TIP 68

Test your website regularly

Test your website in your chosen browser after every change you make to each page, therefore making it easier for you to highlight and eliminate errors in code and visual display.

• Validate your pages. Although writing valid HTML doesn't guarantee that your pages will be accessible, it is an important step in the process.
• Install a text only browser (e.g. Lynx) and test the pages in that - do they make sense?
• Whenever possible, ask a range of people with various abilities and disabilities to test your pages and give you feedback.
• Use "Bobby" to test your website. Bobby is a program which can check your pages for compliance with the WAI Web Content Guidelines (it can also check for compatibility with various browsers and browser versions). It can be used online or downloaded and run offline. Bear in mind, however, that Bobby is an automated program and can only test for some accessibility errors - the fact that a page passes the Bobby test does not guarantee that it is fully accessible.

UK Government recommendations:

Each HTML page should be tested against the basic browsers for usability and rendering testing (and you should test using a screen reader)

Guidelines for UK Government websites
Illustrated handbook for Web management teams

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