Digital AccessibilityDigital Accessibility Testing/Scanning Tools

Digital Accessibility Testing/Scanning Tools

WSU Website Digital Accessibility Dashboard

The WSU Digital Accessibility Dashboard is a great place to begin. This dashboard is for WordPress and non-WordPress WSU websites. The report uses a sitemap URL or a list of individual URLs. The dashboard generats a monthly, unless it is manually triggered to run a new report.

  • Why it’s useful: It provides a basic overview of digital accessibility and usability issues on your website.
  • Limitations: Another digital accessibility checking tool is necessary to ensure your website meets digital accessibility requirements.
    • The dashboard’s accessibility check is limited. It doesn’t catch everything and must be supplemented with more detailed digital accessibility testing tools and manual checks.
    • The dashboard provides links to the Axe Report and the WAVE (web accessibility evaluation) tool for additional accessibility review. Either these or another accessibility checker must be used for an additional accessibility review.

Sample Dashboard

The sample digital accessibility dashboard is an example of all the Errors, Alerts, and Warnings checked.

Sample Website Digital Accessibility Dashboard
Sample Website

Next Steps

Website Automated Testing Tools

This section offers free tools that dig deeper into digital accessibility issues. Tools like WAVE, axe DevTools, and Lighthouse can scan your web pages and highlight common accessibility problems.

  • Why it’s useful: These tools are fast, easy to use, and provide actionable feedback.
  • Limitations: Automated tools can test content quickly but cannot check for compliance with some digital accessibility guidelines—especially those related to context, logic, or user experience. Manual testing is also necessary.

Websites – Automated Testing

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) maintains a comprehensive list of Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools List.

Color Contrast Checkers

Color contrast checkers verify the contrast ratio between two colors, usually the foreground and background.

Digital Material (e.g., Word Documents and PDFs) Testing Tools

Refer to this section when creating or editing documents in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or PDF format and wanting to ensure they are accessible to all users. Microsoft Office and Adobe Acrobat Pro DC both include built-in accessibility checkers that help ensure your documents are usable by people with disabilities and compliant with accessibility standards.

  • Why it’s useful:
    • Both Microsoft and Adobe checkers provide real-time feedback on accessibility issues.
    • Microsoft’s checker is integrated directly into the Office ribbon and is easy to use during document creation.
    • Adobe’s checker scans PDFs for issues like missing tags, incorrect reading order, problems with heading hierarchy, and unlabeled form fields.
    • These tools support compliance with WCAG conformance and institutional accessibility policies.
  • Limitations:
    • These built-in accessibility checker tools can test content quickly but cannot check for compliance with some accessibility guidelines—especially those related to context, logic, or user experience. Manual testing is also necessary.
    • Adobe’s checker requires Acrobat Pro DC, which may not be available to all users without a license, and it can be complex to use so additional training may be required.

Microsoft

For Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook

Portable Document Format (PDF)

Canvas  Learning Management System (LMS) Testing Tool

The Canvas Accessibility Checker is a built-in tool within the Canvas learning management system. It helps instructors ensure that course content is accessible to all students when creating or editing content in Canvas, such as pages, assignments, or discussions.

  • Why it’s important: It provides real-time feedback and suggestions to improve accessibility directly within the Canvas editor.
  • Limitations: This built-in Canvas accessibility checker has limited accessibility checking capabilities, and like other automated tools, should be used alongside manual checks for full compliance.

Canvas LMS

Manual Testing

While automated tools are excellent for quickly identifying many common accessibility issues, manual testing is critical for ensuring a truly inclusive and compliant digital experience.

Manual testing complements the use of automated tools by identifying issues that automated tools can’t catch—like keyboard navigation, screen reader compatibility, validation of real-world usability, and logical reading order.

  • Why it’s important: Many accessibility issues are contextual and require human judgment. Manual testing is essential for meeting the digital accessibility WCAG conformance requirements and providing an inclusive experience.

Manual Testing Basics

Web Accessibility Testing Tool Available for Purchase

DubBot checks web content accessibility compliance on websites (not Learning Management Systems like Canvas).

WSU Procurement & Contract Services Office (PACS) found DubBot through an existing contract which WSU units may utilize.  This eliminates the need for additional competitive purchase requirements, streamlining the procurement process.  

If your unit manages a website or multiple websites, investing in a professional accessibility checker like DubBot may be the best option. 

  • Why it’s worth investing:
    • It automates large-scale scanning and reporting.
    • It helps maintain long-term accessibility compliance and reduces manual workload. 
    • It includes training and support.

Purchasing Process

Interested units need to work with their unit’s web coordinator or equivalent. A unit’s website owner and web coordinator will work with PACS (purchasing@wsu.edu) to start the purchasing process. If you don’t know the web coordinator in your unit, contact WSU Web Communication through a web support ticket for assistance.