There are a number of evaluation tools and techniques available that can be used to test whether or not the content on your site meets the needs of a variety of users. In the ideal world, you would have a wide range of users test your site. You would get feedback from people who are colorblind, people who use assistive/adaptive technology to access the technology, users for whom English is not their first language or those who have cognitive disabilities, etc. That is usually not practical, but evaluating your site with these users in mind, will go a long way in creating accessible content.
See the Web Accessibility Standards and Guidelines area of the Web Accessibility page on this site for additional information about what will make your web content compliant.
Unfortunately, the reports you get from some of the evaluation tools can be difficult to interpret if you don't have a web authoring background. Fortunately, though, there are some very simple techniques you can do to get started evaluating your web content for accessibility. Examples (which are described in more detail at thae bottom of the page) include turn off your sound or navigate through your site with just keyboard (no mouse).
(NEW June 2018!) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/
WCAG 2.1 is now a W3C Recommendation [W3C] https://www.w3.org/blog/2018/06/wcag21-rec/
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines [WebAIM] http://webaim.org/standards/wcag/
How to Meet WCAG 2.0 https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG20/quickref/ "A customizable quick reference to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 requirements (success criteria) and techniques."
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 - Many countries recognize these guidelines, which were developed by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) - www.w3.org/TR/WCAG
Getting Started
Quick Reference: Testing Web Content for Accessibility http://webaim.org/resources/evalquickref/
Manual checks when testing a website for accessibility [Temple University] http://accessibility.temple.edu/how-materials/website-and-document-accessibility/manual-checks-when-testing-website-accessibility
Easy Checks - A First Review of Web Accessibility https://www.w3.org/WAI/eval/preliminary - "This page helps you start to assess the accessibility of a web page. With these simple steps, you can get an idea whether or not accessibility is addressed in even the most basic way."
Accessible Instructional Materials - Instructional Materials Checklists by Application [Temple University - scroll to bottom for checklists] http://accessibility.temple.edu/how-materials/accessible-instructional-materials
Accessibility Checklist [Blackboard] https://help.blackboard.com/Ally/Ally_for_LMS/Instructor/Improve_File_Accessibility/Accessibility_Checklist
Accessibility Standards, Specifications & Guidelines [AEM] http://aem.cast.org/creating/accessibility-standards-specifications-guidelines.html#.WdJb1WhSwdV
National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) http://www.afb.org/info/afb-national-education-program/national-instructional-materials-accessibility-standard-nimas/23
Accessibility Resources http://cstrobbe.github.io/AccessibilityResources/index.html
Building Accessible Websites by Joe Clark http://joeclark.org/book/sashay/serialization/home.html
Improving Website Accessibility http://www.section508.gov/content/build/website-accessibility-improvement
Making Accessible Web Pages [Colorado State University] http://www.acns.colostate.edu/Help/Web-Accessible
[WHITEPAPER] SOLVING WEB ACCESSIBILITY: LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND http://www.3playmedia.com/2015/10/22/whitepaper-solving-web-accessibility-leaving-no-one-behind/
BONUS TIPS ON WEB ACCESSIBILITY TESTING WITH DAVID BERMAN http://www.3playmedia.com/2015/11/02/bonus-tips-on-web-accessibility-testing-with-david-berman/
HAPPY 25TH ANNIVERSARY, ADA! WHATíS NEXT FOR WEB ACCESSIBILITY? http://www.3playmedia.com/2015/07/26/happy-25th-anniversary-ada-whats-next-for-web-accessibility/
@ONE Webinar: Evaluating Web Content for Accessibility (YouTube, 56:40) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uUPOjXWVnMw&list=PLx-VX3akOUVhMEURX29bFnDhW-lDTnPaf&index=9
Website Accessibility [Temple University] http://accessibility.temple.edu/how-materials/website-accessibility
Top 9 Website Issues http://accessibility.temple.edu/how-materials/website-and-document-accessibility/top-9-website-issues
WebAIM's WCAG 2.0 Checklist http://webaim.org/standards/wcag/checklist
Blackboard Course Accessibility Checklist [George Mason University] https://ati.gmu.edu/resources/accessibility-resources/course-checklist/
Access by Design: Accessible Instructional Materials Checklist for Cal Poly Faculty https://accessibility.calpoly.edu/content/instmaterials/fac_checklist
Course Accessibility Guidelines (Checklist) [Penn State] http://accessibility.psu.edu/courses/courseguidelines/
