10 ADA Testing Interview Questions and Answers

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) testing is crucial for ensuring that digital content is accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. This type of testing evaluates websites, applications, and other digital platforms to ensure they meet the accessibility standards set by the ADA. By adhering to these guidelines, organizations can provide an inclusive user experience and avoid potential legal issues.

This article offers a curated selection of ADA testing questions and answers to help you prepare for your upcoming interview. By familiarizing yourself with these topics, you’ll be better equipped to demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in creating accessible digital environments.

ADA Testing Interview Questions and Answers

1. What are the key principles of ADA compliance in web development?

The key principles of ADA compliance in web development focus on making web content accessible to all users, including those with disabilities. These principles include:

• Perceivability: Information and user interface components must be presented in ways that users can perceive, such as providing text alternatives for non-text content and ensuring content can be presented in different ways.
• Operability: User interface components and navigation must be operable, meaning all functionality should be available from a keyboard, and users should be able to navigate and find content easily.
• Understandability: Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable, ensuring text is readable and web pages operate predictably.
• Robustness: Content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by various user agents, including assistive technologies.

2. Why is semantic HTML important for accessibility, and how does it benefit screen reader users?

Semantic HTML provides a clear structure to web content, which is essential for assistive technologies like screen readers. By using elements like <header>, <nav>, and <footer>, developers convey the purpose and organization of different sections of a webpage.

For screen reader users, semantic HTML offers:

• Improved Navigation: Screen readers can use semantic elements to provide shortcuts for users, allowing them to jump to specific sections of the page.
• Contextual Information: Semantic elements provide context, helping screen readers convey the purpose of different sections.
• Enhanced User Experience: A clear structure helps screen reader users understand the layout and organization of the page.

3. Which ARIA attributes would you use to enhance the accessibility of a custom dropdown menu?

ARIA attributes enhance the accessibility of custom dropdown menus by providing additional information to assistive technologies. Key ARIA attributes include:

• aria-haspopup: Indicates that the element has a popup menu.
• aria-expanded: Indicates whether the dropdown menu is expanded or collapsed.
• aria-controls: Identifies the element controlled by the dropdown menu.
• aria-labelledby: Associates the dropdown menu with a label element.
• aria-activedescendant: Identifies the currently active descendant within a composite widget.

Example:

<button id="dropdownButton" aria-haspopup="true" aria-expanded="false" aria-controls="dropdownMenu">
  Options
</button>
<ul id="dropdownMenu" role="menu" aria-labelledby="dropdownButton">
  <li role="menuitem" id="item1">Item 1</li>
  <li role="menuitem" id="item2">Item 2</li>
  <li role="menuitem" id="item3">Item 3</li>
</ul>

4. How do you ensure that all interactive elements on a webpage are accessible via keyboard navigation?

Ensuring that all interactive elements on a webpage are accessible via keyboard navigation involves:

• Semantic HTML: Use elements like <button>, <a>, and <input> which are inherently focusable and operable via keyboard.
• Tabindex Attribute: For custom elements, use tabindex to make them focusable. Setting tabindex="0" makes an element focusable in the natural tab order.
• ARIA Roles and Properties: Use ARIA roles and properties to provide additional context to assistive technologies.
• Event Handlers: Ensure that interactive elements respond to keyboard events such as Enter and Space for activation.

Example:

<div role="button" tabindex="0" onclick="alert('Button clicked!')" onkeypress="if(event.key === 'Enter' || event.key === ' ') { alert('Button clicked!'); }">
    Custom Button
</div>

5. Describe how you would implement accessible form labels and error messages.

Accessible form labels and error messages ensure that web forms are usable by people with disabilities. Use the <label> element and associate it with the corresponding form control using the for attribute. For error messages, use ARIA attributes like aria-live to announce them dynamically and associate them with form controls using aria-describedby.

