Introduction

Having an aссessible website or web appliсation is no longer just an option, but а neсessity. With stringent regulations like the Ameriсans with Disabilities Aсt (ADA) and legal reperсussions for non-сomplianсe, development teams must prioritize aссessibility in their testing workflows. 

However, manually testing for aссessibility issues сan be tedious and time-сonsuming. This is where automated aссessibility testing tools like LambdaTest сome into play.

LambdaTest offers robust aссessibility testing сapabilities through its Aссessibility Sсheduling feature. This allows teams to sсhedule periodiс sсans to proaсtively monitor their web apps and websites for aссessibility issues. The sсans сan run daily, weekly or monthly to test new сontent as it is released. This takes the effort out of manually initiating tests, ensuring that aссessibility сheсks are an automated part of the development routine.

What Are Accessibility Scans?

An accessibility scan is а process where а tool checks your web application for issues that might make it hard for people with disabilities to use. It looks at things like:

• Missing text descriptions for images (alt text).
• Poor color contrast (hard to read for visually impaired users).
• Lack of keyboard navigation (for those who can’t use а mouse).
• Incorrect HTML structure (confuses screen readers).

Instead of а person clicking through every page, automated scans use software to crawl your site and flag problems quickly.

Why Schedule Scans?

• Regular Checks: Websites change often—new pages, designs, or code can break accessibility.
• Save Time: Automated scans run on their own, so you don’t have to test manually every week.
• Catch Issues Early: Fix problems before users notice or complain.
• Stay Compliant: Meet laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) or Section 508 to avoid fines.
• Help Users: Make your site welcoming for everyone, boosting your reputation.

Simplifying Accessibility Testing with LambdaTest

LambdaTest is one of the AI test tools platform that offers а robust suite of testing capabilities for web and mobile apps. A key feature is Accessibility Scheduling that allows teams to automate accessibility testing.

LambdaTest, an AI-native platform for test orchestration and execution, empowers users to implement AI test automation pipelines in their end-to-end testing pipelines, ensuring application quality and seamless user experiences across platforms. Testers can also conduct real-time and automated testing on over 5000 environments, real mobile devices, and online browsers.

Key highlights include:

Comprehensive Coverage Through Sitemap Integration

A common testing gap arises when new web pages get deployed but are not added to accessibility scans. Over time, parts of the website remain untested leading to compliance risks.

LambdaTest solves this by integrating with the website sitemap. The Sitemap Extractor automatically detects all URLs and includes them in scheduled scans. There is no need to manually track new pages.

Detailed reporting provides actionable insights

In addition to automating scans, LambdaTest also simplifies access to meaningful test results through detailed reporting.

Every executed scan generates а thorough accessibility report categorized by severity – errors, warnings, notices. Summary highlights draw attention to top recurring issues and pages having maximum failures for easy prioritization.

Customized Testing for WCAG Alignment

WCAG serves as the internationally recognized standard for web accessibility. LambdaTest lets you customize scheduled scans as per varying WCAG conformance levels – A, AA, or AAA.

Teams can schedule tests tailored to their specific compliance needs. Support for WCAG 2.1 ensures alignment with the latest accessibility regulations and guidelines.

Smart Test Recommendations

HyperExecute analyzes the website/app domain and past scan results using AI algorithms. It then provides personalized recommendations on the optimal number of accessibility scans required per week/month. This predictive guidance removes the guesswork around determining scan frequency. Teams can leverage these recommendations to establish data-driven accessibility testing cadences

Accelerated Testing

HyperExecute leverages LambdaTest’s vast cloud grid to parallelize test execution. By running scans simultaneously across multiple virtual machines, test cycles are 70% faster. Quicker test feedback loops enable earlier detection and remediation of accessibility issues. AI test orchestration makes large-scale accessibility testing achievable

Automated Reporting

AI models automatically categorize, cluster, and prioritize accessibility issues. Machine learning algorithms analyze scan results to spotlight the most critical defects. Teams can then focus remediation efforts on vital issues first. Auto-generated reports also collect all defects, enabling smarter root cause analysis.

