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Accessibility Testing Crash Course - James Sheasby Thomas

13th January 2023

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James Sheasby Thomas

QA Analyst

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Talk Description

Accessibility is often the 'last mile' of web development. If the client/project sponsor won't pay for it and there's not enough time to squeeze it in, it probably won't get done. Even when accessibility is included in a project, it can sometimes feel like a box-ticking exercise. It doesn’t have to be that way!

In this talk, you’ll learn about the disabilities that affect how people can use the web, and the key building block needed for an accessible website. James will also introduce some tools and approaches for quick and effective accessibility testing. Finally, James will provide some business justifications and real-world context to help you advocate accessibility to colleagues and stakeholders.

Takeaways

Awareness of disabilities that can affect individuals' ability to use the web.
An understanding of the key concepts of accessibility and how they apply to the web.
An overview of free accessibility testing tools that are easy for beginners to use.
Business justifications for accessibility (and accessibility testing).
Suggested follow-up actions to help attendees introduce accessibility (and accessibility testing) to their own organisations.

What you’ll learn

By the end of this talk, you'll be able to:

James Sheasby Thomas

QA Analyst

James Sheasby Thomas is an an agile web and mobile tester for Inviqa, a major open source technology partner based in the UK and Germany. After starting his career in digital marketing and communications for a software company, he made the switch to the hectic world of digital agency testing in 2014 and has never looked back. James specialises in cross-browser/device testing and exploratory integration testing, and has a burning passion for usability, accessibility, tool-assisted testing and agile methodology (particularly Kanban). Since joining Inviqa he has worked closely with developers, PMs, AMs and clients to help facilitate a move towards Continuous Delivery and a truly collaborative QA process. Outside of the 9 to 5 he spends as much time as possible in the countryside, museums, cafes and local breweries.