Accessibility Testing Built Around Real People With Disabilities

WCAG 2.2 Level AA is the legally mandated standard for UK public sector organisations and the baseline for European Accessibility Act compliance. Level AA is also what enterprise clients, government bodies, and regulated industries specify in procurement requirements. We recommend AA as your compliance target and selective AAA for your highest-traffic journeys — particularly focus indicator and cognitive accessibility criteria.

We test using JAWS (the most widely used screen reader in professional and enterprise contexts), NVDA (the most widely used free screen reader), and VoiceOver on macOS and iOS. Our testers navigate your product exclusively via screen reader — no mouse, no visual reference — testing all interactive elements, form flows, error messages, dynamic content updates, modal dialogs, and navigation patterns. We test with both synthetic speech and braille display output where relevant.

Partial sight covers a wide spectrum — from mild contrast sensitivity reduction to legally blind levels of vision. We test using ZoomText and Windows Magnifier at magnification levels from 150% to 400%, validating that content remains readable, interactive elements remain accessible, and layouts do not break at high zoom. We also test with operating system high-contrast modes, which many low vision users rely on.

We audit all video and audio content for captions and transcripts, validate caption accuracy and synchronisation, test whether audio alerts have visual equivalents, check that no functionality requires audio output to use, and verify that contact options include non-voice alternatives. We also assess sign language video provision for content aimed at deaf audiences where relevant.

We test complete keyboard operability — every function available via mouse must be available via keyboard alone. We validate focus indicators meet WCAG 2.2 requirements (2.4.11), test for keyboard traps, verify that time-limited interactions can be extended or disabled, and test with Dragon NaturallySpeaking voice control for complex interaction patterns. For products with mobile interfaces, we test switch access via iOS Switch Control and Android Switch Access.

A focused audit of a single application or website typically takes 3–5 days for an initial findings report. This covers automated scanning, manual expert review across all success criteria, and screen reader testing across the primary user journeys. For larger applications we scope based on a representative page sample. Remediation support is scoped separately based on findings volume and your team's capacity.