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Automated Accessibility Tools Save Time

Have you ever tried an automated accessibility tool? Do you know what they are used for? These tools have been around. Bobby, one of the oldest and well-known automated testing tools, is now nearly 10-years-old. Though it isn`t freely available any longer, tools like WebXact and Wave are. These automated tools are pieces of software used to check websites for accessibility and save a significant amount of time those who have their own websites.

But are these tools a little too good to be true? Can you test a website for accessibility so easily? Unfortunately the answer is a resounding no. There are a number of underlying problems associated with using just automated tools to test for accessibility. There are a number of reasons and aspects of these tools that should be reviewed and checked by the user before using them on their websites.

Automated accessibility testing tools can be useful as they can save a large amount of time in performing some very basic checks for accessibility. However, they must be used with caution and they cannot be used as a stand-alone guide for accessibility checking. Indeed, some expert accessibility knowledge should always be applied in evaluating a site accessibility, perhaps in conjunction with the fantastic web accessibility toolbar to help dramatically speed up manual checks.