How do you test a website for accessibility?

Answer 1

The first step is to create valid HTML. Most websites are invalid HTML - even the most professional ones. You can test your HTML validity from the link below - it also includes instructions. Valid HTML can also be tested by various development software against W3C's specs. Note: valid HTML means that your coding is not 'questioned' by the browser that is used to view it because it is written properly through and through. When it is invalid HTML, the code is 'guessed' by the browser, and since different browsers have different quirks, you run a higher risk of the website being displayed improperly.

The next things are to test it's appearance, display, and function with other available settings.

To test the appearance, or display, of the website as it would appear on users with various screen resolutions, you can change your own screen resolutions and see how it works with each change.

Use various browsers (especially the popular ones - Safari, internet Explorer, Firefox, etc) and see how each of these browsers render the website.

There is some software out there that will render a website as it would appear in various mobile devices, including those that use the miniOpera browser.

Many WYSIWYG editors out there (like Adobe Dreamweaver CS3) have functions or plugins that will allow you to test many of these things within the program, including how it would appear on a mobile device.

It helps to have a friend to go over the website with you because it is easy to cheat when you know what's (supposed) to go where and to skip over navigational issues because you know where things are located already.

To test with a screen reader, there are some software out there that will allow you to hear what the screen reader will provide a user. See if it makes sense. It's even more helpful if you have a friend who regularly uses a screen reader.