Test with Real Users & Assistive Tech

Automated accessibility checkers are helpful, but they only catch about 30% of real issues.

The remaining 70%? You’ll find them by testing like a human.

That means navigating by keyboard, using screen readers, enabling reduced motion, zooming to 200%, switching to dark mode, and — best of all — involving people with disabilities in your usability testing.

Accessibility is not a checkbox. It’s about how real users experience your product.

Quick Manual Checklist

• Navigate with keyboard only. Can you reach and operate everything with Tab, Enter, and Space?
• Confirm that focus indicators are visible at all times
• Use a screen reader (NVDA, VoiceOver, or TalkBack). Does the content make sense?
• Zoom to 200%. Does everything still reflow, or does it break?
• Enable prefers-reduced-motion. Do animations pause or simplify?
• Try dark mode, high contrast, or text spacing changes

Even just 10 minutes of manual testing will reveal more insight than a full automated scan — especially for keyboard traps, focus loss, mislabelled elements, and non-obvious visual issues.

Bonus Tip: Involve Real Users

👩‍🦯 Want to truly know how accessible your app is?

• Include people with disabilities in usability tests
• Ask them to perform common tasks (e.g., submit a form, navigate a product page)
• Watch where they hesitate, struggle, or miss information

You’ll gain invaluable insight and help build a product that works for more people — not just those who happen to use a mouse on a desktop at full vision.

Tools to Try

• Screen Readers: NVDA, VoiceOver, TalkBack (Android)
• Keyboard-only mode (just unplug your mouse)
• Zoom/Scaling: Cmd / Ctrl + +, or browser zoom settings
• Reduced Motion: OS accessibility settings + prefers-reduced-motion testing in DevTools
• Dark Mode Toggle: Simulate color schemes with media queries or browser tools

Do this today: Spend just 10 minutes on your site or app using keyboard only, a screen reader, and 200% zoom. Try navigating without visuals. How usable is it? Where do things fall apart? These insights are gold — no automated tool can match them.