys, reports, additional documents)
    • Understanding and tracking progress of discrete tasks within a process
    • Recognizing and understanding prompts, alerts, errors, and other feedback from the application, and correcting issues where necessary
    • Recognizing and understanding when a task or process is complete
    • Accessing and understanding documentation, instructions, and other supporting information
  • All users, including users of assistive technology, must be able to complete essential processes 
    • using common operating systems and assistive technology
    • independently
    • effectively
    • in a timely manner
    • with comparable ease

Suggested Testing Phases and Techniques

Define Scope

Success Indicator: Testing tasks are identified; list is compiled

  • Become familiar with resource
  • Identify workflows and components to be tested
  • Complete task list, worksheet, or form
  • Compile for relevant versions, OS, and related factors

Review Accessibility Documentation from Vendor or Development Team

Success Indicator: VPAT/other accessibility documentation received and reviewed

  • Obtain and review accessibility documentation from vendor or development team
  • Document and schedule for review areas of partial or non-support
  • Provide consultation to requestor and vendor based on VPAT assessment

Automated Testing

Success Indicator: Application passes all checks in an automated testing tool

  • Identify appropriate automated testing tools (e.g., aXe Dev Tools; Microsoft Office Accessibility Checker; Acrobat Accessibility Checker)
  • Determine which components and features are covered by the automated check
  • Test all applicable application views and states with appropriate testing tool
  • Identify Manual Checks for additional manual review using techniques below

Descriptive Text

Success Indicator: User can determine content and purpose of non-text elements

  • Ensure that non-text content has a text alternative that conveys the same meaning and purpose, and that the text alternative is exposed to assistive technologies (SC 1.1.1)
  • Provide a link or reference to longer descriptions of complex objects (SC 1.1.1)
  • For non-text elements that are purely decorative, provide empty alternate text or designate as presentational (SC 1.1.1)

Keyboard Testing

Success Indicator: User can navigate and operate content with equivalent effectiveness using only the keyboard

  • Ensure keyboard control for all functionality (SC 2.1.1)
  • Identify any keyboard traps (SC 2.1.2)
  • Provide a mechanism to bypass redundant blocks (2.4.1)
  • Tab/keyboard order follows logical reading order (SC 2.4.3)
  • Provide a visual indicator of cursor position (SC 2.4.7)
  • The purpose of links can be understood in context (SC 2.4.4)

Digital Media (Audio and Video)

Success Indicator: User can follow content and meaning of media in the absence of audio or video track

  • Audio-only or video-only media are accompanied by a transcript (SC 1.2.1)
  • Pre-recorded video with an audio track is accompanied by captions (SC 1.2.2)
  • Video that provides important visual content includes audio descriptions (SC 1.2.5)
  • Live media features include a means to provide real-time captioning (SC 1.2.4)

Labels and Instructions

Success Indicator: User can perceive the role and purpose of content and interface elements

  • All form fields are programmatically associated with a descriptive label (SC 1.3.1)
  • Data tables include appropriate row and column headers with SCOPE (SC 1.3.1)
  • Where interface or information resides in logical regions or landmarks, those regions are recognizable by accessible name (SC 1.3.1; SC 2.4.1)
  • Clear guidance, cues, labeling of interactive components (SC 3.3.2)

Visual Testing

Success Indicator: User can complete tasks independently using visual cues

  • Sufficient contrast for content and interface elements (SC 1.4.3)
  • Content can be magnified to 200% without loss of content or functionality (SC 1.4.4)
  • Visual tracking of cursor position (SC 2.4.7)

Functional Accessibility

Success Indicator: Product passes Section 508 Functional Standards check; user can complete tasks independently using relevant assistive technologies.

Post-Testing Review

  • Compare and contrast results per automated and manual results
  • Adjust for essential processes, unknowns, intangibles
  • Consider undue burden, fundamental alteration
  • Present results to appropriate stakeholders
  • Engage with vendor or developer on remediation