Essential Accessibility Skills for Web Developers: Tools Accessiblü Uses and Recommends for Building Inclusive Experiences

By Shannon Nix, Lead Conformance Specialist, and Rick Flores, Lead Auditor at Accessiblü

You know that moment when you think you’ve built something amazing—the code is clean, the design is slick, everything works perfectly—and then you watch someone try to use it with assistive technology? Yeah, that humbling experience where your beautiful creation turns into a digital obstacle course.

We’ve been there more times than we care to admit, both as Accessiblü’s Lead Auditor and Conformance Specialist.

Over my two years [Shannon] here and countless hours as a 508 Trusted Tester, I’ve learned that accessibility isn’t about memorizing WCAG guidelines or achieving perfect compliance scores. It’s about understanding how real people interact with the web and having the right tools to catch problems before they become barriers.

That’s where my co-author Rick comes in. As our Lead Auditor and someone who’s visually impaired, Rick brings the real-world perspective that transforms theoretical accessibility knowledge into practical solutions. While I’m the code ninja who can spot semantic markup issues from a mile away, Rick is our assistive technology rockstar (and yes, he plays guitar). His daily experience with JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, and TalkBack—combined with his expertise in axe DevTools—gives him insights that no amount of theoretical training can provide. The good news? Building accessible web experiences doesn’t require a PhD in assistive technology or memorizing the entire WCAG specification. What it does require is the right mindset, some solid foundational skills, and a toolkit that won’t make you want to pull your hair out.

As web developers working alongside the Accessiblü team, you’re already ahead of the game. Our managed accessibility ops approach means you’re not going it alone—but having your own accessibility superpowers makes the collaboration even more effective. Think of this as your accessibility starter pack, complete with the tools and techniques that’ll make you the hero your users didn’t know they needed.

Why Every Web Developer Needs Accessibility Chops

Here’s the thing about accessibility: it’s not a nice-to-have feature you bolt on at the end like a spoiler on a Honda Civic. It’s fundamental to good web development, period. When you build with accessibility in mind from the get-go, you’re not just helping users with disabilities—you’re creating better experiences for everyone.

Consider this: that semantic HTML you use for screen readers? It also helps search engines understand your content better. Those keyboard navigation patterns? They’re a godsend for power users who prefer shortcuts. The high contrast you implement for users with low vision? It makes your site more usable in bright sunlight or on older monitors.

Plus, let’s be honest—fixing accessibility issues after the fact is like trying to retrofit a house with plumbing. It’s messy, expensive, and you’ll probably have to tear down some walls. Building it right the first time? That’s just smart development.

Your Essential Accessibility Testing Toolkit

WAVE Browser Extension: Your New Best Friend

If accessibility testing tools were a band, WAVE would be the lead singer—reliable, popular, and gets the job done without too much drama. The WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool) browser extension is like having a accessibility consultant perched on your shoulder, pointing out issues as you browse.

What makes WAVE special for web developers is its visual approach. Instead of generating yet another report you’ll bookmark and forget about, WAVE overlays icons directly on your page elements. See a red error icon next to your form? That’s probably a missing label. Green checkmark on your heading structure? You’re doing it right.

WAVE excels at catching the obvious stuff—missing alt text, poor heading structure, insufficient color contrast. It’s perfect for that quick sanity check before you push to staging. Just remember, WAVE can’t catch everything (we’ll talk about why manual testing matters in a bit), but it’s an excellent first line of defense.

Deque’s axe DevTools: The Power User’s Choice

When you’re ready to level up your accessibility testing game, axe DevTools is where it’s at. This isn’t just a browser extension—it’s a comprehensive testing suite that integrates beautifully into your developer workflow.

What sets axe DevTools apart is its accuracy and detail. While other tools might flag false positives that send you on wild goose chases, axe has a reputation for being precise. When it tells you something’s wrong, it’s probably actually wrong. The tool provides detailed explanations of each issue, complete with code examples and remediation guidance.

The real magic happens when you integrate axe into your development process. You can run automated tests as part of your CI/CD pipeline, catch issues before they hit production, and even get accessibility insights right in your browser’s developer tools. It’s like having a accessibility expert embedded in your development environment.

Good news for Accessiblü clients: We encourage all our A11y Ops clients to grab the free version of axe DevTools. While our team uses DevTools Pro for the advanced features and enterprise integrations, the free version packs plenty of power for day-to-day development work.

RAMP Accessibility Checker: The Comprehensive Analyzer

RAMP (Rapid Accessibility & Mobility Partner) brings a different perspective to accessibility testing. While WAVE and Axe focus on technical compliance, RAMP takes a more holistic approach, enabling us to utilize it for both monitoring and manual testing.

