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Manual Testing

2:12 with Aisha Blake

User testing is an awesome way to put your money where your mouth is and see just how a user will interact with your app. Including users who actually live with various disabilities and work with assistive technology on a daily basis can give your accessibility testing incredible authenticity. As with user testing in general, consider asking anyone you know who uses assistive technology to take a run at what you’ve built. You may find that their patterns of use are different than you expected!

Resources

Don’t Make Me Think

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    [MUSIC]

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    You're probably at least a little familiar with the benefits of testing your code.

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    But testing for accessibility should be part of that process.

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    There are lots of options when it comes to testing the accessibility of our projects.

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    Ranging from quick and dirty manual techniques

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    to building automated tests directly into your workflow.

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    Manual techniques are a great way to test things out piece by piece.

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    It's possible to experience the site from a perspective

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    as close to that of the user as possible.

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    But it's also fairly inefficient if you're going in without a plan.

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    In this video, we'll talk about some manual testing techniques

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    to help ensure your site is up to snuff.

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    The first thing you'll want to do is tab through yourself

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    to see if everything that needs focus can be focused on.

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    All of the functionality built into the site like forms and

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    video controls should be usable and the mouse shouldn't be necessary at all.

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    Next, use assistive technology like a screen reader or

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    any of the others we've mentioned.

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    It would be a difficult and expensive endeavor to try and

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    replicate the experience of a user

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    accessing your content with every single type of assistive device.

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    But the screen readers we discussed in the first stage are a good place to start.

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    If time allows, try navigating through using a switch controls.

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    It's great to walk through on your own and make sure everything works as intended.

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    But we as developers are often a little

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    two close to the project to be great usability testers.

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    You may not be able to accurately anticipate how some or

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    even most of your users will go about navigating your site.

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    User testing is an awesome way to see just how a real user will interact with your

  • 1:50

    app including users who actually live with various disabilities and

  • 1:55

    work with assistive technology on a daily basis

  • 1:58

    can give you accessibility testing incredible authenticity.

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    Consider asking anyone you know who uses the assistive technology to make a run

  • 2:07

    of what you built.

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    You may find that their patterns of use are different than you expected.

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