How To Add Accessibility Testing Into CI/CD Without Slowing Teams Down
Shipping fast shouldn’t mean shipping inaccessible deliverables. Integrating accessibility testing into your CI/CD pipeline ensures every release meets accessibility standards without adding bottlenecks or manual overhead. When done right, accessibility checks can be as seamless as your existing unit or security tests.
Here’s how to build accessibility into your continuous integration workflow - and keep your team’s velocity intact.
What Is Accessibility Testing in Software Testing?
Accessibility testing is the process of verifying that your digital products - websites, apps, PDFs, and other digital assets - can be used by people with disabilities.
It ensures your interfaces support:
Screen readers and keyboard navigation
Sufficient color contrast
Proper labeling and focus order
Text alternatives for images
Logical document structure for PDFs
In software testing, accessibility sits alongside performance, security, and usability testing. It’s not about slowing releases - it’s about catching issues early, when they’re cheapest to fix.
Why Teams Often Avoid It
Many teams skip accessibility testing because they think it’s:
Too manual: involving human testers or long audits.
Too late: often done after release.
Too confusing: “Which tool do we even use?”
The result? Accessibility becomes a post-launch headache instead of part of the delivery process.
Step-by-Step: Add Accessibility Testing Without Slowing Down
1. Start With Lightweight Automation
Use automated accessibility scanners in your CI pipeline to flag basic violations. Tools like Wally’s WAX Linter for VS Code or Wally NPM Toolkit can run against every build.
2. Include PDF Accessibility Testing
Accessibility isn’t just for web UIs. If your app exports or hosts PDFs, add a PDF accessibility testing step. Use command-line tools or APIs that check for:
With Wally’s accessibility audit tools, PDF scans can run automatically with each deploy - no manual review required.
3. Make Accessibility a Shared Step, Not a Gate
Don’t make accessibility a hard blocker for every merge request. Instead, set thresholds:
This lets teams stay agile while improving progressively.
4. Test in Parallel, Not in Sequence
Accessibility tests don’t have to delay other checks. Run them in parallel with unit and integration tests to keep your CI/CD times low.
Modern pipelines (like GitHub Actions, GitLab CI, Jenkins, or CircleCI) support concurrent jobs easily.
5. Add Human Insight Periodically
Automation catches 60–70% of accessibility issues. The rest - like logical focus flow, reading order, or tone - needs a human touch.
Schedule manual reviews once per quarter or before major releases. This blend keeps the process sustainable.
6. Track Accessibility Metrics Over Time
Add accessibility metrics to your dashboard just like performance or coverage:
Seeing progress helps teams treat accessibility as continuous improvement, not a compliance task.
How Wally Can Help
Wally’s Accessibility Consultancy and Tools make CI/CD integration effortless:
Automated Accessibility Testing: Fast, scalable checks for web, designs, and PDF access testing.
Smart Issue Prioritization: Wally highlights issues that actually block users, not just code smells.
Expert Support: Get guidance from Wally’s consultants to tailor testing thresholds and training for your team.
Want to add accessibility to your release pipeline without sacrificing speed?
Book a consultation with Wally to automate your accessibility checks and stay compliant - without slowing your workflow.
