Manual Accessibility Audits
Manual accessibility audits are systematic evaluations of digital products (websites, apps, documents) conducted by human testers to assess compliance with accessibility standards like WCAG. They involve hands-on testing using assistive technologies, keyboard navigation, and visual inspection to identify barriers for users with disabilities. This process complements automated tools by catching nuanced issues that require human judgment and context.
Developers should learn manual accessibility audits to ensure their products are usable by people with disabilities, which is often a legal requirement (e.g., under ADA or Section 508) and improves overall user experience. It's critical for complex interactions, dynamic content, and custom components where automated tools fall short, such as testing screen reader compatibility or keyboard focus management in single-page applications.