Ensuring digital accessibility is essential when designing, developing, or sharing digital content. Use a combination of manual techniques, automated tools, and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) to create inclusive experiences.
Use the curated tools and resources below to begin your accessibility evaluation journey.
Evaluation Guides and Checklists
Checklists and guides offer practical steps to evaluate and improve accessibility.
Documents
- WebAIM Word and PowerPoint Guide
- A detailed walkthrough on applying accessibility principles in Microsoft Word and PowerPoint documents.
Web Content
- WAI Easy Checks
- A beginner-friendly guide by W3C to help identify common accessibility issues on webpages.
- WebAIM WCAG Checklist
- Simplifies WCAG standards into an easy-to-follow format for newcomers.
- WCAG in Plain English
- Aardvark Accessibility’s Plain English Guide to WCAG offers easy-to-understand explanations of web accessibility guidelines.
- Deque Web Accessibility Checklist
- Categorized by WCAG criteria or topic; ideal for developers.
- Intopia Accessibility Guidance Tool
- Filter by role (designer, dev, QA, etc.) or topic (e.g., moving content) for personalized support.
Accessibility Checkers
Automated checkers are great for initial reviews—but remember, they can’t catch every issue. Manual testing is still essential.
Note for faculty: For tools to help with accessible course materials, please visit the Missouri Online website.
Digital Documents Checkers
- Microsoft Office Accessibility Assistant
- Run the Accessibility Assistant before sharing or converting documents to PDF.
- PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC)
- A free PDF checker that includes a screen reader preview, allowing users to visually verify the document’s semantic structure without needing a screen reader.
- Adobe Acrobat Pro Accessibility Checker
- Adobe Acrobat Pro’s built-in Accessibility Checker helps detect accessibility issues within PDF documents.
Color Contrast
Ensure your content meets minimum contrast requirements for readability. Try these tools:
- WebAIM Color Contrast Checker
- Check foreground/background contrast ratios online.
- Deque Color Contrast Analyzer
- Includes real-time color adjuster for accessibility fine-tuning.
- WebAIM Link Contrast Checker
- Specifically tests links for visual distinction and compliance.
- TPGi Colour Contrast Analyzer
- A desktop app (Win/Mac) for checking contrast in apps and interfaces.
Web Accessibility Tools
- DubBot
- DubBot helps editors find and fix accessibility issues on websites. MU Digital Service provides access and training.
- WAVE
- Visual feedback on issues, errors, and features.
- axe DevTools
- Powerful browser extension for automated testing.
- Accessibility Insights
- Comprehensive suite for testing web app accessibility.
- ANDI
- A government-developed tool for inspecting web content for accessibility.
- Photosensitive Epilepsy Tool
- Ensures content avoids flicker/seizure risks.
For a complete list of checkers, visit Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools.
Need Help?
Manual accessibility testing provides a thorough and accurate understanding of how accessible your digital content is to all users.
For additional support or guidance, contact the IT Accessibility Center at itaccessibility@missouri.edu.