Information Technology in Education Accessibility Checklist [Washington] http://www.washington.edu/accessit/it-checklist/
[U.S. Department of Health & Human Services] HHS Section 508 Accessibility Checklists - Includes checklists for Adobe PDF, HTML, Microsoft Office (Word documents, PowerPoint. Excel), Audio/Video, and Email - http://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/index.html
PDF File 508 Checklist (WCAG 2.0 Refresh) https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/checklist/pdf/index.html
HTML 508 Checklist https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/checklist/html/index.html
General Office Document File 508 Checklist (ASPA/DCD) https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/checklist/aspa-dcd-general-office-document-file-508-checklist/in dex.html
Audio/Video (AV) 508 Checklist https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/checklist/av-508-checklist/index.html
Email 508 Checklist https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/checklist/email-508-checklist/index.html
Older versions of HHS Section 508 Checklists
Word Document 508 Checklist https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/checklist/word/index.html
PDF File 508 Checklist https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/checklist/pdf/index.html
PowerPoint Document 508 Checklist https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/checklist/ppt/index.html
Excel Document 508 Checklist https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/checklist/excel/index.html
Multimedia File 508 Checklist https://www.hhs.gov/web/section-508/making-files-accessible/checklist/multimeda/index.html
Saint Joseph’s University Online Course Accessibility Checklist (pdf) www.sju.edu/int/academics/resources/atdl/universal-design%20resource%20documents/SJU%20Accessibility%20Checklist.pdf(direct link) Online
Course Development Accessibility Checklist [Saint Joseph's University] https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B--iQzd50cguaVNldGNUdlJIa1k/view
Note: Instead of the link to Saint Joseph’s ‘standard university accommodation statement’ (page 1 under General Course Elements), please see the USC Syllabi Statement suggestions at www.sa.sc.edu/sds/faculty-and-staff/#syllabus
Your Course Accessibility Checklist https://campustechnology.com/Articles/2016/03/30/Your-Course-Accessibility-Checklist.aspx
Instructional Materials Accessibility Checklists [Channel Islands] https://www.csuci.edu/ati/im/faculty/checklist.htm
SNAP Tool [JAN Job Accommodation Network] http://askjan.org/bulletins/SNAPTool.htm
Download the checklist, which is a spreadsheet with step-by step questions to ask as you review your online materials. There is a column with descriptions of why you do each step and a column for you to self-assess. There is also an archive of a webinar about making an accessible website.
OSCQR Accessibility Rubric https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B_VwCrtRb6p9SHZaMzI2YmxfT1U/view
Also see The Open SUNY Course Quality Review (OSCQR) Process and Rubric http://olc.onlinelearningconsortium.org/effective_practices/open-suny-cote-quality-review-oscqr-process-and-rubric
Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools List [W3C] https://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/tools/
Accessibility Evaluation Tools [WebAIM] http://webaim.org/articles/tools/
Accessibility Checkers http://www.interactiveaccessibility.com/blog/accessibility-checkers#.V-FWMI-cG1g
Accessibility Evaluation Tools [WebAIM] http://webaim.org/articles/tools/
Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools List [W3C] https://www.w3.org/WAI/ER/tools/
Web Accessibility Tools: List of Tools http://cstrobbe.github.io/AccessibilityResources/WebAccessibilityTools.html Also has list of Code Checkers, Contrast Checkers and information on Browser Extensions
Chrome extensions for disabilities masterpost http://chronic-illness-support.tumblr.com/post/121510449113/chrome-extensions-for-disabilities-masterpost Categories include font/text, overlays/colour change, reduce visual distraction, and audio.
11 Free Tools for Testing Website Accessibility http://www.3playmedia.com/2015/11/04/free-tools-for-testing-website-accessibility/?mkt_tok=3RkMMJWWfF9wsRojuKrPZKXonjHpfsX57e0sW6GxlMI%2F0ER3fOvrPUfGjI4CSMRgI%2BSLDwEYGJlv6SgFTbTBMbVk1bgLUhY%3D
FREE TOOLS FOR TESTING WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY http://www.3playmedia.com/2015/11/04/free-tools-for-testing-website-accessibility/
Testing Tools for the DHS [Dept of Homeland Security] Section 508 Compliance Test Process for Applications http://section508testing.org/tools/
The steps for using WAVE to evaluate a website for accessibility:
Go to wave.webaim.org
Copy the URL of the website that requires evaluating.
Paste the URL into the WAVE Web Page Address field.
Click Enter.
The accessibility report will appear as an overlay to the evaluated website.