Example:

<form>
  <div>
    <label for="username">Username:</label>
    <input type="text" id="username" name="username" aria-describedby="usernameError">
    <span id="usernameError" aria-live="assertive" style="color: red; display: none;">Username is required.</span>
  </div>
  <div>
    <label for="email">Email:</label>
    <input type="email" id="email" name="email" aria-describedby="emailError">
    <span id="emailError" aria-live="assertive" style="color: red; display: none;">Please enter a valid email address.</span>
  </div>
  <button type="submit">Submit</button>
</form>

6. How do you make video and audio content accessible to users with disabilities?

To make video and audio content accessible, consider the following strategies:

• Captions: Provide synchronized captions for all video content, including spoken dialogue and relevant non-speech information.
• Transcripts: Offer text transcripts for both video and audio content, including all spoken content and relevant non-speech information.
• Audio Descriptions: Provide audio descriptions for video content that narrate important visual information.
• Accessible Media Players: Use media players that support accessibility features like keyboard navigation and screen reader compatibility.
• Sign Language Interpretation: For some content, provide sign language interpretation.
• User Controls: Ensure users can control playback, including pausing, rewinding, and adjusting volume, via keyboard and screen readers.

7. What are some automated tools and manual methods you use to test for accessibility?

When testing for accessibility, use both automated tools and manual methods. Automated tools can quickly identify many common issues, while manual methods catch more nuanced problems.

Popular automated tools include:

• axe: A widely-used accessibility testing engine.
• WAVE: A web accessibility evaluation tool.
• Lighthouse: An open-source tool for improving web page quality, including accessibility audits.
• Pa11y: A set of tools for automated accessibility testing.

Manual methods include:

• Keyboard Navigation: Ensuring all interactive elements are accessible via keyboard.
• Screen Reader Testing: Using screen readers like JAWS, NVDA, or VoiceOver to verify content is correctly interpreted.
• Color Contrast Analysis: Checking that text and background color combinations meet WCAG contrast ratio guidelines.
• Manual Code Review: Inspecting HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for proper use of ARIA roles and semantic elements.

8. How would you create an accessible modal dialog using JavaScript?

Creating an accessible modal dialog involves managing focus, using ARIA roles and properties, and ensuring keyboard accessibility.

Key principles include:

• Focus Management: When the modal opens, focus should move to the first focusable element within the modal. When it closes, focus should return to the element that triggered it.
• ARIA Roles and Properties: Use roles like role="dialog" and properties like aria-labelledby and aria-hidden to provide context to screen readers.
• Keyboard Accessibility: Ensure users can navigate the modal using the keyboard, typically by trapping focus within the modal.

Example:

<div id="modal" role="dialog" aria-labelledby="modalTitle" aria-hidden="true">
  <h2 id="modalTitle">Modal Title</h2>
  <p>Modal content goes here.</p>
  <button id="closeModal">Close</button>
</div>

<button id="openModal">Open Modal</button>

<script>
  const modal = document.getElementById('modal');
  const openModalButton = document.getElementById('openModal');
  const closeModalButton = document.getElementById('closeModal');

  openModalButton.addEventListener('click', () => {
    modal.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'false');
    closeModalButton.focus();
  });

  closeModalButton.addEventListener('click', () => {
    modal.setAttribute('aria-hidden', 'true');
    openModalButton.focus();
  });

  document.addEventListener('keydown', (event) => {
    if (event.key === 'Escape' && modal.getAttribute('aria-hidden') === 'false') {
      closeModalButton.click();
    }
  });
</script>

9. How do you handle dynamic content updates to ensure they are accessible?

Dynamic content refers to web content that changes without requiring a page reload. To ensure updates are accessible, use the following strategies:

• ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications): Use ARIA live regions to inform assistive technologies about content changes.
• Focus Management: Ensure focus is appropriately managed when content updates.
• Notifications: Provide clear notifications for dynamic updates using visually hidden text for screen readers.
• Testing with Assistive Technologies: Regularly test with various assistive technologies to ensure updates are announced correctly.

10. How do you approach testing for accessibility on mobile devices?

Testing for accessibility on mobile devices involves a combination of automated tools and manual testing.

• Automated Tools: Use tools like Google’s Accessibility Scanner for Android or Apple’s Accessibility Inspector for iOS to identify common issues.
• Manual Testing: Use the device’s built-in accessibility features like VoiceOver on iOS or TalkBack on Android to navigate the application.
• Guidelines and Standards: Adhere to accessibility guidelines like WCAG and Mobile Accessibility Guidelines.
• User Testing: Involve users with disabilities in the testing process for real-world feedback.
• Responsive Design: Ensure the application is responsive and works well on different screen sizes and orientations.
• Color Contrast and Text Size: Ensure sufficient color contrast and allow users to adjust text size.