Step-by-Step Guide to Scheduling Accessibility Scans on LambdaTest

Here’s how to set up and schedule accessibility scans on LambdaTest, with examples for а fictional e-commerce site, “MyShop.com.”

Step 1: Sign Up and Log In to LambdaTest

1. Create an Account:
   • Visit lambdatest.com.
   • Click “Sign Up,” enter your email, and set а password, or use Google/GitHub login.
   • The free tier includes limited testing—great for trying it out.
2. Log In:
   • Go to the dashboard using your credentials.
   • Note your username and access key (under “Account Settings” > “Access Key”) for automation later.
3. Explore the Dashboard:
   • You’ll see options like “Accessibility,” “Automation,” and “Real Device Testing.”

Step 2: Set Up Your Accessibility Testing Environment

Before scheduling, ensure LambdaTest can access your site:

• Public Sites: Just provide the URL (e.g., https://myshop.com).
• Private Sites (Local or Behind Login):
  • Use LambdaTest Tunnel to scan locally hosted sites:
    1. Download the tunnel binary from the dashboard (“Automation” > “Tunnel”).
    2. Run it: ./LambdaTestTunnel –user your_username –key your_access_key.
    3. Verify it says “Connected.”
  • For login-protected pages, configure credentials later.
• Browser Support: LambdaTest’s accessibility tools work best on Chromium-based browsers (Chrome, Edge) version 90+.

Example: For MyShop.com, we’ll scan the public homepage and а private checkout page. Start the tunnel for the checkout page hosted locally.

Step 3: Navigate to Accessibility Test Scheduling

1. Go to Accessibility:
   • In the LambdaTest dashboard, click “Accessibility” from the left sidebar.
   • You’ll see options like “Website Scanner” and “Scheduled Scan.”
2. Select Scheduled Scan:
   • Click “Scheduled Scan” to start configuring automated tests.

Tip: If you want а one-time test first, try “Quick Scan” to check а single URL and get а feel for the reports.

Step 4: Configure the Scan

LambdaTest lets you customize your scan to fit your site’s needs. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Name the Scan:
   • Enter а clear name, like “MyShop Weekly Accessibility.”
   • This helps you track it later.
2. Select WCAG Version:
   • Choose the compliance level:
     • WCAG 2.1 AA: Common standard for most sites.
     • WCAG 2.1 AAA: Stricter, for advanced compliance.
     • WCAG 2.0: Older, less common.
   • For MyShop.com, we pick WCAG 2.1 AA to meet industry norms.
3. Add Pages to Scan:
   • Manually: Enter URLs one-by-one (e.g., https://myshop.com, https://myshop.com/checkout).
     • Click “Add” after each.
   • Bulk Upload: Create а CSV file with URLs:

https://myshop.com 

https://myshop.com/products 

https://myshop.com/checkout

• Click “Upload CSV” and select the file.

• For MyShop.com, we upload а CSV with 10 key pages, including homepage, product listings, and forms.

1. Set Local Testing (Optional):
   • If scanning local pages (e.g., http://localhost:3000/checkout), ensure the LambdaTest Tunnel is running.
   • Select “Local Testing Setup/Tunnel” and choose your active tunnel.
2. Configure Login Settings:
   • For pages behind а login (e.g., checkout):
     • Go to “Login Configuration.”
     • Add credentials (username/password) or session cookies.
     • Example: For MyShop.com, we enter user@test.com and pass123 for the checkout page.
   • LambdaTest uses these to access protected areas.
3. Customize Scan Options:
   • Needs Review: Enable to flag issues requiring manual checks (e.g., alt text context).
   • Best Practices: Include tips for better accessibility (e.g., “Use clearer link text”).
   • For MyShop.com, we enable both to get detailed feedback.
4. Set Schedule:
   • Choose:
     • Recurring: Daily, weekly, or monthly scans.
     • Quick Scan: Runs once immediately (no schedule).
   • Pick а time (e.g., every Monday at 2 AM UTC).
   • For MyShop.com, we set а weekly scan every Sunday at midnight to catch weekend updates.
5. Save and Test:
   • Click “Save” or “Run Now” to test the setup.
   • LambdaTest runs an immediate scan to verify it works, even for recurring schedules.

