Shifting accessibility left with Accessibility Insights

We believe that we can only solve the problem of inaccessible software by shifting accessibility left into the software design and development cycle. In this post, Mark Reay describes how our open-source offering, Accessibility Insights, can help.

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Microsoft
•
Mark Reay
•3 min read•intermediate•
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•View Original

Overview

Accessibility Insights is an open-source suite of tools designed to help developers create accessible software by integrating accessibility checks into the development cycle. The article discusses the motivation behind open-sourcing these tools, the FastPass feature for quick accessibility checks, and the commitment to eliminating false positives in automated testing.

What You'll Learn

1

How to use FastPass for quick accessibility checks during development

2

Why integrating accessibility checks early in the development cycle is crucial

3

How to utilize the Assessment feature for comprehensive accessibility evaluations

Key Questions Answered

What is Accessibility Insights and why was it open-sourced?
Accessibility Insights is an open-source suite of tools developed by Microsoft to help create accessible software. It was open-sourced in 2019 to increase transparency, encourage community contributions, and support developers in building accessible products, aligning with Microsoft's mission to empower all individuals.
What is the FastPass feature in Accessibility Insights?
FastPass is a quick, five-minute process that helps developers identify common accessibility issues. It includes an automated scan followed by a manual Tab Stops test, allowing developers to ensure their code changes do not introduce accessibility barriers.
How does Accessibility Insights ensure no false positives in its checks?
Accessibility Insights uses scanning libraries like axe-core from Deque Systems to ensure that flagged issues are genuine and need addressing. This commitment to accuracy helps developers trust the tool's findings.
What platforms support Accessibility Insights for Web?
Accessibility Insights for Web is available as a browser extension for Chrome and Microsoft Edge, and it runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux, making it accessible for a wide range of developers.

Technologies & Tools

Tool
Accessibility Insights
A suite of tools for developers to ensure software accessibility.
Library
Axe-core
A scanning library used to ensure no false positives in accessibility checks.

Key Actionable Insights

1
Incorporate FastPass into your development workflow to identify accessibility issues quickly.
Using FastPass allows developers to catch accessibility problems early, reducing the cost and effort of fixing them later in the development cycle.
2
Utilize the Assessment feature for a thorough evaluation of your application's accessibility.
This feature guides developers through WCAG 2.1 AA success criteria, ensuring a comprehensive understanding of accessibility requirements and how to address them.
3
Leverage the community contributions to enhance Accessibility Insights tools.
As an open-source project, developers can contribute to the tools, fostering a collaborative environment that continuously improves accessibility solutions.

Common Pitfalls

1
Relying solely on automated testing for accessibility can lead to incomplete evaluations.
Automated tests can miss certain issues, so it's essential to complement them with manual assessments to ensure comprehensive coverage.