Interactive Tools
[Author: Bill Fischer]
Overview
Testing our work during the development process using digital simulation tools will maximize the universal quality of the media we create.
Testing Web Media Attainability
Web content should be fast loading on 2-3 bar connections to 4g networks, respond to every device size, and be usable on phones. Over half of all page views on the internet are from mobile devices. Below, are two tools to help you with assessment.
Usability Tools
Free Vision Impairment Simulators
Dalton Lens. The most researched and accurate color-blind simulator (external link). Provides the ability to grab any screen region, and test 3 types of color-blindeness along a sliding severity scale. Users acan easily save simulation files directly from the app which runs natively on MAC and PC.
Color Oracle Simulator. A native app for MAC and PC that simulates colorblindness for anything currently showing on a display (external link). It's simulation capabilitiies are very close to Dalton lens' and is useful for quick checks.
Chromatic Vision Simulator: Mobile App that uses your phone's camera to see the world with color-blindness (external link).
Colour Contrast Analyzer by NC State University. This Color contrast mapping Chrome extension (external link), by NC State University, allows designers to see a visual map of any website laid over all of the text and images. Various WCAG AA and AAA standards can be mapped.
Interfacing with your users
Affective usability assessment starts before and runs all the way through the development process.
WCAG Accessibility Checkers
Check your site in this free online comprehensive WCAG Checker called WAVE (external link). There are also Firefox and Chrome Extensions for the Wave Checker (external link).
Romeo Elsevier Checklist for WCAG standards (external link) for web-based media.
AChecker for WCAG standards (external link) (provides code line feedback)
WebAim guide for screen reader compatibility (external link) for help with writing and code development.
NVDA Screen Reader
Free and available for Windows only
Is one of the most commonly used software for testing websites.
Free!
Mac's VoiceOver screen reader
Free and available for Apple Macintosh computers only.
Built into the Mac O.S. and works only on Safari
Free!