Did you know that almost 72% of enterprises already have a digital accessibility policy, while 85% see it as a competitive advantage?

According to WHO, almost 15% of the world's population lives with a disability and may face difficulties interacting with an application or website. This means that businesses must consider accessibility as a business advantage and a moral component. Accessibility testing can help enterprises address and resolve challenges so that everyone can use their applications or websites.

Accessibility testing as a catalyst for business success

While accessibility testing helps to achieve User friendly UXit also helps businesses enter markets, improve SEO and better brand reputation. Let's discuss how:

First, consider the impact on market scope. I'm ready 1 billion people living with disabilities around the world, making your website accessible isn't just about compatibility—it's about inclusion. By conducting thorough accessibility tests, you are opening your business to a much wider audience. Companies expanding into new regions may mean localizing content to accommodate cultural and language differences while adhering to regional accessibility standards. This approach ensures compliance and builds a stronger, more comprehensive brand image in new markets.

Then there is the direct link between accessibility and income. Almost 55% of consumers abandon purchases due to access barriers, which contributes to £120 billion in lost sales. By making websites and apps accessible, you create a seamless experience for all users, regardless of their abilities. This can significantly improve user satisfaction, driving loyalty and sales.

Legal risks are another deciding factor. Digital inclusion is no longer optional – it's a requirement. With the future European Accessibility Act in 2025businesses need to ensure their digital platforms are accessible, regardless of size. Accessibility testing helps you stay compliant and avoid potential legal penalties, while protecting your reputation in the process.

Finally, consider the long-term benefits of brand reputation and online visibility. Accessibility best practices, such as clear page structures and the use of alt text, can improve your SEO rankings. This increases organic traffic, but more importantly, it shows your commitment to inclusiveness. Consumers are increasingly drawn to brands that prioritize social responsibility, and by embracing accessibility, you're positioning your business as one that truly cares about all users.

Putting it all together, accessibility testing is a catalyst for growth, customer loyalty and a stronger brand reputation.

Related: How to develop a great business website

Key features that require accessibility testing

With an array of tools available today, businesses can incorporate and implement a variety of features to make their digital platforms more accessible and inclusive. For example: mobile apps use a variety of swipe, touch and hold gestures. Accessibility testing validates these gestures to work consistently across different devices and operating systems, preventing confusion for users who rely on specific interaction patterns.

But gestures are just the beginning. When performing accessibility testing, there are several other important features to keep in mind to ensure your platform is user-friendly for everyone.

For example, keyboard navigation it is essential for users who cannot use a mouse or keyboard. Ensuring that every page element can be accessed via the Tab key in a logical sequence is key to a smooth experience. Adding visible focus indicators to highlight active elements, along with standard keyboard shortcuts, helps create a seamless experience for these users.

Screen reader compatibility is another critical consideration. Screen readers allow visually impaired users to interact with digital content, and accessibility testing ensures that your site is properly structured with the correct HTML tags. By providing alt text for images and videos and organizing content with clear captions, you improve the experience for those who rely on assistive technologies.

Color contrast is often overlooked, but it can have a significant impact. Users who struggle to distinguish colors take advantage of the strong contrast between text and background. Testing your site's contrast and using color blindness simulation tools will help catch problems that could affect readability.

Then, the audio and video content is accessible. Deaf or hard of hearing users rely on subtitles and audio descriptions to engage with multimedia. Ensuring all videos have captions and audio descriptions for non-verbal cues or important visuals creates a more immersive experience for everyone.

Forms are another area where accessibility matters. Form accessibility testing helps ensure that form fields are clearly labeled and provides helpful error messages when errors occur. This makes filling out forms a smoother process for all users, including those with disabilities. Avoiding CAPTCHA challenges also helps, as they can be particularly difficult for some users.

As cell phone usage continues to grow, mobile accessibility it is vital. Testing your platform across different devices and screen sizes ensures that touch targets are large enough and the design is responsive. Consider implementing voice and gesture input controls to make your app even more accessible on mobile devices.

Additionally, ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) attributes provide additional support for users who rely on assistive technologies by providing additional context around user interface elements. ARIA attributes help screen readers understand dynamic content changes, providing a more responsive and accessible interface.

Finally, don't forget about PDF access. Many companies use PDF to share documents and it is important that they are also accessible. By using tagged PDF files, adding alt text to images, and keeping layouts straight, you ensure that assistive technologies can easily interpret the structure of the document.

Related: How to make sure your workplace is truly inclusive for everyone

Solve common challenges associated with accessibility testing

While we have already discussed the potential benefits of accessibility testing in your business, there may still be some challenges/misconceptions that need to be addressed to achieve a flawless app/website.

• Caring for different user needs: Accessibility testing should cover a wide range of disabilities, including visual, hearing, cognitive and motor impairments. It is challenging to ensure that all user groups are considered, as different disabilities require different accommodations. Start by prioritizing common accessibility guidelines such as Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). Use real-world testing with different users alongside automated tools. Collaboration with users who have disabilities provides insights that automated tests may miss.
• Relying only on automation testing: Automated accessibility tools are useful and time-saving when fixing many problems, but they sometimes miss nuanced issues like poor keyboard navigation, inappropriate content hierarchy, or misleading alt text. Combine automated testing with manual audits. Manual checks for keyboard navigation, screen reader functionality, and color contrast are essential for identifying issues that automation tools cannot detect. Additionally, test with multiple screen readers and browsers to cover different behaviors.
• Dynamic content handling: Modern web applications, such as auto-refreshing data or interactive forms, often update content dynamically. Ensuring that assistive technologies such as screen readers properly announce these changes in real time is a significant challenge. Implement ARIA attributes to inform assistive technologies when content changes dynamically. Test screen readers on interactive components should also be used to ensure they properly notify users of updates.
• Time and resource constraints: Accessibility testing can be resource intensive, especially when multiple rounds of manual testing are required. Therefore, it is often penetrable, especially in agile environments where rapid development cycles prevail. Include accessibility testing in your development process from the beginning. By building it into every sprint, problems are caught earlier, reducing last-minute crashes. Training teams to write accessible code and integrating accessibility controls into CI/CD pipelines helps simplify the process.
• Mobile Accessibility Testing: Providing accessibility on mobile devices presents its own set of challenges, such as touch target size, gesture recognition, and responsiveness. Many accessibility issues on desktop sites are not addressed in their mobile counterparts. Test across multiple mobile devices and screen sizes using manual testing and automated tools like LambdaTest or open source tools like Appium, Selenium, and TestProject. These tools help focus on large touch targets, voice control features, and mobile screen reader compatibility. Also, regularly test your site with mobile accessibility tools like VoiceOver (iOS) and TalkBack (Android)

I believe that accessibility is not only a legal requirement, but a fundamental aspect of responsible business practice. Everyone deserves the opportunity to access and participate in digital experiences. By prioritizing accessibility testing, we are fulfilling our ethical obligations and driving business success.