Web Accessibility Audit
of Stemettes.org
This evaluation was completed to determine the accessibility of stemettes.org and identify the major issues that prevent users from successfully using the site
Why
Using Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 and The BBC’s Subtitle Guidelines, evaluate stemettes.org to identify accessibility issues and provide recommendations to resolve them.
What
Website Audited
Browser Tested
Google Chrome for Mac
Audit Dates
Nov 2022 to Dec 2022
Method
Because users should be at the heart of any accessibility audit, I used gov.uk’s disability and impairment profiles as personas through which to assess the accessibility issues on this site. These personas represent cognitive, physical, visual, and auditory disabilities respectively.
Preety, a middle school student with ADHD & dyslexia
Christopher, a user with rheumatoid arthritis
Claudia, a partially-sighted screen magnifier user
Kaseem, a teenager who is deaf and blind
1. Manual Checks
Guideline used: WCAG 2.1
Methods used: W3C's manual 'Easy Checks'
Purpose: With the chosen users’ needs and abilities in mind, a manual pass was conducted to check for any visual issues that could be recognized without tools, such as apparent structural issues, missing content, missing subtitles and moving visuals that could not be stopped/paused, as well as confirming that all links functioned as intended on The Homepage, Meet the Team, Events, and the Newsletter sign-up pages
Process: Manually inspecting the HTML code, the user interface, contrast, labels, alternative text, and links against WCAG 2.1 Guidelines
Software used: MacOS VoiceOver screen-reader
Methods used: Keyboard tabbing
Purpose: Checked that the website complied with WCAG 2.1 and was accessible to those who use screen readers and/or keyboard tabbing (rather than a mouse) to navigate through pages. Specifically, users with certain visual or motor impairments
Process: Navigate through each audited web page using VoiceOver screen reader and the 'Tab' key on the keyboard. Noted any issues that would prevent users from properly navigating the website while using these methods. This included not only checking for access, but also for instances of frustrating, unnecessary, and/or repetitive content and functions.
2. Assistive Technology Checks
3. Automatic Checks Using WAVE
Software used: WebAIM’s accessibility evaluation tool (WAVE)
Purpose: Highlighting potential errors in the HTML code and in the user interface. Confirm issues identified in manual checks
Measurement
Each accessibility issue found was given a rating based on how severe and impactful the issue was for the user.
Findings
14 issues were identified that needed to be corrected for the website to be in conformance with WCAG 2.1 design principles and meet the needs of the intended users.
Findings Guide:
Short description of the discovered issue
Issue:
Location:
How severe the issue is on a scale of 1 (minor issue) to 4 (critical issue requiring immediate attention)
This helps prioritize which problems to resolve first
The types of users this issue is most likely to impact
Where on the webpage the issue was found
Who It Impacts:
Severity Rating:
Conformance Level:
Each accessibility guideline is categorized on a scale between A-AAA
Legally, websites must fulfill all A and AA guidelines
WCAG Violation:
Citing the exact accessibility guideline that was violated
Linked so that the client can read more in detail if they wish
Example of Findings:
