Accessibility Testing in 2025

When users can't access your digital products due to disabilities or impairments, they leave. And with stricter regulations coming into force, inaccessible software now means legal risks too.

The European Accessibility Act will go into full effect by June 2025. Similar laws in the US and UK are being enforced more strictly than ever. Accessibility testing isn't just nice to have — it's essential.

Let's break down what you need to know about accessibility testing in 2025.

Why Accessibility Matters

Accessibility testing evaluates whether people with disabilities can use your digital products.

This includes checking if users with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments can effectively interact with your product.

Here's why it should be your priority:

• Legal compliance is non-negotiable. Under the EU's European Accessibility Act, the UK's Equality Act, and the US's ADA, failing to comply risks fines, lawsuits, and reputation damage.

But does it concern your business? You bet it does. 

Let’s now talk why it matters beyond regulations and compliance.

• Your market is bigger than you think. Over one billion people globally live with disabilities. Accessible products reach this underserved market and improve experiences for elderly users and those with temporary impairments.
• It improves UX for everyone. Features like straightforward navigation and content structure improve digital experiences for all users, including those on mobile or with slow connections.
• It boosts your SEO. Many accessibility practices align with SEO best practices, potentially leading to higher traffic without extra marketing spend.

If you want to learn directly from design, QA, and delivery experts — we’re hosting a live webinar later this month.

Join Our Free Webinar: Accessibility Testing in 2025

May 28, 2025 | 5:00 PM CET / 4:00 PM UK time | Online

With the European Accessibility Act taking full effect and global enforcement picking up, it’s time to get serious about accessibility testing. We’re bringing together experts in design, QA, and delivery to walk you through the testing strategies that actually work in 2025.

You’ll learn:

• How to design for accessibility from day one;
• Which testing methods catch real issues — and which don’t;
• What EAA and global standards (WCAG, ADA, Section 508) really require;
• How to involve users with disabilities in your QA;
• Common mistakes teams still make — and how to avoid them.

Speakers:

• Slava Shestopalov, Design Lead at Wolters Kluwer
• Igor Kovalenko, QA Lead at TestFort
• Bruce Mason, Delivery Director at TestFort & QArea

🔗 Register here and get practical insights to keep your product compliant, inclusive, and ahead of the curve.

Accessibility Regulations Across the Globe

How to Create a Robust Accessibility Strategy

What makes accessibility testing challenging is that no single approach catches every issue. When over 25% of users abandon websites that aren't accessible, you need a comprehensive strategy.

Research shows organizations using combined testing methods identify 3.5 times more accessibility issues than those relying on a single approach. Let's examine how to build an effective testing mix.

Automated testing

Tools like Axe DevTools, Lighthouse, and WAVE can help identify up to 40% of accessibility issues, including:

• Missing alternative text for images, buttons, and other non-text elements;
• Incorrect heading structure that confuses screen reader navigation;
• Insufficient color contrast that makes content hard to see for low-vision users;
• Missing form labels that leave fields incomprehensible to assistive technology;
• Incorrect ARIA implementation that can actually make accessibility worse.

Remember: Automation alone isn't enough. It misses context-dependent issues and can't evaluate real user experiences.

Manual testing

Manual testing finds what automation misses — the human experience issues. In fact, more than half of critical accessibility barriers require human judgment to detect.

Expert testers methodically evaluate:

• Keyboard navigation flow. Can users tab through your interface logically? Are there keyboard traps where focus gets stuck?
• Logical reading order. Does content make sense when read linearly by screen readers, even if visually presented differently?
• Meaningful alt text. Images need descriptions that convey their purpose, not just their content. "Woman smiling" might be accurate, but useless if the image is meant to represent customer satisfaction.
• Intuitive form error recovery. When users make mistakes, are error messages clear and helpful for assistive technology users?

Assistive technology testing

Testing with actual assistive technologies reveals whether your theoretical accessibility translates to practical usability.

This involves checking how your product works with:

• Screen readers like NVDA (free, Windows), JAWS (commercial, Windows), and VoiceOver (built into iOS/macOS);
• Screen magnifiers that enlarge portions of the screen;
• Speech recognition tools like Dragon NaturallySpeaking;
• Switch devices used by people with motor disabilities;
• Mobile accessibility features like iOS VoiceOver gestures or Android's TalkBack.

Developers should learn the basics of at least one screen reader. When they understand how these tools interpret their code, they write more accessible features from the start.

User testing

No testing is complete without input from actual users with disabilities. Their lived experience reveals barriers that experts might miss.

Effective user testing:

• Includes diverse participants with different disabilities and assistive technologies;
• Tests realistic scenarios, not just technical compliance;
• Captures both quantitative metrics and qualitative feedback;
• Identifies not just problems but opportunities for improvement.

You may be surprised by how different the actual user experience is from what they expected, even after extensive technical testing.

Building a Hybrid Approach

The most effective testing programs blend these methods throughout the development lifecycle:

This layered approach ensures you're not just technically compliant but truly accessible.

Why Outsource Accessibility Testing?

Even strong QA teams can struggle with full accessibility coverage. Here’s where external accessibility experts make a difference:

• Hands-on testing with real assistive technologies (like NVDA, VoiceOver, screen magnifiers);
• Expertise with legal standards across regions (US, UK, EU);
• Experience testing dynamic content, mobile apps, documents, multimedia, and more;
• Faster turnarounds for audits, compliance checks, and public tenders.

🔵 At TestFort: We offer a hybrid approach — automation where it helps, manual validation where it matters. You’ll get detailed reports, practical remediation guidance, and ongoing support if needed.

Accessibility testing is an ongoing commitment that strengthens your brand, opens new markets, and avoids legal troubles.

Let's build a more inclusive digital world together.