Basic accessibility testing has become easier with web evaluation tools and simple tests. However, please note that false positives are common, and more extensive and professional accessibility testing is required to determine if a web platform is accessible.
When you are conducting basic accessibility testing, you should identify the user roles of this platform, and define the main functional tasks for that user. For more extensive testing, consider tracking your results in a spreadsheet that includes the attempted task and the outcome.
The no-mouse test is a keyboard-only navigation test that provides a means of determining how accessible websites are to users that use screen readers or those that have mobility challenges. When navigating a website, users employ these fundamental keyboard keys:
TAB: Takes the user forward.
SHIFT+TAB: Takes the user backward.
ENTER: Used to activate or expand links or press buttons.
SPACE: Can also be used to press buttons.
ARROWS: Allows users to navigate between options.
More advanced keyboard shortcuts can also be used in more complex systems.
If you would like to test with a screen reader, the NVDA screen reader can be downloaded for free. Check out more advanced keyboard commands using the NVDA screen reader shortcuts.
