Why is Testing and Validation Necessary for Website and App Accessibility?

With the daily use of phones and media, ensuring websites and apps are accessible to everyone isn’t just something that is nice to have — it’s essential.

Accessibility should be a priority for any organisation looking to provide equal access to all users, regardless of their abilities. Yet, it’s often an afterthought, leading to frustrations for users and missed opportunities for businesses.

At Konnektis, we specialise in learning and development, helping businesses and organisations create more inclusive digital experiences. A key aspect of this process is testing and validation, two critical components in ensuring accessibility isn’t just promised, but delivered.

In this post, we’ll explore why testing and validation are crucial to creating accessible websites and apps, how they address user pain points, and the steps organisations can take to make sure their digital platforms work for everyone.

The Pain Points of Accessibility Failures

When websites and apps aren’t properly tested for accessibility, users with disabilities often face significant challenges. These can include:

Difficulty Navigating

Without appropriate coding and design, users who rely on screen readers or keyboard navigation may find it difficult or impossible to move through a site or app effectively.

Inaccessibility of Key Features

Buttons, links, forms, and other interactive elements may not be usable by individuals with motor impairments or visual disabilities if they aren’t properly labelled or designed with accessibility in mind.

Frustration with Poor User Experience

When an app or website doesn’t work as expected, users with disabilities may feel excluded or frustrated, impacting both their experience and their perception of the brand.

For businesses, this doesn’t just mean a loss of potential customers — it could also result in legal consequences, particularly under the UK’s Equality Act 2010, which mandates that reasonable adjustments are made for individuals with disabilities.

Why Testing and Validation Matter

Testing and validation are essential steps in making sure your website or app is accessible. Here’s why they’re so critical:

1. Identifying and Fixing Issues Early

Accessibility issues are often subtle and easy to miss without dedicated testing.

For example, a colour scheme might have insufficient contrast for someone with a visual impairment, or a form might be impossible to complete without a mouse. Testing throughout the development process helps identify these issues before they become ingrained in the design, saving time and resources in the long run.

At Konnektis, we guide organisations through this process, offering expert insights into common accessibility issues and helping to ensure they’re addressed before launch. Early testing ensures a smoother user experience for everyone, and avoids the need for costly retroactive fixes.

2. Ensuring Compliance with Accessibility Standards

Accessibility standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide a clear framework for making websites and apps usable by all. However, ensuring compliance with these standards can be challenging without thorough validation.

Regular testing and validation not only help organisations meet legal requirements, but also demonstrate a genuine commitment to inclusivity. By focusing on accessibility, businesses show they value every user, regardless of their abilities.

3. Validating User Experiences Across Devices and Platforms

A key component of testing is ensuring that websites and apps work seamlessly across different devices and platforms. People use a wide variety of tools to access digital content, including desktop computers, mobile phones, tablets, and assistive technologies like screen readers. Without comprehensive testing, there’s a risk that some users may face barriers depending on the device or software they use.

At Konnektis, we help organisations validate their digital platforms across different devices and assistive technologies, ensuring a consistent and inclusive user experience for all.

Addressing the User Pain Points Through Testing

Let’s take a closer look at how testing and validation directly address the common pain points users face with inaccessible websites and apps:

Improved Navigation

Thorough testing ensures that individuals who rely on alternative navigation methods, such as keyboard-only controls or screen readers, can easily move through your site. This includes testing for proper focus states, skip navigation links, and logical tab orders.

Enhanced Interaction with Key Features

Testing ensures that interactive elements like forms, buttons, and dropdowns are fully accessible to users with motor impairments or those using voice commands. This is crucial for providing a seamless experience, particularly in e-commerce or service-oriented sites where user interaction is essential.

Consistent User Experience

By validating your website or app across devices and platforms, you can ensure that all users, regardless of their technology preferences, have a smooth and enjoyable experience. This not only reduces frustration but also boosts user retention and satisfaction.

How to Approach Testing and Validation for Accessibility

Navigating the complexities of accessibility standards and ensuring your website or app meets the needs of all users can feel daunting. However, understanding the key principles behind testing and validation can simplify the process and make it more manageable.

To begin, organisations should prioritise accessibility from the earliest stages of design and development. This ensures that potential issues are identified and addressed before they become more difficult and expensive to fix. Involving real users with disabilities in testing processes is also invaluable for gaining insights into how your platform performs in real-world scenarios.

Accessibility testing tools, such as automated checkers, can help identify some issues, but it’s important to recognise that manual testing is crucial as well. Automated tools can only detect certain types of barriers, and a human perspective is essential to evaluate the overall user experience. Testing should focus on a variety of areas, including keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, colour contrast, and the accessibility of interactive elements like forms and buttons. This is why, at Konnektis, we have accessibility testers with actual accessibility needs on board.

Ensuring that testing covers a range of devices and assistive technologies is also key. Many users with disabilities access digital platforms using specific tools like screen readers, voice recognition software, or customised keyboards. Validating your website or app across these tools will ensure that all users, regardless of their technology preferences, can interact with your content smoothly.

Conclusion

Testing and validation are critical steps in ensuring that websites and apps are accessible to all users, regardless of ability. They not only help you comply with legal accessibility standards but also create a more inclusive and enjoyable user experience. Accessibility is an ongoing process — regular testing, feedback, and updates are necessary to maintain and improve the accessibility of your digital platforms.

By integrating accessibility testing into your development process, you can prevent common issues that frustrate users and ensure that your website or app is welcoming to everyone. From early-stage testing to ongoing validation, making accessibility a priority will help you create more inclusive digital spaces that benefit all users.

The importance of accessibility cannot be overstated. It promotes equality, inclusion, and a better user experience, while also demonstrating a commitment to ethical and responsible business practices. Prioritising accessibility in your website or app development is not just about meeting requirements — it’s about creating digital platforms that truly work for everyone.