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Tools

Accessibility should be treated as a continuous part of the development process rather than a final checklist. To support this mindset, developers can rely on a variety of tools that help identify problems, explain their impact, and guide improvements according to accessibility standards such as WCAG. These tools work best when combined and used regularly during development.

Silktide Accessibility Checker​

Silktide is a Chrome extension focused on making accessibility issues easy to understand and fix. It analyzes pages directly in the browser and reports problems such as insufficient contrast, missing labels, incorrect ARIA usage, and structural HTML issues. One of its main strengths is its educational approach, as it explains why each issue matters and how it affects users with disabilities. This makes Silktide especially useful for developers who are still developing their accessibility knowledge. More information is available at https://silktide.com/.

silktide

WAVE​

WAVE, the Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool, is a browser-based accessibility checker that visually highlights issues directly on the page. Instead of presenting results only as a textual report, it overlays indicators on top of elements with errors, warnings, or accessibility features. This visual feedback helps developers quickly associate accessibility problems with their corresponding UI components, which can be particularly helpful during layout and design reviews.

Axe DevTools​

Axe DevTools is an accessibility testing tool created by Deque Systems and built on top of the axe-core engine. It integrates into browser developer tools and performs automated checks against WCAG criteria. Axe is commonly used in professional workflows because it can also be integrated into automated tests and continuous integration pipelines, helping teams catch accessibility regressions early and consistently.

Lighthouse​

Lighthouse is a tool built into Chrome DevTools that provides audits for performance, SEO, best practices, and accessibility. Its accessibility audit identifies common issues such as missing form labels, low color contrast, and improper heading structure. While Lighthouse does not replace manual testing or screen reader validation, it serves as a useful first pass to identify obvious accessibility problems during development.

Pa11y​

Pa11y is a command-line tool designed for automated accessibility testing. It can be run locally or as part of a CI process, scanning pages and reporting accessibility issues in a structured format. Pa11y is especially valuable for teams that want accessibility checks to be part of their deployment pipeline, ensuring that new changes do not introduce previously resolved issues.