The document discusses accessibility testing and compliance. It provides an overview of key accessibility laws and standards like Section 508, ADA, and WCAG 2.0. It also discusses different user personas with disabilities and examples of assistive technologies. The rest of the document outlines strategies for implementing accessibility testing throughout the development process from requirements gathering to post-launch maintenance.

1. ARIA Ready for This?
Testing for
Accessibility

2. Sara Tabor
Director of Quality Assurance, Code and Theory
Thriving is learning to adapt.

3. Is my company or
product at risk of
litigation?
Legality Innovation
Will adaptation
provide new
pathways
of awareness?
Inclusion
Is it “ethically good”
to remove barriers
for end users
with disabilities?
What Matters to My Company?
Primary
Accessibility
Requirement
Indicators

4. Prohibits discrimination to people
with disabilities for any program
receiving federal financial
monies
Section 504 The ADASection 508
Sections 504/508 and the ADA
Requires Federal Agencies (and
those receiving federal monies)
to have electronic and
information technology
accessible to people with
disabilities
The Americans with Disabilities
Act requires businesses, state
and local governments and
nonprofit services providers
make accommodations for the
disabled public

5. Effective January 18, 2018
Section 508
2018 Refresh
& WCAG 2.0
◦ As of January 18, 2017, the Section 508
regulations now reference the W3C (World
Wide Web Consortium)’s current standards
set, WCAG 2.0.
◦ Government understands that a more
nimble regulatory commission should
provide the standards set, so long as overall
regulatory expectations are met.
◦ Refresh allows for one year, or January
18, 2018, for compliance to have web and
app development aligned with WCAG 2.0 AA
level for all points going forward.
◦ Work prior to January 18 2018 is allowed
to be ‘grandfathered in’ - should any code
change, the alterations must align with the
Section 508 Refresh/WCAG 2.0 AA
standards.
◦ Refresh also affects Section 255 of the
Telecommunications Act, actioning mobile/
smartphone technology to also apply with
accessibility compliance.
ITERATIVE GOVERNMENT

6. WCAG (sometimes
pronounced “Wik-Ag”)
stands for Web Content
Accessibility Guidelines.
WCAG 2.0
Principles
Perceivable Operable
Understandable Robust

7. For each guideline, there are
testable success criteria, which
are at three levels: A, AA, and
AAA.
AA level standards includes A
level; AAA level standards
includes AA and A level.
WCAG 2.0
Standards Levels
A Level - Bare Minimum
AAA Level - Over The Top
AA Level - Just Right

8. a11y User
Personas

9. People With
Disabilities
(PWDs)
◦ Individuals who self-
identify as disabled that
are away from the typical
physical or digital
interaction ‘norm’
◦ Disabled people are a
protected minority, and
one that anyone can join
(and most eventually will,
in some manner
◦ Disabled people may
find alternate methods or
have “super powers” that
are result of adaptation
PHYSICAL & DIGITAL ADAPTORS

10. Jonathan
College Student
I appreciate
real-time
captioning for
my college
lectures.
• Deaf people consider themselves part
of their own culture, with a distinctly
constructed language
• Cochlear implants may produce noise
feedback, but not always in a manner
that we would associate as being sound
https://youtu.be/1kQPZdQxDbo?t=27
• May feel as an outsider to others’
incidental conversations and
interactions
DEAF, ASL SPEAKER

11. Michelle
Graphic Designer
I love mystery
novels - I eat
them up on my
audiobook
application!
PERSON WITH DYSLEXIA
• Dyslexia is a written language
processing learning disability that may
display as incorrect letter order/
orientation
• Weighted letters for typography can
sometimes be helpful
https://www.doi.gov/
• Alternate methods for writing or
consuming written language provide
efficiencies, like VoiceUI

12. Matthew
Software Engineer
Artificial
Intelligence
advances are
helping me
navigate the
world.
LOW VISION, LIGHT SENSITIVE
• Blind/low vision people may navigate a
page through screenreader (demo)
• Zoom levels are helpful for low visual
acuity or narrow range of visual scope
• Braille readers are helpful for Deaf-blind
individuals, but are recently coming
back in vogue as tablet-style braille
readers

13. Caleb
Television Reporter
Home
automation is
making my life
much easier
and more
efficient.
QUADRIPLEGIA
• End user who has upper mobility
impairment may include grasp, lack of
sensitivity, spasticity, etc.
• Enhancements in technology allow for
less expensive technology integrations
https://youtu.be/K89sE2RXwuI?t=54
• Very high-level upper mobility
impairment may use single tap buttons
or mouth mice to navigate the internet

14. Thomas
Financial Analyst
Lorna
Retiree
Noelle
Stay at Home Parent
Camilla
Foreign Language Student
Captions on my favorite
English language shows
help me understand.
I’m overtired and
multitasking
six things at once.
Siri doesn’t understand
my New Yorker accent!
I forgot my reading
glasses at home today.

