Comparison of technical testing tools for digital accessibility:
Wave WebAIM is our front runner
The digital world is constantly growing, and with it the responsibility to make websites and digital content accessible to all. A key step towards accessibility is regularly checking websites for technical and design weaknesses. There are a variety of tools available to help web developers and designers identify and remove barriers. In this article, I present some of these testing tools and explain why Wave WebAIM is the best tool for accessibility testing.
- Lighthouse (Google)
Google Lighthouse is an open-source tool that integrates directly into Chrome and offers a variety of tests for websites, including performance, SEO, best practices and accessibility.
- Advantages:
- Quick integration via the Chrome browser.
- Detailed reports with suggestions for improvement.
- Extensive test coverage, not just accessibility.
- Disadvantages:
- The results can be overwhelming for beginners.
- No visual representation of the problems on the website.
- axe DevTools
Axe DevTools, developed by Deque Systems, is a powerful accessibility testing tool. It offers browser extensions and integrations for developer environments such as Visual Studio Code.
- Advantages:
- Precise and technically detailed analyses.
- Integration into automated test environments.
- Excellent documentation on accessibility issues.
- Disadvantages:
- The basic version is free, but many functions are subject to a charge.
- Less user-friendly for non-developers.
- Siteimprove Accessibility Checker
This tool is part of Siteimprove’s comprehensive platform that offers website optimization on multiple levels. The Accessibility Checker focuses on accessibility and can be integrated into common CMS systems such as WordPress.
- Advantages:
- Automatic checking of large websites.
- Comprehensive reports and tracking of corrections.
- Disadvantages:
- Chargeable and more suitable for companies than for small teams.
- Less intuitive operation compared to other tools.
- Wave WebAIM – The front runner
Developed by the Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM) project, Wave WebAIM stands out from the competition and is considered by many to be the best accessibility testing tool.
What makes Wave WebAIM so special?
- Visual representation of problems: Wave displays accessibility issues directly on the page instead of just displaying them in list form. This allows users to see at a glance where corrections are necessary.
- Easy to use: The tool is suitable for beginners as well as professionals. The browser extension enables uncomplicated use without any technical effort.
- Comprehensive analyses: In addition to WCAG errors, Wave also highlights warnings, contrasts and general design weaknesses.
- Free of charge: The basic version of Wave is completely free of charge and still covers all essential requirements.
Example workflow with Wave WebAIM:
- Load the website in your browser.
- Start the Wave browser extension.
- Immediately see color-coded problems categorized by type (e.g. contrast errors, missing ARIA labels).
- Use the help provided by Wave to rectify the errors.
Advantages compared to other tools:
- Easy access through visual analysis.
- No registration or license required for the core functions.
- Detailed documentation for each issue, with links to relevant WCAG guidelines.
Disadvantages of Wave WebAIM:
There are hardly any. For very large websites or specific requirements, integration into larger test environments (such as axe DevTools or Siteimprove) can be useful. But for most use cases, Wave is completely sufficient.
Conclusion: Why Wave WebAIM is the best testing tool for us
The choice of the right testing tool depends on individual requirements. While other tools such as Lighthouse or axe DevTools have their strengths in technical details or automation, Wave WebAIM scores with its user-friendliness, visualization and efficiency.
For beginners and experienced web developers, Wave is an excellent choice to ensure accessibility in a simple and effective way. So if you only want to try out one tool, you can’t go wrong with Wave WebAIM!
What experiences have you had with Wave or other tools? Please leave a comment!