Screen Reader Testing
// Definition
Verifying an interface works with assistive technology that reads content aloud — VoiceOver, NVDA, JAWS, TalkBack. Catches missing labels, broken focus order, and content visible only to sighted users.
// Related terms
ARIA Attributes
HTML attributes (role, aria-label, aria-describedby, aria-live) that expose semantics and state to assistive technologies. The first rule of ARIA is: don't use ARIA — prefer native HTML elements when they convey the same meaning.
WCAG
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines — the international standard for accessible web content, organised into four principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust). Levels A, AA, and AAA define increasing conformance. Most regulations target WCAG 2.1 or 2.2 Level AA.
Accessibility Audit
A structured review of a product against accessibility standards, combining automated scans (axe, Lighthouse), manual checks, and assistive-technology testing. Automated tools catch roughly a third of issues; the rest need human judgement.
Learn more · Manual Software Testing
Chapter 5 · Lesson 4: Screen Readers and Assistive Technology Basics