How to Test Website Accessibility: Complete Guide

Testing accessibility can feel overwhelming. WCAG has 78 criteria. Where do you start? What tools are needed? How do you know if you've found everything?

The truth is you'll never find everything – but with the right process, you'll find the important stuff. The key is combining automated tools (fast, consistent) with manual testing (intelligent, context-aware).

This guide takes you through a complete testing process from automated scans to in-depth screen reader tests.

Testing strategy: The pyramid

Think of accessibility testing as a pyramid:

Base: Automated tests (breadth)

Scans entire site, finds obvious problems quickly. Catches ~30-40% of issues.

Middle: Manual checks (depth)

Keyboard navigation, focus order, readable alt texts. Catches context-dependent problems.

Top: Screen reader tests (experience)

The real user experience for assistive technology users. Finds what automation misses.

The balance:

Run automated tests often (every deploy). Do manual checks regularly (monthly). Do screen reader tests periodically (quarterly).

Automation is your base – not your only line. The most serious problems often require human judgment.

Step 1: Automated testing

Start with automated tools to get a baseline.

Tools to use:

What automated tools find:

What they miss:

Step 2: Keyboard testing

Unplug the mouse and navigate the site with keyboard only.

Basic commands:

What to check:

Tip:

Test the most important user journey: Find product → Add to cart → Checkout → Pay.

Step 3: Screen reader testing

Screen reader tests are invaluable but require practice. Start simple.

Choose a screen reader:

Basic commands (NVDA):

What to check:

Step 4: Manual review

Some things require human judgment.

Content review:

Visual review:

Semantic review:

Cognitive accessibility:

Document the results

An accessibility report should include:

Per issue:

Overall:

Tip:

Use a tool like Xrayd to generate reports automatically. Supplement with your manual findings.