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RE: testing web apps for accessibility

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From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Mar 21, 2006 6:40AM

Sam,

The majority of accessibility work I do is with web-based applications.
Unfortunately, there isn't any "easy" way to provide an in-depth
evaluation of a web app.

For whatever my advice is worth, I also think Kynn has a good
suggestion. If you have 2 to 4 users with disabilities go through some
kind of usability script for a specific application, it should let you
find the majority of major accessibility problems. You will need to
decide what to do if a user becomes stuck in some part of the app that
is inaccessible while performing a task. For example, if the task is to
sign up online for a course at the local college and the user is stuck
on the second page, when do you intervene and what do you do then? Do
you let the user flounder for 10-12 minutes before intervening? When
you intervene, do you take the user to the next step in the task or go
to a new task?

Of course, having users with disabilities performing tasks with the app
won't find all the problems in the app, but it should find the major
problems with performing those tasks.

Another thing to remember is that applications tend to have a consistent
user interface. To increase efficiency, you only need to test sections
of the interface that are unique or that are representative of a
repeated user interface. For example, if the user enters invalid data
or selects an invalid option, the app will have some method of informing
the user of the error. Typically, the errors will be reported in a
consistent manner. The app is unlikely to generate a dialog box for one
error and then put a error indicator next to a field for another
error--unless they consider them to be different categories of errors.

If you are concerned that the developers may only fix those parts of the
app you tested, then make certain the parts of the app you test include
all the most important functionality. At a later date, after they have
fixed parts of the app you cited in your report, you can start
evaluating additional areas of their app.

Also, for every accessibility problem you find, you should describe a
solution (with code examples) if at all possible. Most developers are
under a time crunch. They don't necessarily have the time to research
solutions. If you give them the option to use a defined solution, you
make it much easier for them to fix the problem within whatever time
constraints they have.

Thanks,
Tim