Accessibility Testing — Tools, Automation & CI/CD Guide

Introduction to Accessibility Testing

Learn what accessibility testing is, why it matters for WCAG compliance, how it fits into the development lifecycle, and the key differences between automated, manual, and hybrid testing approaches.

Testing Approaches — Manual, Automated, and Hybrid

Explore the three main accessibility testing approaches: automated scanning for rapid feedback, manual keyboard and screen reader validation for depth, and hybrid CI/CD pipelines that combine both for continuous compliance.

Automated Tools — axe, Lighthouse, and WAVE

Learn the three most popular automated accessibility testing tools: axe-core for deep rule-based scanning, Lighthouse for performance and accessibility audits, and WAVE for visual issue overlay and educational feedback.

axe-core Browser Extension — Complete Guide

Learn how to install and use the axe-core browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge to run on-demand accessibility scans, review violations with detailed guidance, and export results for documentation.

axe-core CLI — Complete Guide

Learn how to use axe-core CLI to run automated accessibility scans from the command line, configure rules and tags, output results in multiple formats, and integrate scans into CI/CD pipelines.

axe-core with Cypress — Complete Guide

Learn how to integrate axe-core accessibility checks into Cypress end-to-end tests using cypress-axe, write test assertions for WCAG compliance, and catch accessibility regressions during automated browser testing.

Lighthouse Accessibility Audit — Complete Guide

Learn how to run Lighthouse accessibility audits in Chrome DevTools, from the command line with Lighthouse CLI, and in CI/CD with Lighthouse CI to track scores, identify opportunities, and prevent regressions.

WAVE Evaluation Tool — Complete Guide

Learn how to use the WAVE browser extension and online API to visually identify accessibility issues, review contrast errors, ARIA usage, heading structure, and generate detailed evaluation reports.

Pa11y Accessibility Tool — Complete Guide

Learn how to use Pa11y for automated accessibility testing via CLI and Node.js API, configure custom rules, run scans with multiple standards, and integrate continuous monitoring with Pa11y Dashboard.

HTML CodeSniffer — Complete Guide

Learn how to use HTML_CodeSniffer as a bookmarklet or JavaScript library to audit web pages for WCAG compliance, with instant visual feedback and detailed issue descriptions for each violation.

Manual Accessibility Testing — Complete Guide

Learn the manual accessibility testing process: structured checklists for keyboard navigation, screen reader output, zoom scaling, content readability, and assistive technology validation across different browsers.

Keyboard Accessibility Testing — Complete Guide

Learn how to test keyboard accessibility: verifying tab order follows visual order, focus indicators are visible, no keyboard traps exist, custom keyboard handlers work, and all interactive elements are reachable by keyboard.

Screen Reader Testing — Complete Guide

Learn how to test websites with NVDA on Windows and VoiceOver on Mac: navigate by headings, landmarks, and lists, verify announcements, check dynamic content updates, and document screen reader-specific issues.

Color Contrast Testing — Complete Guide

Learn how to test color contrast ratios for WCAG compliance using automated tools and manual verification, check text and non-text elements, and ensure designs meet AA and AAA requirements.

Zoom and Resize Testing — Complete Guide

Learn how to test zoom accessibility: verify pages are usable at 200 percent zoom, text reflows without horizontal scrolling, responsive layouts adapt correctly, and browser zoom tools work without breaking functionality.

User Testing with Disabilities — Complete Guide

Learn how to conduct user testing sessions with people who have disabilities: recruiting participants, creating test scenarios, moderating sessions, analyzing feedback, and integrating findings into development.

Accessibility Testing Reports — Complete Guide

Learn how to create structured accessibility testing reports that document violations, severity levels, WCAG criteria references, screenshots, and remediation recommendations for developers and stakeholders.

CI/CD for Accessibility — Complete Guide

Learn how to integrate automated accessibility checks into CI/CD pipelines using axe-core CLI, Lighthouse CI, and Pa11y with GitHub Actions, Jenkins, and GitLab CI to catch regressions before deployment.

Accessibility Dashboard — Complete Guide

Learn how to build an accessibility dashboard that aggregates scan results from multiple tools, tracks scores over time, visualizes trends, and alerts teams when metrics drop below thresholds.

Testing Module Project — Complete Guide

Apply everything you learned in this module: set up automated tests with axe-core and Cypress, manual and keyboard testing checklists, screen reader testing, CI/CD integration, and a final accessibility dashboard.