Testing Tools and Techniques for Ensuring 508 Accessibility
What is 508 accessibility?
Section 508 accessibility is a term used in reference to efforts aimed at providing people with disabilities equal access to electronic information and data comparable to the access available to people who do not have disabilities, unless an undue burden would be imposed on the business providing the digital experience. It derives from Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires agencies to provide equal access to ICT products and services for people with disabilities.
Testing tools for ensuring Section 508 accessibility compliance
Did you know that if you are a federal agency, an organization funded by the federal government, or a service provider to any federal agency or federally-funded organization, you need to comply with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act? Under the law, your digital properties or those that you display must be accessible to people with disabilities.
To determine if the digital properties you own or display comply with Section 508, you will need to test them. While you will find some level of manual testing essential, a major part of your properties can be tested through automated Section 508 accessibility tools.
Testing your digital properties using automated testing tools can provide you with critical information regarding the properties’ conformity with Section 508 accessibility requirements, which can save you time and money.
To help you ensure test 508 compliance, a number of testing tools have been developed for your use. They include accessibility checkers, color contrast analyzers, PDF editors, and screen reader tools, among others.
- Accessibility checkers
Accessibility checkers are testing tools that evaluate the level of conformance with the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) standards a web page has. Once these checkers scan a web page, they generate a detailed report highlighting the 508 compliance-accessible issues existing within the web page.
To help you deal with the issues found, the checkers will normally recommend tools to help you resolve the issues.
- Color contrast analyzers
Color contrast analyzers are 508 accessibility testing tools that let one measure the contrast ratio between two colors with a simple eve-drop feature. They are handy tools for making digital content more accessible, including both text and graphics, especially for users who are color-blind or have low-vision conditions.
(c) PDF editors
PDF editors tend to have built-in features that assess PDF documents and provide thorough reports that detail the level of the document’s conformance to WCAG 2.0 Level AA, which is Section 508’s standards for compliance.
(d) Screen readers
Screen reader testing tools can be used to test how accessible a digital property is on various ICT tools, such as iPhones, Apple products, etc.
Testing techniques for ensuring Section 508 accessibility compliance
There are two common techniques for ensuring a digital property attains the set Section 508 accessibility requirements, namely, manual testing and automated testing. Each technique has its own unique advantages.
Manual tests are more labor-intensive and costly, but they provide valuable quantitative and qualitative data for achieving 508 accessibility compliance. Skilled 508 accessibility testers undertake manual testing by performing a thorough examination of a digital property’s features and technologies and assessing them against the Section 508 accessibility requirements.
Manual testing offers qualitative insights into the accessibility status of the digital property and uncovers any potential challenges the digital property may pose for people with specific disabilities. The information gleaned from this process usually serves as a foundation for developing a plan to deal with the noted accessibility issues.
The other testing technique for ensuring 508 accessibility is automated testing. This technique is particularly efficient during the initial stages of 508 accessibility compliance testing. Great automated testing tools can greatly enhance manual testing techniques by offering speed and cost-effectiveness.
The automated testing technique is very beneficial for larger digital properties, such as websites, or when dealing with a high volume of ICTs that require compliance testing.
Need help with testing tools and techniques for 508 accessibility?
You can get the assistance you require to achieve 508 accessibility compliance by reaching out to ADACP for help. Call them at (626) 486-2201, or simply schedule a 508 testing tool or technique consult.