/Services/Accessibility Testing

Accessibility Testing

Build products everyone can use, not ones that exclude by accident

QAble validates WCAG 2.1 AA compliance across web and mobile applications, testing screen reader compatibility, keyboard navigation, colour contrast and assistive technology support so your product is accessible to all users.

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Accessibility testing covers:

Screen reader compatibilityKeyboard navigationColour contrast testingARIA and semantic HTMLWCAG 2.1 AA auditAssistive technology testing

Engineering teams that rely on QAble

The problem

Why accessibility requires its own testing discipline

Automated accessibility scanners catch approximately 30% of WCAG violations. The remaining 70% requires manual testing with real assistive technologies.

Without dedicated accessibility testing

Risk type

Screen reader users encounter flows where ARIA labels are missing or incorrect: the application announces nothing meaningful when focus moves, leaving blind users without context or direction.

Screen reader

Keyboard-only users become trapped in modals, custom dropdowns or interactive widgets with no keyboard exit path, creating a complete barrier that affects every user who cannot use a mouse.

Keyboard trap

Text and interface elements fall below WCAG minimum contrast ratios across the product surface, discovered only after launch when low-vision users report that content is unreadable.

Contrast failure

Focus indicators are removed or styled away in the name of visual cleanliness, leaving sighted keyboard users with no indication of where their focus currently sits as they navigate.

Focus visibility

Form fields without programmatic labels are submitted to screen reader users as unlabelled: the field exists in the DOM but conveys no instruction, making data entry forms impossible to complete.

Label missing

The QAble Solution

Accessibility defects don't require intuition to find. Structured WCAG testing, combining automated scanning with manual assistive technology testing, converts an inaccessible product into a documented fix list with every issue mapped to its WCAG criterion.

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WCAG 2.1 AA coverage

All success criteria tested and mapped, not just the ones automated tools can detect.

Assistive tech validation

Every finding verified with real screen readers: NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver and TalkBack.

Manual testing depth

Seventy percent of WCAG violations surface only through manual testing, not automated scans.

Remediation clarity

Code-level fix guidance at every issue logged, with before-and-after examples engineers can act on.

Coverage areas

Accessibility testing disciplines we deliver

QAble tests every dimension of accessibility using a combination of automated tools and manual assistive technology testing.

Screen reader compatibility

Validates that all content and functionality is accessible using screen readers such as NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver and TalkBack.

NVDA and JAWS (Windows)

VoiceOver (macOS and iOS)

TalkBack (Android)

reading order validation

live region announcements

Keyboard navigation

Ensures all functionality is operable using only a keyboard, with logical focus order and no keyboard traps.

tab order validation

focus indicator visibility

keyboard trap detection

shortcut key conflicts

skip navigation links

Colour contrast compliance

Verifies that all text and interactive elements meet WCAG 2.1 contrast ratio requirements for readability.

AA standard (4.5:1 text, 3:1 large)

AAA standard validation on request

interactive element contrast

state-based contrast (hover, focus, disabled)

ARIA and semantic HTML

Audits the correct use of ARIA roles, states and properties alongside semantic HTML to convey structure to assistive technologies.

landmark roles validation

ARIA label correctness

role-state consistency

heading hierarchy

form label associations

Images and media

Ensures all non-text content has appropriate text alternatives and that media is accessible to users who cannot see or hear it.

alt text quality review

decorative image handling

video caption validation

audio description requirements

complex image descriptions

Forms and interactive components

Validates that forms, modals, dropdowns and custom components are fully accessible, including error handling and validation messaging.

label and instruction clarity

error identification and description

required field announcements

custom widget keyboard support

timeout and session management

WCAG 2.1

The QAble WCAG coverage matrix

Three conformance levels, each with measurable criteria and defined targets, so accessibility posture becomes reportable, not anecdotal.

Level A

Minimum baseline

Essential accessibility: content must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust.

Key criteria

text alternatives

keyboard access

no seizure triggers

Conformance level 1 of 3

Level AA

Legal standard

Required by most accessibility legislation including ADA, EAA and Equality Act frameworks.

Key criteria

4.5:1 contrast ratio

focus visibility

error identification

Conformance level 2 of 3

Level AAA

Enhanced access

Highest conformance, available on request for products serving users with severe disabilities.

Key criteria

7:1 contrast ratio

sign language

no time limits

Conformance level 3 of 3

Methodology

The QAble accessibility testing methodology

A combined automated and manual approach that delivers comprehensive WCAG coverage across all success criteria.

Automated

Manual

Assistive

Issue

Remediation

Automated scan

Running automated accessibility scanners (axe-core, Lighthouse) to identify detectable WCAG violations quickly before manual work begins.

Manual WCAG audit

Systematic manual review against all WCAG 2.1 A and AA success criteria, organised by perceivable, operable, understandable and robust principles.

Assistive technology testing

Testing with real screen readers (NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver) and keyboard-only navigation across key user flows.

Issue documentation and prioritisation

Logging every issue with WCAG criterion reference, severity, affected users and code-level remediation guidance.

Remediation retest

Retesting fixed issues to confirm WCAG compliance is achieved and no new issues were introduced during fixes.

Deliverables

Deliverables an accessibility engagement produces

Comprehensive accessibility audit documentation that supports both remediation and compliance reporting.

