How Do I Test My Website for Accessibility for Free? Tools and Methods

You've heard about accessibility requirements, maybe seen some lawsuit headlines, and now you're wondering: is my website accessible? Before spending money on audits or tools, you want to understand what you're dealing with.

Good news—you can learn a lot for free. Free tools won't give you complete coverage, but they'll reveal whether you have significant problems and what kinds of issues to prioritize. I'll walk you through what's available and how to use it effectively.

Q: How can I test my website for accessibility for free?

A: Free accessibility testing combines browser tools (Chrome Lighthouse, browser extensions), keyboard navigation testing, and screen reader testing. Free automated tools catch about 30-40% of accessibility issues. Manual testing catches more. Together, they provide useful baseline understanding of your accessibility status.

Free Automated Testing Tools

Browser-Based Tools

Chrome Lighthouse

Lighthouse is built into Chrome DevTools—you already have it.

To use it:

1. Open Chrome DevTools (F12 or right-click → Inspect)
2. Click the "Lighthouse" tab
3. Check "Accessibility" under Categories
4. Click "Analyze page load"

Lighthouse checks a subset of WCAG criteria and provides a score from 0-100. The score isn't comprehensive—a 100 doesn't mean your site is accessible—but it identifies obvious issues.

What Lighthouse catches:

• Images without alt attributes
• Color contrast failures
• Missing form labels
• Invalid ARIA attributes
• Missing document language
• Link and button text issues

Firefox Accessibility Inspector

Firefox includes an accessibility inspector in DevTools:

1. Open DevTools (F12)
2. Click the "Accessibility" tab
3. Turn on accessibility features
4. Click "Check for issues"

Firefox's tool offers different perspectives than Lighthouse, sometimes catching issues the other misses.

Browser Extensions

WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool)

The WAVE extension from WebAIM is one of the most popular free testing tools. Available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.

WAVE overlays icons on your page showing errors, alerts, and structural elements. It provides detailed explanations of each issue found.

What I like about WAVE:

• Visual representation of issues on the actual page
• Clear explanations of what's wrong and why
• Shows structural elements (headings, landmarks) so you can verify correctness

Limitations:

• Shows many "alerts" that may or may not be actual issues
• Can be overwhelming on pages with many problems
• Doesn't test dynamic content well

axe DevTools Extension

The axe DevTools browser extension integrates into Chrome or Firefox DevTools. It's made by accessibility specialists and has strong detection accuracy.

What I like about axe:

• Lower false positive rate than some alternatives
• Clear impact ratings (Critical, Serious, Moderate, Minor)
• Good explanations with links to more information

IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker

IBM's free checker runs in Chrome and provides detailed accessibility reports.

Online Scanning Tools

WAVE WebAIM Online

The online version of WAVE at wave.webaim.org lets you enter URLs without installing anything. Useful for quick checks, though the extension provides better experience for systematic testing.

Other Online Tools

Several tools offer free tiers:

• AChecker - Academic tool with detailed reports
• Tenon.io - Offers limited free testing
• ANDI - Social Security Administration's testing tool

Manual Testing Methods

Keyboard Navigation Testing

Automated tools can't fully verify keyboard accessibility. Manual testing is essential.

Basic keyboard test:

1. Start at the top of your page
2. Press Tab repeatedly to move through interactive elements
3. Use Enter to activate buttons and links
4. Use arrow keys for menus and custom controls
5. Press Escape to close modals and menus

What to check:

• Can you reach every interactive element?
• Is the focus indicator visible? (You should see which element is focused)
• Can you operate menus, dropdowns, and custom controls?
• Can you skip to main content?
• Can you escape from modal dialogs?
• Does focus order make logical sense?

Common issues found:

• Keyboard traps (focus gets stuck)
• No visible focus indicator
• Custom controls that only work with mouse
• Illogical tab order
• Skip links missing

Keyboard testing catches issues automated tools miss and costs nothing but time.

Screen Reader Testing

Testing with actual screen readers reveals how assistive technology users experience your site.

Free screen reader options:

NVDA (Windows): NVDAproject.org offers NVDA free. It's the second-most-popular Windows screen reader and provides representative testing.

VoiceOver (Mac/iOS): Built into Mac and iOS devices. Command+F5 toggles VoiceOver on Mac. No installation needed.

TalkBack (Android): Built into Android devices. Enable in Settings → Accessibility.

Narrator (Windows): Built into Windows. Press Windows+Ctrl+Enter. Basic but useful for quick checks.

Basic screen reader test:

1. Turn on the screen reader
2. Close your eyes or look away from the screen
3. Try to understand what's on the page from audio alone
4. Navigate to specific content (product page, form, etc.)
5. Complete a task (fill out a form, make a purchase)

What to listen for:

• Do images convey meaningful information?
• Are form fields properly labeled?
• Do headings describe content sections?
• Can you understand the page structure?
• Do links and buttons make sense out of visual context?

Screen reader testing has a learning curve but provides insights no automated tool can match.

Color and Contrast Testing

WebAIM Contrast Checker

The WebAIM Contrast Checker lets you enter foreground and background colors to verify they meet WCAG requirements.

WCAG requires:

• 4.5:1 contrast ratio for normal text (Level AA)
• 3:1 contrast ratio for large text (18pt+ or 14pt+ bold)
• 3:1 contrast ratio for UI components and graphics (Level AA)

Color Blindness Simulators

Browser extensions like Colorblindly simulate how your site appears to users with various types of color blindness.

