Test Your Content
To determine if your website or application is accessible, we recommend the free tools below.
Automated Testing
Automated tools crawl website content and flag common errors based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool (WAVE)
The WAVE Accessibility Evaluation Tool (WAVE) is a helpful resource for checking your website's accessibility. Enter your page's URL or add the browser extension to Chrome, Firefox, or Edge. WAVE will evaluate your page and offer suggestions for improving its overall accessibility.
SiteImprove
SiteImprove Accessibility Checker Chrome extension checks single pages, including password-protected pages for WCAG 2.1 criteria.
If you are interested in using SiteImprove’s advanced accessibility tools for your site, please email digital-access@cmu.edu to be added to the CMU license.
Manual Testing
While automated testing is a great start, these tools will not catch every error. Manual testing is also recommended.
Screen Readers
Test with a screen reader to uncover issues with reading order, spelling, dynamic content, and interactive elements.
- NVDA (Non-Visual Desktop Access) can be downloaded on Windows only. The NVDA User Guide is a helpful resource when getting started.
- VoiceOver is a built-in macOS and iOS feature and can be turned on in Accessibility Settings. When choosing a browser, note that this tool works best in Safari. Browse this list of VoiceOver keyboard shortcuts.
Check for Color Contrast
Check that the text-to-background color contrast ratio is at least 4.5:1. A variety of free contrast checkers are available.
contrast-ratio.com
webaim.org