WCAG audit report

Criteria-by-criteria results with conformance level achieved, page-by-page findings and an overall accessibility score.

criteria-by-criteria results

conformance level achieved

page-by-page findings

overall accessibility score

Issue log

Every issue logged with its WCAG success criterion reference, location, severity classification and affected user groups.

WCAG success criterion reference

issue description and location

severity classification

affected user groups

Remediation guide

Code-level fix recommendations with before-and-after examples, priority order for fixes and a retest checklist.

code-level fix recommendations

before and after examples

priority order for fixes

retest checklist

Conformance statement

Self-evaluation summary covering known limitations, audit scope and date, and retesting validation evidence.

self-evaluation summary

known limitations

date and scope of audit

retesting validation

Risk patterns

Common accessibility failures we identify

These are the accessibility barriers QAble consistently finds across web and mobile application audits.

Critical01

Screen reader failures

Critical flows inaccessible to blind users due to missing ARIA labels or incorrect semantic structure, typically discovered in production rather than during development.

Critical02

Keyboard traps

Users who navigate by keyboard become trapped in modals or interactive components with no exit path, creating a complete barrier for motor-impaired users.

High03

Contrast violations

Text and interface elements that do not meet minimum contrast ratios, creating barriers for low-vision users across the entire product surface.

High04

Missing focus indicators

Interactive elements with no visible focus state, making keyboard navigation impossible to track visually for sighted keyboard users.

Medium05

Unlabelled form fields

Input fields without programmatic labels that screen readers cannot describe to users, making forms unusable for the largest assistive technology audience.

Medium06

Missing alt text

Images conveying information without text alternatives that assistive technologies can communicate, leaving visual content entirely absent for blind users.

Engagement Models

Ways to work with QAble

Three engagement shapes covering a focused WCAG audit, a full accessibility testing project and continuous accessibility QA across releases.

Release-Focused

1–2 weeks

Accessibility audit

WCAG 2.1 AA audit of your web or mobile application with a full issue log and remediation guide.

Deliverables

WCAG 2.1 A/AA audit report

Issue log with WCAG references

Remediation recommendations

Priority classification

Best for

Compliance certification needs

Pre-launch accessibility review

Get Started

Full accessibility testing project

Combined automated scanning, manual audit and real assistive technology testing with remediation retest.

Deliverables

Automated and manual findings

Assistive technology test results

Code-level fix guidance

Remediation retest validation

Best for

Production applications

Legal compliance requirements

Get Started

Flexible

Ongoing

Continuous accessibility QA

Ongoing accessibility validation integrated into your design and development cycles.

Deliverables

Sprint accessibility reviews

Component-level audits

Regression validation

Conformance tracking

Best for

Design systems

Continuously deployed products

Get Started

Every model includes:

Certified QA engineersNDA on day oneDirect Slack accessDedicated account managerZero lock-in contracts

Why QAble

Why choose QAble

QAble brings disciplined accessibility methodology: WCAG-aligned, evidence-first and focused on complete coverage that automated tools alone cannot achieve.

WCAG 2.1 A and AA coverage across all perceivable, operable, understandable and robust principles.

Real assistive technology testing on NVDA, JAWS, VoiceOver and TalkBack, not just automated scanning.

Code-level remediation guidance that gives engineers actionable fixes, not abstract findings.

Conformance documentation suitable for accessibility statements and legal compliance reporting.

QAble accessibility testing expertise

WCAG 2.1 AA manual audit96%

Screen reader and AT testing94%

Keyboard navigation testing95%

Colour contrast and visual QA93%

Remediation guidance and retest92%

FAQ

Questions buyers actually ask.

Direct answers to the questions we get on the first advisor call.

Talk to a QA Advisor

What WCAG version and level do you test against?

QAble tests against WCAG 2.1 A and AA by default, which is the standard referenced in most accessibility legislation including the European Accessibility Act, ADA (US) and Equality Act (UK). WCAG 2.1 AAA and WCAG 2.2 testing are available on request.

Do you use automated tools or manual testing?

Both. Automated tools like axe-core and Lighthouse identify detectable violations efficiently. However, they only catch around 30% of WCAG issues. QAble follows up with thorough manual testing using keyboard-only navigation and real screen readers to cover what automated tools cannot detect.

Which screen readers do you test with?

QAble tests with NVDA and JAWS on Windows, VoiceOver on macOS and iOS and TalkBack on Android, covering the primary screen reader and assistive technology combinations used by real users.

Do you provide a formal accessibility conformance report?

Yes. QAble produces a structured audit report documenting the scope, methodology, WCAG criteria tested, findings and overall conformance level. This can be used to support accessibility statements and compliance documentation.

How long does an accessibility audit take?

A focused WCAG 2.1 AA audit typically takes 1 to 2 weeks depending on application scope. A full accessibility testing project combining automated scanning, manual audit and assistive technology testing runs 3 to 5 weeks. Continuous accessibility QA is an ongoing engagement embedded in the development rhythm.

Can you help after the audit, during remediation?

Yes. QAble provides code-level fix guidance alongside every issue logged, with before-and-after examples engineers can act on directly. Retesting is included to confirm each fix achieves WCAG compliance without introducing new issues.