How we use RAMP at Accessiblü: In our managed accessibility ops workflow, RAMP serves as our monitoring backbone. We use it to track accessibility improvements over time and can integrate findings directly into your existing project management systems—if your team uses JIRA, we can set up automated task creation so accessibility issues flow seamlessly into your sprint planning. We can also create client portals within our RAMP system, giving you direct access to your site’s accessibility details and progress tracking. For developers who want to get familiar with the tool, we encourage our A11y Ops clients to explore the free version.

ANDI: The Government-Grade Validator

ANDI (Accessible Name & Description Inspector) might have the most bureaucratic-sounding name in our toolkit, but don’t let that fool you. Developed by the Social Security Administration, ANDI is a powerhouse for testing the accessibility tree—the behind-the-scenes structure that assistive technologies use to understand your content.

What makes ANDI unique is its focus on how screen readers and other assistive technologies actually interpret your code. It shows you the accessible name and description for each element, reveals the tab order, and helps you understand whether your ARIA labels are doing what you think they’re doing.

ANDI is particularly valuable when you’re working with complex interactive components. That custom dropdown you built? ANDI will tell you whether a screen reader user can actually understand what it is and how to use it.

The best things in life are free: ANDI is completely free (thank you, federal government!), and it’s a regular part of our testing arsenal at Accessiblü. There’s no reason not to add this one to your toolkit.

A Quick Note About Tools and Transparency

Before we dig deeper, let’s be crystal clear: Accessiblü doesn’t make or sell accessibility testing tools. We’re in the business of managed accessibility operations, not tool development. However, our team regularly uses DevTools Pro, RAMP, and ANDI in our daily work because they’re genuinely effective.

We recommend these tools because they work, not because we have any financial stake in them. Think of us as your accessibility-savvy friends who are sharing their favorite apps—we’ve tested them in the trenches and know they’ll serve you well.

For our A11y Ops clients, we encourage grabbing the free versions of axe DevTools and RAMP to complement your development workflow. Combined with the always-free ANDI and WAVE, you’ll have a solid testing foundation that won’t cost you a dime.

Tech Stack Recommendations: Building Accessibility In

Component Libraries That Don’t Suck (Accessibly Speaking)

Not all component libraries are created equal when it comes to accessibility. Here are some that’ll make your life easier:

React: Reach UI, Headless UI, and Chakra UI all prioritize accessibility in their design. They handle the tricky ARIA implementation and keyboard navigation patterns so you don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

Vue: Vuetify and PrimeVue have solid accessibility foundations, though you’ll still want to test thoroughly.

Angular: Angular Material and Clarity Design System both put accessibility front and center.

The key is choosing libraries that bake accessibility in rather than treating it as an afterthought. Look for documentation that mentions WCAG compliance, keyboard navigation, and screen reader support. If accessibility isn’t mentioned prominently, that’s usually a red flag.

Framework-Specific Considerations

React Developers: React’s virtual DOM can sometimes interfere with assistive technologies. Make sure you’re managing focus properly when components update, and consider using libraries like focus-trap-react for modal dialogs and other focus management scenarios.

Vue Developers: Vue’s reactivity system is generally friendly to assistive technologies, but pay attention to dynamic content updates. Use aria-live regions appropriately to announce changes to screen reader users.

Angular Developers: The Angular CDK (Component Dev Kit) includes powerful accessibility utilities. The a11y module provides focus management, live announcers, and other accessibility helpers that integrate seamlessly with Angular’s architecture.

Why Overlays Are Not Your Friend

Before we go any further, let’s address the elephant in the room: accessibility overlays. You know, those “solutions” that promise to make your site accessible with just a few lines of JavaScript. They’re everywhere, they’re heavily marketed, and they’re about as effective as a chocolate coffee cup. (Good idea. Bad in reality.)

Here’s the deal: accessibility isn’t something you can sprinkle on top of inaccessible code like seasoning on bland food. It needs to be baked into the foundation. Overlays often create more problems than they solve, breaking existing functionality and creating confusing user experiences for people who actually use assistive technologies.

Instead of overlays, invest in proper semantic HTML, thoughtful design, and the testing tools we’re discussing here. Your users (and your legal team) will thank you.

The Art of Manual Testing: Why Robots Can’t Do Everything

Automated testing tools are fantastic, but they’re like spell-check for accessibility—helpful, but not infallible. They can catch about 30-40% of accessibility issues, which means the majority still require human judgment and testing.

Here’s what automated tools miss:

Context and Intent: A tool can tell you that an image has alt text, but it can’t tell you if that alt text is actually useful. “Image1.jpg” is technically alt text, but it’s about as helpful as a screen door on a submarine. I [Rick] encounter this daily with JAWS—technically compliant alt text that tells me nothing about what’s actually in the image.

User Experience Flow: Tools can verify that individual elements are accessible, but they can’t tell you if the overall user journey makes sense. Can a keyboard user actually complete your checkout process? You’ll need to test that manually. Rick’s experience navigating complex interfaces with screen readers has shown us that the difference between “technically accessible” and “actually usable” is often found in these workflow details.