To better understand the report, see WAVE Help at http://wave.webaim.org/help
Also see WAVE Chrome Extension http://wave.webaim.org/extension/ which evaluates the content within a web site, which means it can be used behind password protected sites, etc
Accessibility Checker in Office 2013 (YouTube, Jan 2-16, 2:19) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPAzNcnbzak
Using the Accessibility Checker in Office 2010/2013 [Colorado State University] (PDF) https://lib.colostate.edu/images/cat/Accessibility_Checker_Office.pdf
Use the Accessibility Checker on your Windows desktop to find accessibility issues https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/Use-the-Accessibility-Checker-on-your-Windows-desktop-to-find-accessibility-issues-a16f6de0-2f39-4a2b-8bd8-5ad801426c7f
Use the Accessibility Checker on your Mac to find and resolve accessibility issues https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Use-the-Accessibility-Checker-on-your-Mac-to-find-and-resolve-accessibility-issues-3b84295e-d55b-49f1-b443-523ec45a5232
Outlook https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/Make-your-Outlook-email-accessible-71ce71f4-7b15-4b7a-a2e3-cf91721bbacb
Word (1) https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/Make-your-Word-documents-accessible-d9bf3683-87ac-47ea-b91a-78dcacb3c66d
Word (2) https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/Find-and-fix-accessibility-issues-in-Word-2016-9d660cba-1fcd-45ad-a9d1-c4f4b5eb5b7d
PowerPoint https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/Make-your-PowerPoint-presentations-accessible-6f7772b2-2f33-4bd2-8ca7-dae3b2b3ef25
Excel https://support.office.com/en-ie/article/Make-your-Excel-spreadsheets-accessible-6cc05fc5-1314-48b5-8eb3-683e49b3e593
Rules for the Accessibility Checker (new window) https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Rules-for-the-Accessibility-Checker-651e08f2-0fc3-4e10-aaca-74b4a67101c1
aXe Developer Tools (formerly FireEyes) [Deque Labs]
Firefox add-on https://addons.mozilla.org/en-us/firefox/addon/axe-devtools/
Chrome https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/axe/lhdoppojpmngadmnindnejefpokejbdd
WAVE Chrome Extension http://wave.webaim.org/extension/ - See WAVE Online Tool above for more details
RampWEB Section 508 Toolbar http://www.rampweb.com/Accessibility_Resources/Section508/index.php
Other Online or Download Tools
The Accessibility Management Platform (AMP) http://www.ssbbartgroup.com/amp/
A "web-based platform that provides a ... solution for meeting your Section 508, Americans with Disabilities (ADA) and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) compliance needs. AMP provides the infrastructure to facilitate all aspects of a successful accessibility compliance program." There is apparently a free, community edition version of AMP.
The Functional Accessibility Evaluator (FAE) [University of Illinois] https://fae.disability.illinois.edu/anonymous/?Anonymous%20Report=/It "evaluates a website or a single web page based on the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level A and AA requirements." You must sign up for a free account to use it.
The Web Accessibility Toolbar (WAT) [Paciello Group] https://www.paciellogroup.com/resources/wat/ Was "developed to aid manual examination of web pages for a variety of aspects of accessibility."
Microsoft Office 2010 Accessibility Checker (PDF) https://www.cms.gov/Research-Statistics-Data-and-Systems/CMS-Information-Technology/Section508/Downloads/Tip-sheet-for-Microsoft-Office-Accessibility-Checker.pdf
Accessibility Checker by CKSource
Accessibility Checker Goes Open Source http://ckeditor.com/blog/Accessibility-Checker-Goes-OS
Accessibility Checker by CKSource [also Enterprise version $] https://cksource.com/accessibility-checker/
Managing Content Accessibility with Accessibility Checker (user guide) http://docs.ckeditor.com/#!/guide/dev_accessibility_checker
Charts & Accessibility http://accessibility.psu.edu/images/charts/
Accessible Syllabus Checklist (CSU Chico) http://www.csuchico.edu/tlp/accessibility/syllabus/checklist.shtml
[in SPANISH] TAW Online: Analizador WCAG 2.0 http://www.tawdis.net/
Trusted Tester Process (developed by Dept of Homeland Security) Used for manual testing
DHS Trusted Tester Program (TT) https://www.dhs.gov/trusted-tester
DHS Section 508 Compliance Test Processes https://www.dhs.gov/compliance-test-processes
(advanced) Nu Html Checker (online validator)- just give URL, upload file, or copy text http://validator.w3.org/nu/
See the Listen to the Technology -> Evaluate Materials Using a Screen Reader page on this site
direct link = sites.google.com/site/helpdeskaccessibility/listen#TOC-Evaluate-Materials-Using-a-Screen-Reader
In addition to using checklists and tools for evaluating your web site or other web content, there are some other techniques to use.
Manual Checks
Manual checks when testing a website for accessibility http://accessibility.temple.edu/how-materials/website-and-document-accessibility/manual-checks-when-testing-website-accessibility
Accessibility Testing http://www.interactiveaccessibility.com/accessibility-testing
Top 5 Tests for Web Accessibility http://www.interactiveaccessibility.com/blog/top-5-tests-web-accessibility#.V-FWD4-cG1g
Turn Off the Sound
Test Keyboard Access
See the Keyboard Access & Other Alternative Inputs page on this site for additional information
The basic technique is to tab to each link and use the enter key to make sure they do what they are supposed to.
(historic)
Bobby Approved: That Trusted Practical Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool Icon http://www.coggan.com/bobby-approved.html
Resources to Explore Further
New links that I find but have not yet looked at closely enough to add to my lists.
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