Relevant to: faculty, staff, and students
This article contains information considered accurate at the time of publishing. Technology updates, changes in University security practices, policies and procedures may effect the information in this article - updates to articles are scheduled on a periodic basis and will address any required changes.
Introduction
WAVE is a web accessibility evaluation tool developed by WebAIM. To use WAVE, input a website into the “web page address” area on the WAVE Website. Alternatively, you can download the WAVE browser extension for Chrome, Firefox, or Edge; turn on the browser extension when you want to check the accessibility of the site you’re using.
Understanding WAVE Reports
WAVE provides a summary of Errors, Contrast Errors, Alerts, Features, Structure, and ARIA, as well as an AIM score out of 10. It also shows the reading order for page elements, the heading structure for the page, and includes a built-in color contrast checker. You can also see accessibility issues highlighted in the code.
Errors, Contrast Errors, and Alerts
These are the main areas to concentrate on when using the WAVE tool. Errors are the most pressing concerns and may include things like missing alternative text, broken skip links, or empty form labels. Contrast errors, such as very low contrast, are also important to note; if the foreground and background colors do not provide sufficient color contrast, a user with low vision may experience difficulty accessing the site. Alerts should be reviewed to determine if they are true issues or not; they may include things like redundant titles or redundant links, or skipped heading levels. Selecting each Error, Contrast Error, or Alert will show you where the issue is located on the page. Selecting the reference icon will explain what the issue means, why it matters, and what to do. It will also reference the applicable WCAG guidelines.
Features, Structure, and ARIA
Features will identify things like form labels or alternative text on images. Structure will identify the headings and lists used on the page. ARIA roles, states, and properties will also be included in the WAVE report. However, just because Features, Structure, and ARIA are identified does not mean they are accurate, so human review is still needed (for example, to verify alternative text is sufficient).
AIM Score
The AIM Score is also available in the WAVE report; this scores the website from 1 to 10. For more information, visit WAVE AIM Score.
Reading Order and Heading Structure
Selecting the Order tab in the WAVE report will show the order of page elements. This order is important for how a screen reader user will interact with the content. The Structure section of the report will show the headings available on a page and whether proper heading structure is used in a logical order.
Color Contrast
Selecting the Contrast tab in the WAVE report will provide an option to check background and foreground color contrast using the color picker/eyedropper tool; it will show the contrast ratio and whether the combination passes or fails WCAG AA or AAA criteria. Fore more information, see the Knowledge Base Article: Checking Color Contrast Against WCAG.
Code
Select each Error, Contrast Error, or Alert with the code open to identify where the issue is. This is just another way to view the accessibility issues.
Summary
Once you have reviewed the WAVE report, prioritize fixing Errors and Contrast Errors first, as these are the issues most likely to create barriers for users. Next, review Alerts to determine whether they represent actual accessibility concerns. Use the Reading Order, Heading Structure, and Color Contrast tools to evaluate the overall usability of the page, and remember that automated testing is only one part of accessibility evaluation. Human review is still necessary to verify that content is meaningful, understandable, and accessible to a wide range of users.
If you are evaluating a website that you do not own or maintain, focus on how the issues might affect users, and what changes would improve accessibility. The goal is to develop your ability to recognize accessibility barriers and recommend appropriate solutions, which might include the need to select another resource.