Intelligent Guided Tests
This page explains what Intelligent Guided Tests are and how to get started with them.
Intelligent Guided Tests allow for more advanced testing without having to become an accessibility expert. This is accomplished by performing a more comprehensive analysis of the page or component under test and then asking the user simple questions. The combination of the two allows users to discover up to 80% of all accessibility issues.
To get started with Intelligent Guided Tests, first scan a page or part of a page and save the results (this requires that the user be logged in). Once saved, the user will be taken to the Guided Tests page where they can start any of the tests by clicking the green plus or the appropriate link.
For pages with excessively large amounts of DOM nodes (thousands of HTML elements), utilizing the Scan PART of my page feature is recommended to speed up testing. Limiting the scope of the test will create an easier / faster IGT experience.
Table
The Table test facilitates the testing of simple, complex and layout tables. The expected markup, roles, attributes, and associations are validated and custom remediation help is generated for the more complicated issues.
The Table IGT does not currently support ARIA grids and tables (role="grid" and role="table").
Keyboard
The Keyboard test is designed to reduce the time it takes to determine if a page is accessible by keyboard only. It does this by tabbing through the page and evaluating each tab stop for things like focus indication and whether or not the accessible names are appropriate. In addition, this IGT calculates the explicit or implicit role and allows you to validate it. Traditionally, a subject matter expert would be needed to evaluate if a page was accessible by a keyboard, but with this test, a novice can evaluate for keyboard accessibility in minutes.
Modal Dialog
The modal dialog test evaluates ARIA modal dialogs and alert dialogs for accessibility and builds on the technology used in the keyboard tool to check for things such as keyboard traps and making sure focus is handled properly.
Due to known issues in certain assistive technologies, the Modal Dialog IGT does not currently give a "pass" to usage of the aria-modal="true" attribute. Instead, it is recommended to prevent screen readers from browsing outside the modal using aria-hidden="true". View more information on screen readers being able to browse content outside of dialogs here.
Interactive Elements
The interactive elements test is designed to raise accessibility issues related to labels, states, and roles for elements found on a page, such as buttons, links, scrollable regions, and the like. Many pages have dozens if not hundreds of interactive elements on a page, so this test allows grouping of elements so that not everything has to be tested at once.
Lists
The lists IGT has been deprecated and moved into the Structure IGT.
Images
The images test is designed to raise accessibility issues related to the use of images. It can help determine if the markup is correct and if the appropriate alt attributes are used. It also helps point out if text is used inappropriately in images.
The Images IGT does not currently cover font icons (like Font Awesome).
Structure
The structure test aims to raise accessibility issues related to the way a page presents content. The Structure IGT incorporates the now deprecated Page Info, Lists, and Headings IGTs.
Forms
The forms test is useful for determining whether an individual form is accessible or not. The test analyzes a number of things related to form fields and controls as well as how the form operates, whether items are correctly grouped together, and whether requirements are properly stated and whether appropriate validation and communication is happening.
The forms IGT only covers native form controls; custom widgets will not be included.