Check that:

• Color isn't the only way to convey information
• Links are distinguishable from surrounding text
• Error states are indicated by more than color

Combining Tools Effectively

A Practical Testing Workflow

No single free tool catches everything. Combining approaches maximizes coverage.

Quick check (10 minutes):

1. Run Lighthouse accessibility audit
2. Install and run WAVE extension
3. Tab through the page checking keyboard accessibility

Thorough check (30-60 minutes per page):

1. Run multiple automated tools (Lighthouse, WAVE, axe)
2. Note any discrepancies between tools
3. Complete keyboard navigation test
4. Check color contrast on key elements
5. Test with screen reader on critical user paths
6. Document all issues found

Representative page selection:

You can't test every page, so test representative templates:

• Homepage
• Product/content page
• List/archive page
• Form page
• Search results
• Checkout/conversion flow

Issues in templates typically appear across all pages using that template.

Understanding Tool Limitations

What free automated tools catch (~30-40% of issues):

• Missing alt text
• Color contrast failures
• Missing form labels
• Improper heading structure
• Invalid ARIA attributes
• Missing document language
• Some keyboard accessibility issues

What automated tools miss (~60-70% of issues):

• Meaningfulness of alt text (they check presence, not quality)
• Logical reading order
• Keyboard trap situations
• Focus management in dynamic content
• Cognitive accessibility issues
• Complex ARIA pattern correctness
• Whether content is actually understandable

According to research cited by the W3C, automated testing catches roughly 30-40% of accessibility barriers. The exact percentage varies by methodology, but the point is clear: automation alone isn't comprehensive.

When Free Testing Isn't Enough

Free testing provides valuable baseline understanding, but has limitations:

If you're facing legal action: Professional accessibility audits provide documentation suitable for legal proceedings. Free tools don't create defensible conformance claims.

If you need comprehensive remediation: Platforms like TestParty not only find issues but generate fixes, dramatically reducing remediation time. Free tools find problems but leave fixing to you.

If you need continuous monitoring: Free tools require manual repeated testing. Paid platforms provide automated continuous monitoring that catches regressions.

If you need VPATs or compliance documentation: Enterprise requirements demand formal documentation that free DIY testing doesn't provide.

Free testing is excellent for understanding your situation and fixing obvious issues. Professional tools become valuable when you need efficiency, completeness, or documentation.

Getting the Most from Free Testing

Tips for Effective Free Testing

Test in multiple browsers. Accessibility can vary across browsers. What works in Chrome might fail in Safari.

Test actual user paths. Focus on what users actually do: find product, add to cart, checkout. Don't just scan random pages.

Document systematically. Keep a spreadsheet of issues found, where they occur, and their severity. This helps prioritize remediation.

Retest after fixes. Verify that your fixes actually resolved issues without creating new ones.

Learn from issues found. Patterns emerge—if alt text is missing everywhere, that's a content process issue. If headings are wrong everywhere, that's a template issue.

Building Toward Comprehensive Accessibility

Free testing is often where accessibility journeys start. It reveals whether you have major issues, minor issues, or something in between.

If free testing reveals significant problems (most sites have them), the logical next step is systematic remediation:

1. Prioritize by impact: Fix issues blocking critical user tasks first
2. Fix template issues: Repairs propagate to all pages using that template
3. Establish processes: Prevent new issues through training and workflow changes
4. Consider professional tools: When efficiency matters, platforms that find and fix issues (like TestParty) dramatically accelerate progress

FAQ Section

Q: Can I rely solely on free tools for accessibility compliance?

A: Free tools provide useful awareness but not comprehensive compliance verification. They catch 30-40% of issues and can't evaluate manual testing criteria. For legal compliance claims or enterprise requirements, professional audits and tools are necessary.

Q: Which free tool is most accurate?

A: axe DevTools has strong reputation for detection accuracy with low false positive rates. However, different tools catch different issues. Using multiple tools provides better coverage than relying on any single tool.

Q: How often should I test with free tools?

A: Test whenever you make significant changes (new pages, features, design updates). For ongoing monitoring, manual testing isn't sustainable—that's where continuous monitoring platforms add value.

Q: Is Chrome Lighthouse score a reliable measure of accessibility?

A: Lighthouse scores provide rough indication but shouldn't be interpreted as comprehensive. A 100 score doesn't mean compliant—it means you passed the specific checks Lighthouse runs. Many accessibility issues aren't covered by Lighthouse.

Q: Can free tools test mobile accessibility?

A: Browser tools test responsive versions of sites viewed on desktop browsers. For true mobile testing, use VoiceOver on iOS or TalkBack on Android to test on actual devices. Mobile-specific issues may not appear in desktop browser testing.

Starting Your Accessibility Journey

Free testing answers the essential first question: how bad is it?

For most sites, the answer is "there's work to do." But now you know what kind of work. You've got specific issues to address, not vague anxiety about compliance.

Start with the highest-impact issues found, particularly anything affecting critical user paths. Even addressing obvious problems improves accessibility meaningfully—and positions you well for more comprehensive work if needed.

Want to go beyond free tools? Get a free accessibility scan from TestParty for more comprehensive automated detection plus AI-powered fix suggestions.

Related Articles:

• Free Accessibility Testing Tools: Complete Guide
• Accessibility Audits: What to Expect
• How Long Does Website Accessibility Take to Fix?

This article combines AI-generated research with human expertise from our accessibility specialists. TestParty's focus is on automated WCAG remediation and continuous monitoring, but accessibility is a broad field. For decisions affecting your organization, seek guidance from qualified professionals.