You don't need certifications to run useful screen reader tests. 30 minutes with NVDA or VoiceOver will catch issues no automated tool can. Here's how to start.
Setup
- Windows: install NVDA (free). Use Firefox — best NVDA compatibility.
- macOS: VoiceOver is built in. Toggle with Cmd-F5. Use Safari — best VoiceOver compatibility.
- Headphones recommended; the synthetic voice gets fatiguing fast over speakers.
The 5-minute first pass
- Load the homepage. Listen to the first announcement: it should give you the page title and a sense of structure.
- Tab through every interactive element on a critical page (e.g. product → cart → checkout). Note any control that announces nothing or just "button".
- Use the heading shortcut (NVDA: H; VoiceOver: VO + Cmd + H) to navigate by headings. The structure should make sense out of context.
- Open a form. Each field should announce its label, current value, and any error state.
- Trigger a modal. Focus should land inside the modal; closing it should return focus to the trigger.
Things automated tools miss
- Reading order: visually correct ≠ DOM order. A floated sidebar can be read before the main article.
- Live regions: cart updates, form validation messages — are they announced?
- Custom widgets: tabs, accordions, comboboxes. Most fail because the ARIA pattern is incomplete.
- "Skip to content" links: they exist in 60% of sites we audit but only work in 30%.
What to log
For every issue: URL, element selector, what was announced, what should have been announced, WCAG criterion. Keep a running spreadsheet — patterns will emerge (e.g., "every product card swallows the price").
Going further
Once you're comfortable, repeat with mobile screen readers (TalkBack on Android, VoiceOver on iOS). Mobile gestures change everything; many "accessible" sites break on touch.
AccessProof handles the automated scan layer; pair it with this 30-minute manual ritual once per release and you're ahead of 90% of sites.
Originally published on access-proof.com.
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