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Home / Accessibility Checker / Why Do We Say 100% Passed Tests, Not 100% Accessible?

Why Do We Say 100% Passed Tests, Not 100% Accessible?

You may have noticed on the Accessibility Checker summary tab and in Accessibility Checker reports, we never say that a page is 100% accessible. Rather, we say that a page or post has 100% passed tests.

accessibility checker summary tab with no error or warnings and 100% passed tests

Further, at the bottom of the summary, we have this note:

Accessibility Checker uses automated scanning to help you to identify if common accessibility errors are present on your website. Automated tools are great for catching some accessibility problems and are part of achieving and maintaining an accessible website, however not all accessibility problems can be identified by a scanning tool.

As noted here and further explained in our help article explaining how to manually test your website for accessibility, most experts believe that only 30% of accessibility problems can be identified (or corrected) automatically.

Items That Cannot Be Checked for Automatically

Despite what other plugins, integrations, or overlay products might tell you, there is no way for any automated tool or plugin to ensure your website is fully accessible. Examples of items that cannot be scanned for accessibility automatically or that require judgments to be made include:

  • if an image is decorative.
  • if an image with text on it has appropriate color contrast between the text and the background.
  • if an image with text on it has alt text that says the same thing as the text on the image.
  • if the correct alt text was used to describe an image in the context of the post or page.
  • that images with text on them are still readable on very small screens, like phones.
  • that the anchor text in a link accurately describes the page it is linking to and makes sense both in and out of context on the page where it is linked.
  • captions are present on videos and are correct, not auto-generated.
  • transcripts for audio and video files are accurate.
  • there are adequate audio descriptions on video content.
  • a simplified summary is a complete and correct summary of the post or page for which it was written.
  • sliders and other moving content can be paused or stopped from playing.
  • the focus state never gets lost while navigating through the page with a keyboard.
  • there are no keyboard traps where a keyboard-only user gets stuck and cannot move on.
  • all items which should be focusable and are operable by a mouse can also be tabbed to and operated by a keyboard only.

These are just some of the items that cannot be tested by an automated tool. If you review the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, you’ll see many other examples of success criteria that require a human’s judgment in order to ensure that they have been met.

As much as we wish that Accessibility Checker could tell you instantly whether or not your website is accessible, it’s just not possible. The best we can do is tell you if any obvious errors or possible errors (warnings) exist on the website. This is is why we say “100% Passed Tests” and not “100% Accessible.”

How to Achieve a 100% Accessible Website

True accessibility can only be achieved through a combination of automated scans and manual review, and manually fixing any identified problems either within the content editor or in your website’s code.

It’s crucial to note that no AI solution or automated tool can make your website accessible. Only you, your team, or an accessibility consultant/firm/developer can make your website accessible through real effort, conscious decision making, and fixes at the root of the problem.

If you want to make your website 100% accessible, it is possible and Accessibility Checker is a vital part of that goal. Use Accessibility Checker to test for obvious errors and strive to have every page or post on your website say “100% Passed Tests.” That, in tandem with your manual testing efforts, will get you well on the way to an accessible website.

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Frequently Asked Questions

  • How to Install & Activate Accessibility Checker
  • Getting Started Quick Guide
  • Why Do We Say 100% Passed Tests, Not 100% Accessible?
  • How to Manually Check Your Website for Accessibility
  • When and How to Ignore Accessibility Errors or Warnings
  • What to do if There are Accessibility Errors in Your Theme
  • What to do if a Plugin You’re Using has Accessibility Errors
  • How to Get Support for Accessibility Checker
  • Can I Hire Equalize Digital to Fix Accessibility Issues on My Website?
  • Additional Resources for Learning About Accessibility
  • How to Test Accessibility Checker for Conflicts with Themes or Plugins
  • What Does “Unlimited Dev Sites” mean?
  • Is there an Accessibility Conformance Report (ACR) or VPAT available for Accessibility Checker?

Rule Documentation

  • A Slider is Present
  • A Video is Present
  • Ambiguous Anchor Text
  • ARIA Hidden
  • Blinking or Scrolling Content
  • Broken ARIA Reference
  • Broken Skip or Anchor Link
  • Duplicate Alternative Text
  • Duplicate Form Label
  • Empty Button
  • Empty Heading Tag
  • Empty Link
  • Empty or Missing Form Label
  • Empty or Missing Table Header
  • iFrame Missing Title
  • Image Animated GIF
  • Image Empty Alternative Text
  • Image Long Alternative Text
  • Image Map Missing Alternative Text
  • Image Missing Alternative Text
  • Improper Use of Link
  • Incorrect Heading Order
  • Insufficient Color Contrast
  • Link Opens New Window or Tab
  • Link to MS Office File
  • Link to Non-HTML File
  • Link to PDF
  • Linked Image Missing or Empty Alternative Text
  • Long Description Invalid
  • Low-quality Alternative Text
  • Missing Language Declaration
  • Missing Subheadings
  • Missing Title
  • Missing Transcript
  • Possible Heading
  • Readability & Simplified Summary
  • Tab Order Modified
  • Text Justified
  • Text Too Small
  • Underlined Text

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Your WordPress accessibility team. Accessibility plugins, rapid audits, and consulting to help you make your website usable by people of all abilities.

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