Web accessibility testing is part of usability testing where the users being tested have barriers that affect how they use the Internet. The ultimate goal in terms of usability and accessibility is to learn how easy it is for people to use a website and use that information to improve future designs and applications.

When developing or redesigning a website or web application, performing accessibility testing is important to do early in order to identify accessibility issues when they are easy to fix. Making your website easily accessible for users with challenges or disabilities increases your website’s reach.

Accessibility testing is more formal than general usability testing. Legislation and society’s attitude is usually negative towards discrimination of persons with disabilities. Importantly for everyone, governments and other organizations are trying to comply with various web accessibility standards, such as US government regulations. a Section 508 and the W3C Web Content Access Guidelines (WCAG).

However, it’s important to distinguish between maintaining your budget and increasing your website’s reach. Ideally, they should be the same, but any mistake can result in failure:

• To meet the needs of all people with disabilities.
• Balancing the needs of people with different disabilities.
• Combine these requirements with the best process.

Also, web accessibility is a goal, not a yes or no option. As our understanding of human needs changes and technology adapts to those needs, accessibility requirements change and existing standards become increasingly outdated.

An accessibility assessment should take into account how to access the Internet with different senses and cognitive abilities, as well as with different unique interface features and special software that provide access to the Internet for people with certain disabilities.