Ben’s Recommended Tools

Overview of Online Tools for Checking Web Page Accessibility

Web accessibility ensures that websites and online resources are usable and understandable by everyone, regardless of their abilities. It’s not just a matter of good ethics; in many regions, it’s a legal requirement. As a result, several online tools have been developed to help website owners ensure their content is accessible. Here’s an overview of some popular online tools for checking web page accessibility:

1. WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool):
   • Website
   • Description: Developed by WebAIM, WAVE analyzes web pages for potential accessibility issues. It overlays a user-friendly report right on the page being evaluated.
2. Axe:
   • Website: Available as a browser extension for Chrome and Firefox.
   • Description: A robust accessibility testing tool that provides actionable insights and is also extensible.
3. Siteimprove Accessibility Checker:
   • Website: Available as a browser extension for Chrome.
   • Description: Evaluates single pages for accessibility issues directly within the Chrome browser, offering clear explanations.
4. Tenon.io:
   • Website
   • Description: Offers web-based and API tools to identify and fix accessibility issues in websites and web applications.
5. AChecker:
   • Website
   • Description: Input a URL, upload HTML, or paste source code to receive a report on known accessibility issues based on various guidelines.
6. Pa11y:
   • Website
   • Description: An automated accessibility testing tool that runs on your own infrastructure. It has a dashboard interface and CLI tools.
7. Funkify:
   • Website: Available as a browser extension for Chrome.
   • Description: A disability simulator that helps designers and developers test and understand accessibility.
8. Color Contrast Checkers:
   • Websites such as WebAIM’s Color Contrast Checker or Contrast Ratio allow users to check the contrast of text against its background, ensuring readability.
9. Tota11y:
   • Website: Available as a browser bookmarklet from http://khan.github.io/tota11y/.
   • Description: An accessibility visualization toolkit that helps visualize how your sites perform with assistive technologies.
10. Accessibility Insights:
    • Website
    • Description: Developed by Microsoft, it provides tools to help developers detect and resolve accessibility issues.
11. Accessi:
    • Website
    • Description: Checks a web pages accessibility and can produce PDF report.
12. NVDA:
    • Website
    • Description: A free screen reader that can be used for testing accessibility.

Video Guides To Key Tools for Checking Web Page Accessibility

Checking Visual Accessibility And Structure. Wave Evaluation Tool is a very user friendly accessibility checker. It makes it very easy to identify errors directly on a web page.

Accessibility testing with Axe. Axe is available as a browser extension to run directly on a webpage or as an npm package to run programmatically.

How to set up and use NVDA to read a website for accessibility testing. NVDA (NonVisual Desktop Access) is a free, open-source screen reader for Windows that allows visually impaired users to interact with and access digital content on their computers. It reads out text on the screen and provides audible feedback, enabling users to navigate and use applications without the need for a traditional visual display.