Vision
Tools and techniques to help you test for visual impairments
Visual impairments affect how people perceive and interact with digital content.
Common conditions include:
- low vision (visual impairment that is not fully correctable)
- blindness (inability to see or lack of vision)
- eye conditions (cataracts or glaucoma)
- colour blindness (difficulty distinguishing certain colours)
- migraine
Challenges for people with visual impairments
Visual impairments can make it difficult to:
- reading small or low-contrast text
- distinguishing information conveyed by colour alone
- navigating with keyboard or screen reader
- reading text when zoomed or magnified
Testing tools to identify barriers
Run automated tests
Start by using automated tools to identify accessibility issues, including visual impairments. Automated tools work best when used collectively, so you should use all 3 together.
You could install and use:
Run manual tests
After automated tests, you should do manual tests. They can identify more accessibility problems and let you see how your product or website works for people with different visual impairments.
You could use:
Run screen reader tests
You should also test with a screen reader, to understand how people who use one might navigate your product or website.
Test with personas
You could use HMRC's accessibility personas. They're a good starting point to understand user needs of people with disabilities.
Claudia
Partially sighted magnifier user
Claudia uses screen magnification software to read content. She needs:
- high contrast and clear text
- keyboard navigation support
- occasional screen reader use
View Claudia's profile and task - Partially sighted magnifier user
Ashleigh
Severely visually impaired screen reader user
Ashleigh relies on screen readers full-time. She needs:
- clear page structure
- keyboard navigation
- meaningful alt text