Accessibility Checkers

Many accessibility checkers are at your disposal. Some check web pages and others check documents. 

Web Page Checkers

WAVE

WAVE is a browser extension that works on Chrome and Firefox. It provides color-coded accessibility test results at the point on the page where it finds an issue.

Add the extension or run a WAVE report from our Web Content Report web tool. Select your web workspace, generate a report, then tap the Wave button to analyze your page. 

Siteimprove Accessibility Checker

Siteimprove Accessibility Checker is a Chrome browser extension. This checker rates what if finds by Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Level. MCC has pledged to make its websites comply with WCAG 2.0, Levels A and AA.

This checker is also instructional. Use it to gain a deeper understanding of accessibility issues.

WebAIM

WebAIM is an accessibility training and consulting company. In addition to many helpful articles, you’ll find Contrast Checker and Link Contrast Checker tools. 

Document Checkers

All online PDFs need to be accessible unless equivalent information is provided on an accessible web page.

In most cases, an accessible PDF starts with an accessible Microsoft Office document. Each Office application comes with a built-in accessibility checker. (Note: Microsoft Publisher does not have an accessibility checker and does not create accessible documents.)

Unfortunately, neither Office’s nor Adobe’s accessibility checkers verify content according to Section 508 or WCAG 2.0 standards. Therefore, additional validation is required. There are several tools available to do this, but Acrobat Pro is needed to edit the PDF.

PDF Accessibility Checker

PDF Accessibility Checker (PAC) is a free, stand-alone program created by Access for All and is now managed by the PDF/UA Foundation. This program provides a summary of items checked against PDF/UA standards. Clicking on “Results in Detail” expands the list and lets you drill down to the source of the problem. The “Screen Reader Preview” provides a color-coded version of how screen readers see the document. This is a great tool to use to double-check heading order, ensure that all image alt text is correct, and find any lists or list items that are not tagged correctly. While you can’t edit the PDF through PAC 2021, it is a great tool for verifying that a PDF is accessible.

CommonLook PDF Validator

CommonLook PDF Validator is a free plug-in for Adobe Acrobat Pro by CommonLook. Where PAC 3 only checks against PDF/UA standards, Validator also checks PDFs against Section 508, WCAG 2.0 AA, WCAG 2.1 AA, and US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) standards. You can select which standards to test against. The results will provide details about why something failed. You will need Acrobat Pro to correct most issues, although some can be corrected in the source document (such as missing Headings and image alt text).

Editors for Purchase

There are several products available for purchase that can help you create accessible documents and fix existing ones. The Web Team evaluated different vendors and chose a yearly license for CommonLook Office, a plug-in for Microsoft Word and PowerPoint, and CommonLook PDF, a plug-in for Acrobat Pro. CommonLook Office tests and fixes accessibility issues in the source file, resulting in an accessible PDF. CommonLook PDF combines the accessibility testing of CommonLook Validator with the ability to edit the PDF.

Other products available include: 

Remediation Services

AbleDocs offers a discounted rate for SUNY schools for their PDF remediation services, in which they create an accessible version of your PDF. Before beginning work, they will send a quote and an approximate timeframe to complete the work. This option is excellent for lengthy or complicated files, or rush jobs. Please contact MCC’s Web Team to discuss this option further.