Test for potential accessibility issues

Are you interested in improving your website’s accessibility, but not sure where to start? There’s tools out there that will help you get started!

The tool that we use for this very purpose is “WAVE”. You can use their online verification tool or download their toolbar for Chrome or Firefox.

This tool will not only check for errors like missing alt texts, missing labels for input fields, and empty headers or links. It will also show you structural elements and HTML5/ARIA features you’re using to promote screenreader compatibility.

Lastly, it will also show you whether there are issues with the colour contrast on parts of your page.

There is one thing to note: When using the toolbar, you will want to be on the lookout for errors and warnings caused by other extensions you have installed. Some extensions will inject HTML into the page you’re on, which then gets sent to the WAVE toolbar as part of your page. Unfortunately the toolbar doesn’t have that nifty codeview that will help you locate what part of your code needs fixing, so you will need to double check the web version to double check the results.

Using these tools should allow you to get a good idea of what you’re up against. If you got no errors, then good job! Overwhelmed by the errors and notices? Contact me and get some help!