Accessibility

Accessibility is the degree to which a software product can be used by people with disabilities, ensuring assistive technologies such as screen readers and keyboard navigation work correctly across the application.

Accessibility is evaluated against established standards, most commonly the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which organize requirements around four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. Conformance levels range from A to AAA, with WCAG 2.1 Level AA being the threshold required by many legal frameworks, including the European Accessibility Act and Section 508 in the United States.

Testing combines automated scanning tools with manual evaluation and assistive technology compatibility checks. Automated tools can detect a significant subset of WCAG violations—missing alt text, insufficient color contrast, unlabeled form fields—but screen reader evaluation and keyboard-only navigation walkthroughs are necessary to surface interaction barriers that scanners cannot reach.

Within the QA process, accessibility fits naturally alongside functional and usability testing. Shift-left approaches embed inclusive design review early in the development cycle, reducing the cost of remediation compared with finding violations after release. A11y test plans often reference a Voluntary Product Accessibility Template (VPAT) to document conformance claims for enterprise procurement. Mobile app accessibility testing adds platform-specific considerations, such as iOS VoiceOver and Android TalkBack behavior, to the standard web-focused checklist.

Also known as: A11y, Web Accessibility

• w3.org — accessibility intro
• en.wikipedia.org — Web accessibility