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Accessibility Testing

Interface Scope

Summary

Accessibility testing covers public, staff-facing, and administrative interfaces, with the applicable interface scope defined for each service.

Standards

  1. std-qe-interface-scope-01 Accessibility testing MUST be applied to internal and administrative interfaces used by staff.
  2. std-qe-interface-scope-02 Staff-only usage MUST NOT be treated as grounds for exemption.
  3. std-qe-interface-scope-03 The scope of interfaces subject to accessibility testing MUST be defined for a service, so no user-facing surface is unintentionally excluded.

Implements These Principles

Conformance Mapping

Summary

Each accessibility test maps to a specific success criterion and level, so a conformance claim is precise and demonstrable.

Standards

  1. std-qe-conformance-mapping-01 Each accessibility test case MUST be mapped to the specific success criterion and conformance level it verifies, such as WCAG 2.2 success criterion 1.4.3 (Contrast Minimum) at level AA.
  2. std-qe-conformance-mapping-02 A user interface MUST NOT be described as conformant with an accessibility standard unless every applicable success criterion at its required level has been tested and recorded as passed.

Implements These Principles

Automated Scanning

Summary

Automated accessibility scanning runs against every user interface change in the delivery pipeline and covers programmatically detectable success criteria.

Standards

  1. std-qe-automated-scanning-01 An automated accessibility scanning tool SHOULD be integrated into a service's delivery pipeline and run against every change affecting a user interface.
  2. std-qe-automated-scanning-02 Automated accessibility scanning MUST cover, at minimum, the success criteria reliably detectable without human judgement, such as colour contrast, missing alternative text, and invalid markup.

Implements These Principles

Manual & Assistive Testing

Summary

A user interface is manually tested with representative assistive technology by someone trained in its use and the success criteria being verified.

Standards

  1. std-qe-manual-assistive-testing-01 A user interface SHOULD be manually tested using assistive technologies representative of its actual users, including a screen reader and keyboard-only navigation.
  2. std-qe-manual-assistive-testing-02 Manual and assistive technology testing SHOULD be performed by a person trained in the assistive technology being used and the success criteria being verified.

Implements These Principles

Independent Testing

Summary

A service with a large user base or likely assistive technology use may undergo independent testing, which supplements team testing and should include lived assistive technology experience.

Standards

  1. std-qe-independent-testing-01 A service with a large user base, or one more likely to be used by people who rely on assistive technology, MAY undergo accessibility testing performed by a party independent of the team that built it, such as an external provider.
  2. std-qe-independent-testing-02 Independent accessibility testing SHOULD include a person with lived experience of using assistive technology, so a barrier that a specialist might otherwise miss is still identified.
  3. std-qe-independent-testing-03 Independent verification MUST supplement a delivery team's own automated and manual testing and MUST NOT substitute for that testing.

Implements These Principles

Reverification

Summary

Accessibility testing repeats after a material redesign, or whenever the adopted accessibility standard is updated.

Standards

  1. std-qe-reverification-01 Manual and independent verification SHOULD be repeated after a material redesign or a change likely to affect conformance.
  2. std-qe-reverification-02 Accessibility testing SHOULD be repeated when the accessibility standard a service conforms to is updated to a new version.

Implements These Principles