This is a Macintosh protocol for testing Fluid accessibility using Firefox, the Firefox Accessibility Extension and the Fangs 2.0 Extension since JAWS is not available for the Macintosh.

It contains two of the three accessibility test protocols, the third is a test that evaluates WCAG 2.0 compliance that can be found as Step 3 of the Comprehensive Accessibility Review Protocol for PC page. A template and a completed form for reference are contained below in Attachments.

Background

This is a protocol for testing Fluid accessibility and, to a limited degree, functionality, using a Macintosh (minor differences when using a PC are in parenthesis), the Firefox browser, Firefox Accessibility Extension and the Fangs 2.0 Extension.

Tools

Three tools will be used: Firefox 2.0x, the Mozilla Accessibility Extension and the Fangs 2.0 Extension.

Results should be entered into a spreadsheet (see Attachment), to facilitate developer repair and subsequent QA.

Set-up Computer for Testing

The following sequence is recommended:

1. Add Firefox 2.0x as a browser to your computer.
2. Add the Mozilla/Firefox Accessibility and add Fangs 2.0 Extension to your copy of Firefox. Note: You must first remove the Developer toolbar if you have it installed, or Firefox may crash. You can reinstall it after adding the Accessibility Extension.

Step 1: Evaluate Page for Appropriate Markup

This is a manual check for appropriate accessibility elements, and does not involve reviewing html or CSS code (which can be fairly technical). Code based review is presented in Step IV.

1. Bring the first page of the tool you want to review into Firefox.
2. Go to the Accessibility Extension toolbar, click on the Navigation icon and select "Links."
   • Check for 1) redundant link names, and 2) meaningful link text. There should be no redundant links and links should have text that is self-explanatory. Move your cursor over links to see if additional information has been added to improve context through the use of the <title> attribute. Write your findings in the spreadsheet under "Links."
3. Go back to the Accessibility Extension tool bar, click on the Navigation icon, and select "Major/Minor Topics."
   • Check for: 1) meaningful heading labels, 2) an accurate hierarchy (h1, h2, h3, etc.), and 3) a thorough use of headings. Write your findings in the spreadsheet under "Headings." (PC: Select "Headers.")
4. Go back to the Accessibility Extension tool bar, click on the Navigation icon, and select "Frames."
   • Check that frame titles are 1) unique and meaningful. Write your findings in the spreadsheet under "Frame Titles."
5. Go back to the Accessibility Extension tool bar, click on the Style icon, and select "Text Equivalents."
   • Click on the Images icon and select "Show Alt Text." (PC: Choose the Images icon, and select "Replace with Alt Text") Check that 1) the page is readable, and 2) reading order makes sense. Write your findings in the spreadsheet under "Stylesheets/Linearization."
6. Go back to the Accessibility Extension tool bar and press "Zoom In" four times.
   • Check that 1) text remains readable, and 2) that areas of the application do not overlap. Write your findings in the spreadsheet under "Zoom Text."
   • Press "Zoom Out" four times to restore page to normal size. Press the refresh button to restore page appearance.
7. Go back to the browser, and tab through the application. A dotted box will show you the focal point.
   • As you tab through the application, check for the following: 1) tabbing moves in a logical fashion, 2) key items receive focus, and 3) tabbing does not trigger page actions. Write your findings in the spreadsheet under "Tab Order."
8. Move through the application using your browser and arrow keys.
   • Make sure that you can access all text boxes, form inputs, and functions on the page. Write your findings in the spreadsheet under "Functionality".
9. Go to the next page of your tool.
10. Repeat steps 8 through 16 for each page of your assigned tool.

Step 2: Evaluate with Fangs 2.0

Review the spoken output of JAWS using the Mozilla Fangs extension.

1. Open Fangs and click on Settings. Choose "Sectioned" in the Output style dropdown menu.
2. Bring the first page of the tool you want to review into Firefox.
3. Click on Tools in the Firefox navigation bar; select Fangs.
4. A separate window should appear with text representing JAWS' spoken output. If nothing appears, press "Reload" in Fangs.
5. Read the output to yourself. As you read through it, imagine whether it provides enough information for someone to understand:
   • The purpose of the page: Is the title descriptive of what follows?
   • The layout of the page: Is the navigation section obvious? Are the navigation links clear? Can you tell where navigation ends and content begins? Can you skip the navigation section? Does the page have a logical flow of features and information?
   • The elements of the page: Do the links have meaningful phrases (check the Links list in Fangs)? Do the forms make sense?
   • The content of the page: Do headings identify sections of the page? Are their levels appropriate and consistent (check the Headings list in Fangs)? Do data tables have summaries that describe their purpose and content? Is related information grouped by headings, lists, tables or forms?
6. Write your answers in the Fangs form in Attachments.
7. Take a snapshot of the page and save it in a Word document.
8. Bring up the next page and repeat.

Step 3: Validate Compliance with WCAG 2.0 Level 2 Guidelines

See the PC protocol Step 3: Validate Compliance with WCAG 2.0 Level 2 Guidelines