Accessibility testing
Description
Accessibility testing combines automated scans, manual audits and assistive-technology testing to identify and correct barriers that prevent equal access to digital content. It assesses factors such as color contrast, keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, captions, transcripts and logical content structure.
Testing accessibility goes beyond compliance. It validates that content and systems function as intended for all users, regardless of ability or device. A robust testing process includes usability testing with assistive technologies, user feedback from people with disabilities and remediation recommendations to ensure full inclusivity.
While automated accessibility checkers are useful for catching code-level errors – such as missing alt text or empty links – they can typically detect only 30% to 50% of accessibility barriers. They cannot determine if the alt text actually describes the image meaningfully or if a navigation flow makes logical sense to a keyboard-only user.
This is why manual testing by human experts is indispensable. A comprehensive testing strategy must include functional review with screen readers (like JAWS or NVDA) and magnification tools to uncover the nuanced usability issues that automated scans inevitably miss. For global organizations, accessibility testing is most effective when built into existing localization and quality assurance workflows. By integrating testing early, teams can ensure that every translated, adapted or region-specific version remains accessible, consistent and compliant across markets.
Example use cases
- Web and software applications: Validate compliance with WCAG and ADA standards.
- Documents and PDFs: Test structure, tagging and metadata for screen-reader compatibility.
- Video and multimedia content: Ensure captions, transcripts and audio descriptions are accurate.
- eLearning content: Confirm accessible navigation, transcripts and interactive components.
- Localization workflows: Integrate accessibility checks into translation and testing processes.
Key benefits
RWS perspective
At RWS, accessibility testing is a critical part of delivering inclusive, high-quality content and technology. Our specialists combine manual expertise and intelligent automation to audit websites, software, eLearning and digital assets against the latest accessibility standards.
Working across the content lifecycle, RWS integrates accessibility testing into localization, translation and digital quality assurance workflows. We help clients meet compliance obligations while ensuring that every user – in every market – can access and interact with digital content confidently. From automated scanning and remediation to real-world testing with assistive technologies, RWS ensures accessibility isn’t a final checkbox, but a continuous, scalable practice.