To ensure an application is accessible to people with disabilities, you must conduct the following tests:
Testing the application for full keyboard navigation and control.
Testing the application in high contrast mode.
Testing the application with a screen reader.
To test your application for full keyboard navigation and control, it is recommended that you run it while your mouse is unplugged.
Once your mouse is unplugged, try navigating your application using the Tab key and verify the following:
Are you able to access all elements of your applications?
Is the tab sequence logical? Do you find that you are jumping around the application? (If the latter is true, you should consider reordering the tabIndex to allow a smooth and logical navigational path.)
As you navigate through each element of your application, can you enable and disable the element using the Enter key or space bar?
If you've included custom gadgets in your application, do they perform as expected and are they accessible via keyboard?
At any point, do you find yourself in need of mouse? If so, you need to go back to the drawing board!
Once you have verified that you can navigate your application using the Tab key, be sure to test all accelerator and access keys.
Remember: in addition to making your application accessible to disabled people, full keyboard navigation enhances the experience of all users, allowing for greater efficiency and productivity.
To ensure that your application is accessible to the visually impaired, you should run it while your operating system is in high contrast mode.
To enable high contrast mode in Microsoft Windows, use the following procedure:
From the Control Panel, double-click Accessibility Options.
From the Display tab, select the Use High Contrast check box to turn on high contrast.To turn off High Contract, deselect the Use High Contrast check box.
In addition to the procedure above, you can enable and disable high contrast using the keyboard shortcut, left ALT + left SHIFT + PRINT SCREEN, provided the Use Shortcut check box in the Settings for High Contrast dialog box is selected.
Once you've enabled high contrast mode, launch your Boxely application. It should now display in high contrast colors (either system color, if you chose to use system colors, or colors defined if your accLibrary file, if you chose to use custom colors). You'll also notice that the menu bars and buttons are enlarged for readability.
While running your application in high contrast mode, verify the following:
Have your application colors been augmented to present a high contrast to the user?
Are there any colors in your application that have not changed upon entering high contrast mode? Are there any images that were not converted?
Are all elements of your application visible to the user in high contrast mode?
Can you use the application in high contrast mode? Are boxes still accessible?
Are you able to navigate the application using the keyboard only? Is the ease of use equivalent to that in normal mode?
Be sure to test all screens in your application in high contrast mode.
Users who require high contrast mode for readability will always view your program in it. To support these users, you must ensure the application functions in both modes with the same ease of use.
To ensure that your application is accessible to the visually impaired and blind, you must run it with a screen reader, such as JAWS by Freedom Scientific.
Once a screen reader is installed and running on your machine, launch your Boxely application and attempt to navigate the application using the keyboard only. As you tab through the interface, verify that all required information is read out loud. In particular, ensure that:
All window titles are introduced, so that the user knows where she or he is in the application.
All button controls are introduced, including image buttons.
All static text labels that are required to use the application are introduced.
All input controls are introduced (for each control, the reader should specify its type, as well as how the user is expected to interact with the control).
All tree and list controls are properly introduced.
Once you've verified that the screen reader relays all required information, you should run a final test that combines all aspects of accessibility: test your application with a screen reader while the operating system is in high contrast mode and while your mouse is unplugged.