Conducting Targeted Manual Tests

This section provides a structured guide for conducting manual accessibility tests. The goal is to present concrete test steps and sensible procedures that can identify common barriers – beyond the capabilities of automated tools.

Many barriers cannot be reliably detected by automated testing tools. These include:

• Context-dependent content (e.g., meaning of an image or link)
• Keyboard operability
• Comprehensibility of content
• Meaningful semantic structure
• Focus control and interactions

A systematic manual testing process enables reliable assessment of these aspects and contributes to holistic quality assurance.

1. Keyboard operation
   • Check tab order (logical, complete, no tab traps)
   • Visible focus for every interactive element
   • Activation of buttons, menus, links, etc. with Enter/Space
   • Navigation in complex elements like dialogs, accordions, or tabs
2. Contrast and visual design
   • Sufficient color contrast between text and background (WCAG 1.4.3 / 1.4.11)
   • Readability through adequate font size, line height, font type
   • Focus highlights for interactive elements
3. Forms
   • Each field has a visible, correctly linked label
   • Error messages are understandable and accessible (e.g., for screen readers)
   • Required fields and validation rules are clearly communicated
4. Semantic structure and orientation
   • Correct heading hierarchy (H1-H6)
   • Use of landmark roles (e.g., nav, main, footer)
   • Unique link texts and descriptive button labels
   • Use of breadcrumbs or other orientation aids
5. Comprehensibility of content
   • Simple, clear language and understandable sentence structure
   • Consistent naming and terminology
   • Logical structure of content and instructions

• Browser developer tools for focus testing, semantics, and contrast
• Extensions such as Axe DevTools, WAVE, or Accessibility Insights for preliminary testing
• Contrast checkers (e.g., Color Contrast Analyzer)
• Text analysis tools for checking readability and language

• Combine tests with multiple roles (e.g., UX, QA, developers)
• Work with checklists (e.g., WCAG Quickref, project-specific)
• Document results to implement improvements systematically
• Optionally involve user groups to test real usage scenarios