Your first accessibility review
Build a practical beginner review through paired methods and Exercises for automated, keyboard, visual, text-spacing, zoom and reflow, and forms testing.
- Level:
- beginner
- Estimated time:
- About 4 hours 10 minutes
The total is the sum of the visible step estimates. Actual time for setup, note-taking, reviewing results, and repetition varies by environment and experience.
What you will learn
- Define and run a scoped automated accessibility check without treating it as complete coverage.
- Perform baseline keyboard and visual reviews while recording reproducible evidence.
- Apply the complete text-spacing condition and check whether content and functionality remain available.
- Test zoom and reflow while distinguishing viewport changes from browser zoom.
- Prepare one screen reader for limited form-oriented verification.
- Test form labels, instructions, groups, validation errors, focus handling, and success communication.
Follow the path
Testing method
Testing with automated tools
Run a reproducible accessibility scan, verify every result in context, and identify what still requires manual testing.
20 minutes
Exercise
Comparing automated and manual findings
Scan an event-registration page, verify the reported results, and use a short manual review to find what automation misses.
20 minutes
Testing method
Testing keyboard accessibility
Check whether every interactive element can be reached, identified, and operated with a keyboard in a logical sequence.
15 minutes
Exercise
Keyboard testing a preferences form
Investigate a communication-preferences form and find four problems that affect keyboard access, operation, focus order, or focus visibility.
15 minutes
Testing method
Testing visual accessibility
Review contrast, color-dependent information, text readability, and visible interaction states systematically.
15 minutes
Exercise
Finding visual problems in an account dashboard
Inspect a realistic account dashboard and find four problems involving contrast, color, text spacing, and interaction states.
15 minutes
Testing method
Testing text spacing and user overrides
Apply the complete text-spacing condition and check whether content and functionality remain available.
20 minutes
Exercise
Testing text spacing on a community-services page
Apply a text-spacing override and investigate lost content and functionality in a community support directory.
20 minutes
Testing method
Testing zoom and reflow
Check whether content and functionality remain available when text is enlarged and the page reflows into a narrow CSS viewport.
20 minutes
Exercise
Testing an appointment booking at high zoom
Test an appointment-booking page at a narrow zoom-equivalent width and with text enlarged to find four reflow and resizing problems.
20 minutes
Path checkpoint
Prepare for screen-reader checks
Prepare one screen-reader and browser combination for the limited form relationships and validation checks that follow.
20 minutes
Testing method
Testing forms and validation
Check whether people can understand, complete, correct, and successfully submit a form.
25 minutes
Exercise
Testing a community-course registration form
Complete, invalidate, correct, and submit a realistic registration form while examining its form relationships and messages.
25 minutes
Work through this path across several sessions. Revisit each Testing method while you complete its Exercise.
The Exercises use different small interfaces. Together they build transferable testing skills; they are not one continuous product review. A Testing journey combines several techniques in one realistic scenario.
Prepare for screen-reader checks
The Testing method for forms and validation and its Exercise include a limited screen-reader verification step. Before continuing, choose one screen reader that works with your operating system and browser.
- Learn how to start, pause or silence, and stop the screen reader.
- Practise moving through native form controls.
- Listen for each control’s name, role, state, value, description, and group context where applicable.
- Record what is actually announced and how the control behaves. Exact wording and timing can differ between screen readers and browsers.
- Keep your visual and keyboard observations separate from your screen-reader observations.
You do not need to learn every screen-reader command before continuing. The goal is to gather enough direct evidence to inspect form relationships and validation messages in the final Testing method and Exercise.
Where to go next
Apply the foundational methods together in Reviewing a course registration before launch. The journey guides you through one realistic review and an evidence-based launch recommendation.
Continue with Practical screen-reader testing when you want focused practice with page structure, links, data tables, controls, images, graphics, language changes, and modal dialogs.
Choose Testing display preferences, touch, and media when you want intermediate practice comparing keyboard access and reflow with forced colors, reduced motion, touch, orientation, and prerecorded media.
Both Learning paths are optional next steps, not requirements for completing this beginner path.
Keep the scope in mind
This path introduces six techniques for a first accessibility review. It is not a complete audit or conformance assessment. When you review a real product, record the areas you did not test and arrange additional specialist testing and testing with disabled people according to the product and its risks.
Read about the full scope and limitations of the Lab, including what its technical checks can and cannot establish.