Complex Interactions: Custom JavaScript interactions, drag-and-drop interfaces, and dynamic content updates often require manual testing to ensure they work properly with assistive technologies. This is where Rick’s expertise with multiple screen readers becomes invaluable—what works perfectly in NVDA might be confusing in JAWS, or seamless in VoiceOver, but broken in TalkBack.

Manual Testing Basics: The Five-Minute Accessibility Check

Here’s a quick manual testing routine you can do in about five minutes:

1. Tab Through Everything: Disconnect your mouse and navigate your entire interface using only the Tab key. Can you reach every interactive element? Is the focus indicator visible? Does the tab order make logical sense?
2. Test Your Headings: Use a screen reader or browser extension to view your heading structure. Do your headings create a logical outline of your page content?
3. Check Your Forms: Try filling out forms using only the keyboard. Are all fields properly labeled? Do error messages make sense when read out of context?
4. Test Dynamic Content: If your page updates content dynamically, make sure those changes are announced to screen readers using appropriate ARIA live regions.
5. Verify Color and Contrast: Don’t just rely on automated tools—actually look at your interface in different lighting conditions and consider how it appears to users with various types of color vision differences.

Mobile Accessibility Testing: The Wild West

Mobile accessibility testing is where things get interesting (and by interesting, I mean challenging). The good news is that many accessibility principles translate directly from desktop to mobile. The bad news is that touch interfaces introduce a whole new set of considerations.

iOS Testing Tips

VoiceOver: iOS’s built-in screen reader is actually quite good. Turn it on (Settings > Accessibility > VoiceOver) and try navigating your web app. The gestures take some getting used to—swipe right to move to the next element, double-tap to activate—but it’s the real deal in terms of how users actually interact with your content.

Switch Control: For users who can’t use touch gestures, iOS offers Switch Control. Test this by connecting an external switch or using the built-in scanning mode. It’s a great way to ensure your tap targets are appropriately sized and positioned.

Voice Control: iOS 13+ includes robust voice control features. Try navigating your app using only voice commands—it’s eye-opening in terms of how important proper labeling and semantic markup become.

Android Testing Tips

TalkBack: Android’s screen reader works similarly to VoiceOver but with different gestures. Swipe right and left to navigate, double-tap to activate. Pay attention to how your custom components are announced—Android can be pickier about ARIA implementation than iOS.

Select to Speak: This feature reads aloud any text you tap on. It’s great for testing whether your content makes sense when read out of context.

High Contrast and Large Text: Test your app with Android’s accessibility display options enabled. Make sure your interface remains usable with large text sizes and high contrast themes.

Mobile-Specific Considerations

Touch Target Size: Make sure interactive elements are at least 44×44 pixels (iOS) or 48×48 dp (Android). Tiny buttons might work fine with a mouse pointer, but they’re frustrating nightmares on touch devices.

Gesture Conflicts: Be careful with custom gestures that might conflict with accessibility features. That swipe-to-delete function might interfere with screen reader navigation gestures.

Orientation Support: Ensure your app works in both portrait and landscape orientations. Some users mount their devices in specific orientations for accessibility reasons.

Building Your Accessibility Mindset

Here’s the secret sauce: accessibility isn’t really about compliance checklists or avoiding lawsuits (though those are nice side effects). It’s about building empathy into your development process. Every time you write code, you’re making decisions about who can and can’t use your creation.

Start small. Pick one accessibility principle and focus on mastering it. Maybe it’s semantic HTML this week, keyboard navigation next week, and color contrast the week after. Before you know it, accessible development will become second nature.

Remember, working with the Accessiblü team means you’re not alone in this journey. Our managed accessibility ops approach is designed to support developers like you, providing expert guidance and remediation support when you need it. Think of us as your accessibility backup singers—we’re here to make you look good.

Your Next Steps

Ready to level up your accessibility game? Here’s your action plan:

1. Install the Tools: Download WAVE, axe DevTools, RAMP, and ANDI. Spend a few minutes exploring each one on a site you know well.
2. Audit Your Current Project: Run your automated tests and make a list of the issues you find. Don’t try to fix everything at once—start with the high-impact, easy-to-fix problems.
3. Practice Manual Testing: Set aside 15 minutes this week to manually test one feature using keyboard navigation and a screen reader.
4. Learn One New Thing: Pick one accessibility topic you’re curious about and dive deeper. Maybe it’s ARIA labels, maybe it’s focus management, maybe it’s color theory.
5. Share Your Knowledge: Accessibility is a team sport. Share what you learn with your colleagues, ask questions in your team Slack, and celebrate the wins.

The web is for everyone, and as developers, we have the power to make that vision a reality. With the right tools, techniques, and mindset, you can build experiences that work for all users—not just the ones who happen to interact with the web the same way you do.

Now go forth and make the internet a more accessible place, one semantic HTML element at a time.