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Developing with Accessibility in Mind at Microsoft (opens in new tab)

accessibilityweb-developmentautomated-testingvisual-studioaccessibility-insightswcag-2-2axe-core

Global Accessibility Awareness Day highlights the importance of building inclusive digital products. The post recommends integrating accessibility testing throughout development using Accessibility Insights for Web and Visual Studio’s Integrated Accessibility Checker. Combining automated scans with manual testing helps developers identify both common and deeper accessibility problems.

FastPass for Rapid Automated Testing

  • Accessibility Insights for Web uses axe-core to detect common, high-impact accessibility issues.
  • FastPass can identify problems in under five minutes, often revealing failures within a couple of minutes.
  • Developers can use it while writing UI code to find and fix issues early.
  • The tool also includes WCAG 2.2 guidance and testing support in its Assessment feature.

Visual Studio’s Integrated Accessibility Checker

  • Available since Visual Studio 2022 version 17.5, the checker scans desktop applications within the IDE.
  • It detects common accessibility issues and reports them directly in Visual Studio.
  • The feature is powered by the Axe-Windows engine, also used by Accessibility Insights for Windows.

Manual Testing with Quick Assess

  • Automated tools cannot detect every accessibility issue, so manual inspection remains necessary.
  • Quick Assess provides 10 assisted tests for issues beyond automated detection.
  • Tests include explanations of why each issue matters, along with remediation resources and examples.
  • Examples include checking heading levels and reviewing individual instances for easier validation.

Building Accessibility into Development

  • Accessibility testing should be part of the product life cycle rather than a final checklist.
  • Developers can use FastPass’s Tab Stops test to evaluate keyboard navigation and focus order.
  • Poor focus order can make interfaces difficult to use for people relying on screen readers, magnifiers, or those with reading disorders.
  • Small, consistent testing practices can significantly improve the experience for users with disabilities.

The recommended approach is to start with automated checks, supplement them with Quick Assess and keyboard-based manual testing, and continue improving accessibility throughout development.