Introduction¶

We can now do automated accessibility testing with ACT (Accessibility Conformance Testing) rules. The evaluation tool we will use is QualWeb.

• ACT is an officially published testing standard. This testing standard is designed to ensure that web content conforms to the accessibility standards set by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).
• QualWeb is an ACT-based accessibility evaluation tool that uses open source rules to detect issues within the WCAG 2.1 set of criteria. It was developed by the University of Lisbon.
• Our implementation includes QualWeb rules to address A and AA conformance, integrated into the platform.

Advantages¶

1. Accessibility checking consistency with legal authorities: The QualWeb rules engine will ensure that we can provide harmonized scan test results in parallel with results from the monitoring bodies and digital authorities that use the QualWeb rules engine.
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2. Follow W3C official recommendations: The ACT method of testing consists of rules that have been officially published by W3C.

How to Enable QualWeb¶

This section gives instructions on how to enable QualWeb for scans on your domain(s).

QualWeb is an optional way to scan your website. You can choose to use the regular rules engine or the QualWeb rules engine during your initial setup.

Steps To enable QualWeb:

1. Click Admin Settings (gear icon) on the top toolbar. 
   ​Note: The Admin Settings button is only available to site admins.

2. The Domain Settings page opens.
3. Click Action on the same row as the domain you want to edit.​
4. Select Edit Domain from the drop-down list.

 

5. The Domain Settings page opens.
6. Locate the Features section.
7. Click Accessibility to expand the menu.
8. Select the desired QualWeb option to use this rules engine, or select a WCAG level for the traditional rules engine.

 

9. Repeat for each domain as needed.

When the next crawl of your domain begins, your website content is analyzed with the QualWeb accessibility checks instead of the Acquia Optimize accessibility checks.

For more information about our accessibility checks, see the user guide articles:

• Accessibility Checks
• Visual Indication when you Change the Accessibility Guideline.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)¶

1. How does the QualWeb scan differ from the traditional Acquia Optimize scan?
   A: The QualWeb scan is less comprehensive. The traditional Acquia Optimize scan contains more success criteria checks. A good way to test this on your own website would be to scan a sample number of pages using each method and compare the results.
2. How can I tell which method I am viewing in the results window?
   A: An orange line in the chart shows where the new scan method begins. Hover on the orange line to see which method and criteria that the scan covers.

3. When will I see the results first after I change to QualWeb?
   A: The results appear after the next scan. An orange line on the results chart shows that the scan was done with a different method than previously used.
4. Where can I turn to for help with errors that the QualWeb scan identifies?
   A: The QualWeb scan has a separate resource and help function to assist you with repairs to any errors that it may find.

Additional Resources¶

For more information, see the user guide articles:

• Accessibility Checks
• Visual Indication when you Change the Accessibility Guideline.

Article Glossary

• ACT (Accessibility Conformance Testing): An officially published testing standard that is designed to ensure that web content conforms to the accessibility standards set by W3C.
• WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines): A set of standards defined by W3C.
• W3C: The World Wide Web Consortium that develops guidelines for digital accessibility.

For more information, see the external websites:

• Understanding Test Rules for WCAG Success Criteria
• ACT
• QualWeb
• W3C
• WCAG 2.1 AA.