15. Adaptive Tech

16. Accessible
Interactions
Increase Zoom Level to 200%

17. Accessible
Interactions
Video Closed Captioning

18. Adaptive
Toolsets
Screenreaders

19. Adaptive
Toolsets
Mouth Mouse

20. Adaptive
Toolsets
Eye Tracking Devices

21. Adaptive
Toolsets
Refreshable Braille Display

22. Unintentionally
Adaptive
Audiobooks & Podcasts

23. Increased access to technology
allows for greater personal autonomy
and efficiency for PWD/all end users
Tech Access Example
Interactive Fillable PDFs
Provide Efficiencies for
All End Users

24. Tech Access Example
Interactive Fillable PDFs
Provide Efficiencies for
All End Users

25. Test
Methodologies

26. Screaming Frog
Deadhead Toolsets
• Many SEO principles overlap with
a11y principles.
• Validation that page structure is
expected.
• Validate redirects are handled
appropriately, no blocked flows.
• Validate markup on pages (single h1
devices, meta images include
descriptions, etc.)

27. W3G Markup
Validation Toolsets
Deadhead Toolsets
• Important for overall site validation.
• API integration can run on commit via
Jenkins.
• Also helpful for XML or RSS Feeds,
popular with screenreader users.

28. Tenon.io
Deadhead Toolsets
•Markup validator with customized
ruleset for accessibility.
• Easy to correct errors are clearly
listed, failure rate defined per page.
• Developers are able to learn more
via ‘Recommended Fixes’ (still in
beta, behind login wall).

29. • Currently, using Webdriver.IO with aXe Core integrated
into framework
• Jenkins integration triggers deadhead toolset (similar
to Tenon.io output)
• Specific automation tests include inline a11y validation
(ex., error state trigger also calls out via aria-live:polite)
• Future: visual differentiation includes contrast and
color blindness validation
WebdriverIO & aXe Core
Automated Testing

30. • Still the crux of validation for accessibility (covers
about 60% of use cases)
• Validate “false positives” of automated and deadhead
toolset results
• Can be done inline with other manual validation tests
• Best if ‘Shift Left’ principles are integrated - confirm
a11y aligns with comps and functional requirements.
Manual Functionality Testing
Manual Testing

31. • Creation of ‘a11y’ Epic in JIRA
• Test lead creates a11y task tickets linking
functional user stories/etc., and provides readied
URL(s)
• Test execution occurs once task ticket is readied.
• Bug tickets are created and linked to epic/task for
traceability, triaged for severity by a11y specialist
• Bug tickets executed and remediated inline with
sprint, as an ‘a11y cleanup sprint’, or managed in
future sprint planning.
Managing a11y Epic in JIRA
Ticket Management

32. a11y
Shift Left

33. • Educated on how to identify clients’ needs for accessibility
• Capable of delivering ‘upbeat’ messaging, as well as ‘warning’
messaging
Business Development & Account Management
Client Stakeholders
• Educated on budget, timeline, scope, and deliverables impact
• Confirm validation stakeholders (ex., internal accessibility and legal
validation) and their lead times/timing
Strategy & Data Analytics
• Uncovers business needs/desires and their interplay with
accessibility concepts
• Provide test environment concentration, as well as click indicators
Content Management
• Simplified content for easy readability, and provides text alternatives
when appropriate
• “Person first” inclusive language and imagery
a11y Shift Left
in Agency /
Dev Shop
Model

