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About

Accessibility testing for design system components

Overview

Accessibility specialists on the VA.gov Platform team thoroughly test components before they are added or updated in the Design System. This accessibility testing plan outlines a comprehensive strategy to ensure that both our website and mobile application prioritize accessibility throughout the development lifecycle, incorporating best practices and industry standards to create an inclusive digital environment.

Responsibilities for teams building products on VA.gov

Using design system components alone will not guarantee that your product is accessible.

Accessibility test your product

VFS teams are responsible for testing their own products for accessibility and meeting the VA.gov Experience Standards. Moreover, teams are required to complete foundational accessibility testing as they prepare for a staging review, and are highly encouraged to complete advanced accessibility testing as well.

Evaluate components’ accessibility in your product

Design system components are tested in isolation. While we try to ensure that no accessibility barriers exist in any given component, barriers can still be introduced when components are used in an unanticipated combination, or when components are placed in an unanticipated context within the page.

Readability

Readability of an individual component is highly dependent on the context around that component. When using a component, VFS teams should check:

  • Headings and sub-headings
    • Do component headings fit into the overall heading hierarchy of the page?
    • Is content in close proximity to the component grouped logically?
  • Buttons and link text
    • Is any text hardcoded into the component appropriate for your user flow?
    • When adding your own text via component properties, is the text meaningful? Does it convey a purpose?
  • Labels
    • Are any labels hardcoded into the component appropriate for your user flow?
    • When adding your own label text via component properties, are the labels clear, concise, and easy to understand?
  • Plain language
    • Do error messages clearly describe the error and provide a clear path for resolving the error?

Color considerations

When using a component, VFS teams should check:

  • Color contrast against against backgrounds and nearby or adjacent elements.

Report accessibility defects

If you identify an accessibility defect in a component, please submit an issue.

Testing principles

POUR

Each component is tested for accessibility in the design system based on the four principles of accessibility.

  • Perceivable - Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.
  • Operable - User interface components and navigation must be operable.
  • Understandable - Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable.
  • Robust - Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

WCAG 2.2 AA

These principles are the foundation of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which incorporates Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 Level AA success criteria. We aim to adhere to the latest version of WCAG Level AA, which at the time of writing is WCAG 2.2. We strive to not only meet those standards, but to go beyond compliance with thorough testing to ensure that we creating an inclusive and equitable experience for everyone.

Multiple types of assistive technologies

Each component is also tested to ensure compatibility with common assistive technologies covering a broad set of common interaction modalities, including:

  • Screen readers (text to speech)
  • Voice command/speech recognition (speech to text)
  • Screen magnification
  • Browser display settings (eg. zoom, text size)
  • Device contrast themes
  • Keyboard-only
  • Mouse-only
  • Touch-only
  • Alternative input devices

Testing methodology

Code review

Code reviews are essential for building inclusive and usable digital products for everyone. Well-written semantic HTML ensures that browsers faithfully convey design system components to users, and ensures maximum compatibility with assistive technologies. Here’s what we look for in code:

Automated scans

Automated accessibility testing tools are crucial for building accessible digital products because they provide a quick and efficient way to identify potential issues. Currently, each design system component goes through:

  • An aXe DevTools scan via Cypress for the default variation of the component.
  • An aXe DevTools scan via the browser extension for each additional variation of the component.

Readability evaluation

Readability is a key part of accessibility because it directly impacts how easily users can understand the content. We ensure the following are easy to understand:

  • Headings and sub-headings
    • Are headings used in a hierarchical manner?
    • Is the content grouped logically?
  • Button and link text
    • Is the text meaningful?
    • Does the text convey a purpose?
  • Labels
    • Are labels clear, concise, and easy to understand?
  • Plain language
    • Is all text consistent with our plain language standards?

Use of color

Color plays a crucial role in accessibility because it significantly impacts how users perceive and interact with digital content, especially those with visual impairments. Here is what we test for:

  • Color contrast meets or exceeds WCAG Level AA contrast ratios.
  • Information is not communicated through color alone. Relying solely on color for communication is an accessibility barrier for individuals with visual impairments.
  • Use of Windows contrast themes (formerly High Contrast Mode) does not result in any use of color regressions from the default color presentation.

Text resizing, zoom, and magnification

Testing text resizing, browser zoom levels, and screen magnifications is crucial for accessibility because it ensures that your website or application remains usable for individuals who need to adjust their browser’s display settings or magnify parts of their screen. Here’s what we test:

  • Browser font size options correctly resize the text of a component.
  • Zoom levels of 200%, 300%, and 400% do not affect the usability of the component.
  • Features are visible or discoverable when using MacOS Zoom, Windows Magnifier, and/or similar magnification tools.

Screen readers

Screen reader testing is important for accessibility because it ensures each component is usable for users of assistive technology. We test with the following screen reader and browser combinations to ensure a consistent experience across devices:

With each screen reader, here’s what we test:

  • All meaningful content is announced to screen reader users in a logical order consistent with the visual presentation.
  • All interactive elements have a unique accessible name.
  • All interactive elements are announced with their element type, current value, and current state (as appropriate).
  • Common screen reader interaction patterns are supported (eg. navigating a page by heading, navigating a page by landmark, etc).

Input and interaction methods

Each component is tested to ensure it is usable for individuals who rely on different input methods. Input methods tested include:

  • Keyboard-only
  • Mouse-only
  • Touch-only (as appropriate, where interactions may be distinct from mouse-only)
  • Voice Control + Safari on MacOS
  • Dragon + Edge or Chrome on Windows

Alternative input devices

Alternative input devices such as sip-and-puff switches or eye-tracking software are not directly tested. These devices typically map user interactions to specific keystrokes or mouse movements, so robust support for keyboard and mouse combined with well-tested standards-based code should ensure support for these devices.

Likewise, we do not directly test with refreshable Braille displays or other nonvisual displays, but appropriate use of ARIA and semantic HTML should ensure support for these devices as well.

Testing input methods

For each input method, we test:

  • Touch and mouse compatibility, including:

    • Target sizes meet or exceed WCAG Level AA target size requirements.
    • Controls do not require multipoint or path-based gestures.
    • Controls do not require specific click or tap patterns or timing.
  • Keyboard compatibility, including:
    • All interactive elements are focusable using the keyboard.
    • Focus indicators are fully visible and meet color contrast requirements.
    • Form elements such as dropdowns, radio buttons, and sliders can be utilized with arrow keys.
    • Interactive elements can be activated with the keyboard.
    • Users can exit all interactive elements without being trapped.

  • Voice command/speech recognition compatibility, including:

    • The accessible name of elements matches the visible label for the element; or, if not, the visible label supports a clear interaction path.
    • Labels have a straightforward pronunciation.

Component checklists

For each component, the results of our accessibility testing are displayed in the component checklist section, organized by the categories described in our testing methodology. Each category may be labeled as:

  • Pass
  • Conditional pass
  • Pass with exceptions
  • Fail
  • Not completed

Additional notes are provided where appropriate. For example, if automated scans for a component indicate a color contrast violation but manual testing for use of color finds that the automated scan result was a false positive, the component checklist may read:

Automated scans

Pass with exceptions - Axe testing shows a false positive on color contrast for the default variation

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Last updated: Sep 13, 2024