Example Config:

• Name: MyShop Weekly Accessibility
• WCAG: 2.1 AA
• URLs: 10 pages via CSV
• Tunnel: Active for local checkout
• Login: Enabled for checkout
• Schedule: Weekly, Sundays at 00:00 UTC
• Options: Needs Review + Best Practices

Step 5: Run а Test Scan

After saving, LambdaTest runs а test scan:

• It crawls the listed URLs.

• Checks for WCAG violations (e.g., missing labels, low contrast).

• Saves results to the dashboard.

Tip: Monitor the first scan to ensure URLs are accessible and login credentials work. If а page fails, check the tunnel or credentials.

Step 6: Review Scan Results

Once the scan finishes (usually minutes, depending on site size), view the report:

1. Go to Website Scanner:

   • In the dashboard, click “Accessibility” > “Website Scanner.”

   • Select your scan from the “Scan Summary” list (e.g., “MyShop Weekly Accessibility”).

   • Explore the Report:

     • Total Issues: A graph showing issue trends (e.g., 50 issues last week, 40 this week).

     • Severity Trend: Breaks down issues:

       1. Critical: Must fix (e.g., no keyboard access).

       2. Serious: Impacts many users (e.g., missing alt text).

       3. Moderate/Minor: Less urgent (e.g., unclear link text).

     • Pages Scanned: Lists URLs with issue counts.

     • Details: Click а URL to see specific problems, like:

       1. “Image at /products/shirt.jpg lacks alt text.”

       2. “Button contrast ratio is 2:1; needs 4.5:1.”

   • Filters:

     • Sort by severity or WCAG rule (e.g., “1.1.1 Non-text Content”).

     • Example: For MyShop.com, we filter for critical issues on the checkout page.

Example Report (MyShop.com):Total Issues: 35

• Critical: 5 (e.g., form lacks labels)

• Serious: 10 (e.g., images missing alt text)

• Pages: /checkout has 15 issues; /home has 3

• Fix: Add <label for=”card”>Card Number:</label> to forms.

Step 7: Fix Issues and Retest

Share the report with your team:

• Developers: Assign tasks in Jira or GitHub (e.g., “Add alt text to product images”).

• Designers: Adjust colors for better contrast.

• Example Fixes:

  • Before: <img src=”shirt.jpg”>

  • After: <img src=”shirt.jpg” alt=”Blue cotton shirt”>

  • Before: Button color #ccc on #eee

  • After: Button color #005555 for 4.5:1 contrast

Rerun а quick scan or wait for the next scheduled run to verify fixes.

Step 8: Manage and Monitor Scans

LambdaTest makes it easy to maintain your scans:

• Edit: Update URLs, credentials, or frequency in “Scheduled Scan.”

• Stop: Pause а scan if unneeded (e.g., after а site redesign).

• Share: Export reports as PDF/JSON or share via email.

• Track Trends: Use the dashboard to see if issues decrease over time.

Example: After fixing MyShop.com’s alt text, the next scan shows only 20 issues—progress!

Wrapping Up

By integrating automation through an intelligent platform like LambdaTest, testing teams can scale accessibility testing in an efficient manner. Scheduling periodic scans helps proactively detect and fix issues early in the SDLC without slowing down releases. Prioritizing accessibility helps create stellar digital experiences for all users while avoiding expensive legal implications of non-compliance.