34. identify clients’ needs for accessibility
g ‘upbeat’ messaging, as well as ‘warning’
ment & Account Management
s
, timeline, scope, and deliverables impact
akeholders (ex., internal accessibility and legal
ead times/timing
nalytics
needs/desires and their interplay with
ts
ment concentration, as well as click indicators
ent
r easy readability, and provides text alternatives
ve language and imagery
a11y Shift Left
in Agency /
Dev Shop
Model
Design
User Experience (UX)
• Interactions and flows are simplified for easy comprehension
• Functional requirements include line items on how to manage for
specific accessibility requirements
Front End Development
• HTML includes appropriate accessibility markup (ARIA notation, role
indication, etc.); Ajax usage is indicated as live regions
• Majority of defects are remediated by FE development
Back End Development
• CMS inputs include requirements/validation for content input
• Server validation and profile flows are retained and provide clear
remediation for end user
• Confirm color palette and color usage passes contrast/
colorblindness tests
• Design elements (ex. error states) that are accessible for all users

35. • clear and upfront to
all end users prior
to commencement
of work
• timing and
workload increase
accounted for prior
to sprint/work
planning
SOW/Scoping
• rework may require
new design or flow
expectation with
client
Design /
Functional Specs
• rework can trigger
additional
unintentional bugs
• requires validation
of consistency in
codebase
FE/BE Dev
• heavier lift of
defect remediation
• may need to go
back to scoping or
design/UX, causing
delays
QA Remediation
• remediation requires
scaled maintenance
releases
• heaviest lift of defect
remediation
• potential variance of
staffing due to timing
of releases (different
staff for maint. than
product development)
Post Production
Release
• immediacy of
remediation
• halt on future
feature creation in
lieu of remediation
• legal costs to
business (and
potentially their
vendors)
Legal Action
Cost vs. Timing of a11y Bug Discovery

36. • Review incoming clients and flag to
executive management or project lead
of potential need from client
• Include WCAG 2.0 default boilerplate
language in all SOWs
Creating Awareness
at Your Company
Dev Shop/Agency Model
Be Part of the
Scoping / SOW Processes

37. • Directors of each department
understand a11y’s impact specific to
their department
• Resourced staff is allocated at
appropriate times
Creating Awareness
at Your Company
Dev Shop/Agency Model
Education / Awareness
at Discipline Director Level

38. • Active internal Slack channel with
thought leaders in a11y answering
questions and fostering collaboration
• Internal a11y thought leaders
integrate with a11y community Slack/
blogs/Twitter/etc.
• Future: multi-disciplinary a11y
thought leaders being formally trained/
certified by IAAP
Creating Awareness
at Your Company
Dev Shop/Agency Model
Boots on the Ground
Awareness

39. • Tech approach documentation
delineates what is to be accessible, as
well as calling out what is not to be
accessible (retro content, third party
integrations, etc.)
• Timing and preparedness for
development team
Creating Awareness
at Your Company
Dev Shop/Agency Model
Tech Director Awareness

40. • Clear understanding of which
projects may need a11y
• Resource management and timing
for any specialists (senior/junior
experience)
• Awareness of severity (and
assistance with priority) for bug triage
and sprint planning
Creating Awareness
at Your Company
Dev Shop/Agency Model
QA Lead Awareness

41. Future of
a11y

42. Future of a11y
Cutting Edge
Discussions in
Disability &
Accessibility
Communities
WCAG 2.1 Update
• Likely four new criteria to be added in 2018; 3.0 release slated
for 2020
• Improvements expected in resizing content, contrast for
interactive graphics, interruption postponement, and
accidental activation

43. Future of a11y
Cutting Edge
Discussions in
Disability &
Accessibility
Communities
HR 620 - ADA Education and Reform Act of 2017
• Reduces lawsuit liability for physical domains / allows physical
domains to discriminate until there’s an issue.
• May have implications from physical to digital spaces.

44. Future of a11y
Cutting Edge
Discussions in
Disability &
Accessibility
Communities
Personal Security & Data Privacy
• People with disabilities can be targeted due to incorrect data
management and security leaks
• Social engineering preys vs. awareness and empowerment
• Home automation provides affordable monitoring services

45. Future of a11y
Tech &
Adaptation:
Voice UI

46. Future of a11y
Tech &
Adaptation:
Wearables

47. Future of a11y
Tech &
Adaptation:
Inclusive
Content
and Media

48. Future of a11y
Tech &
Adaptation:
Augmented
and Virtual
Reality

49. Future of a11y
Tech &
Adaptation:
Artificial
Intelligence

50. Future of a11y
Tech &
Adaptation:
Additional
Topics

51. Staying On Top of a11y Trends
#a11y

52. Sara Tabor
Thank You!
Twitter: @OneHotProcessor
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/saratabor/