Against the backdrop of rapid technological advancements, the accessibility of online products has become not only a social responsibility but also a crucial factor for competitiveness. Nikita Klimov — Senior QA Engineer at the American company ADP Inc. and an expert in accessibility testing, he aids businesses in adapting their solutions for users with diverse needs. In an interview, Nikita shared how effective QA testing can enhance product quality and attract new customers.
Nikita, to begin with, could you explain the significance of accessibility for modern companies and their products? Why has this become important, and how did you become interested in this topic?
— It has always been important for me to help people — for instance, during the pandemic, I participated in organizing food deliveries for those in difficult life situations. I became interested in accessibility when I volunteered for a public organization for disabled individuals in Moscow. It was a valuable experience, and now I am focused on ensuring accessibility for our clients.
I encountered the reality that product accessibility is often grossly underestimated in many companies. Often, developers overlook the numerous pitfalls and nuances in this area. For example, with an improperly chosen color palette, individuals with visual impairments may struggle to fully utilize the product. This results in companies losing a vast audience.
In the USA, this issue is strictly regulated, with international accessibility requirements for digital products outlined in the WCAG 2.1 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) standard. This includes regulations regarding font size and thickness, requirements for PDF files, and control elements. Additionally, there is the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act), which contains design requirements for individuals with disabilities.
Overall, it is essential to understand that perceptual impairments can vary significantly among individuals. For instance, a person with severe myopia may struggle to read small text, someone with color blindness may not see certain colors, and a person with dyslexia may misread words. Therefore, merely increasing font size is insufficient.
For example, in our work, we use fonts that are easy to read — without embellishments, serifs, or other decorations. We ensure the font is contrasted against the background — at least 4.5 to 1. We also use specific sizes for text and headings.
How can accessibility influence a business's competitiveness? And how significantly does this factor affect the attraction and retention of clients with special needs?
— For large corporations, the risk of a lawsuit is considerable — there are numerous such examples abroad. For instance, a blind customer of Domino’s Pizza sued the company because he could not order food — the Domino’s app was not compatible with his voice assistant. Similar lawsuits have been filed against Hasbro, Fox News Network, KitchenAid (Whirlpool Corporation), Apple, and others. This results in not only financial losses but also reputational damage, which leads to decreased competitiveness.
Regarding attracting and retaining clients, let me provide a small example: look at the current statistics on the number of individuals with color perception difficulties. If a quality specialist overlooks an incorrectly chosen color palette by the designer, some clients may no longer be able to use the product and switch to a solution where this issue was addressed.
It is important to note that there are no half-measures in accessibility. For example, we cannot install a lift for wheelchair users and then place a step before the cabin — if the accessibility solution is even slightly poorly thought out, it ceases to be accessible.
The same applies to application accessibility. For instance, individuals with visual impairments use screen readers — they navigate through the text using a keyboard, while the program reads the content aloud. At some point, a trap can occur — the user encounters an element from which they cannot escape. This is akin to the metaphorical step before the cabin. In other words, we may have done extensive work, but it ends up being useless. Therefore, accessible applications must be meticulously designed.
With each new iteration, it is crucial to check that accessibility has been maintained, as fonts, designs, and color palettes may change. You need to ensure that you continue to adhere to standards, that the new font remains legible, and that the new contrast between foreground and background is sufficient for people to discern it. Most importantly, we must ensure that no new traps emerge, as in the example with the screen reader.
You worked on ensuring accessibility for an important product at ADP Inc. — could you tell us about this project and what specific results were achieved in this area?
— ADP Inc. is a provider of cloud solutions for HR management. At the company, I hold the position of Senior QA Engineer. Our team's task was to develop a system for generating important client PDF documents from HTML code. We needed to consider that among our clients, there could be individuals with visual impairments or those who are completely blind. Therefore, we focused on fonts, colors, and document contrast to maximize its readability. Our algorithm converted the code into a PDF file and embedded metadata, which especially aided screen reader functionality, allowing blind individuals to easily listen to the content of the document.
The most challenging aspect was working with tables, which are quite prevalent in our documents. The screen reader must convey not only the textual content to the reader but also its position within the table. Using metadata, we encoded links, logos, and headings. This means that users can fully interact with the document and understand which element is currently on the page — whether it's a table or a heading, for example.
It was also necessary to check how the screen reader vocalizes the text. There could be errors in abbreviations or names. The generated documents are then sent to clients, and they use them to engage with our company. By making PDF files accessible to everyone, we increased the number of potential clients and, consequently, profits.
What role did QA testing play in the project?
— This role was significant, as developers find it challenging to assess the quality of their code without understanding the client's perspective. They are often unaware of many nuances and requirements and will view the product solely as engineers — whether the code meets the criteria outlined in the technical specifications. However, developers will not evaluate usability, and ultimately, a small untested detail can block the entire product. Therefore, we constantly review the results of the developers' work, and in each iteration, 30-40% of the code is returned for reworking.
Few companies, even in the American market, approach these issues with such meticulousness.
What mistakes or shortcomings in the area of accessibility do businesses most frequently make, and how can they be avoided?
— Most applications on the market undoubtedly have accessibility issues. Any of them can be examined using specialized tools, such as the axe browser extension. By the way, I recently localized it, and Russian language support should appear in the next release. As an expert, I can spot such errors with the naked eye in almost all products I use.
I often notice issues with fonts and contrast. There are also more complex cases — for example, I once saw a service with very bright animation flashes, which can adversely affect individuals with overloaded mental states. In the USA, for instance, warnings are provided before such animations, while there are currently no such requirements in the CIS.
Therefore, companies should employ experienced testers who are familiar with WCAG 2.1 and the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act). Furthermore, these specialists need to continuously maintain their qualifications, as standards and testing tools frequently change.
I recommend training not only testers in accessibility principles but also developers. When they work according to standards from the outset, fewer modifications are needed, and products are released faster.
Based on your experience, what recommendations can you provide to other companies for implementing and testing accessibility in their products?
— First and foremost, I would recommend adhering to standards and implementing accessibility testing at the earliest stages — when you are just beginning to work on the product. Preventing errors is much easier than trying to fix them later. And regularly monitor updates to the standards and conduct training for your QA specialists.