The importance of web accessibility is increasingly becoming something that seems to be more than just a “nice-to-have”; organizations are becoming much more serious about building high-quality and inclusive digital experiences. Whether you are a software developer, QA tester, designer, or content creator, everyone on the product team has a role to play to ensure that the digital product we are creating can be accessed and used by all people, regardless of their ability to do so.
One of the easiest and most productive methods for beginning to evaluate the accessibility of your website is through an accessibility extension, a browser-based tool that will help you test, audit, and improve your site according to a standard set of criteria for accessibility to digital content, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
In this blog, we will be discussing what the extensions are, why they are important, and which ones may be the most beneficial. We will also look at how these extensions fit into a larger accessibility strategy and how their functionality is important when used in conjunction with accessibility practices such as manual testing and testing on real devices.
Why Accessibility is Important Now More Than Ever?
The web is a major part of daily life, being used for everything from accessing services and information to communicating etc. According to the World Health Organization, there are over one billion people who are living with some form of disability. Many of those individual people rely on assistive technologies such as screen readers, magnifiers, voice control, or keyboard navigation to interact with the digital world.
Still, too many websites are inaccessible. Inaccessible design choices—such as poor color contrast, missing image descriptions, complicated navigation—can effectively lock people out.
But, accessibility isn’t only about being socially responsible (although that’s reason enough). It’s also about:
- Legal compliance: Not adhering to accessibility standards can lead to lawsuits and fines, especially with laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 508.
- Search engine optimization (SEO): Accessible websites tend to rank better in search engines because they employ clean semantic HTML and meaningful structure.
- User experience (UX): Improvements to accessibility frequently benefit all users, not just those with disabilities. For example, better keyboard navigation helps power users, and a clear structure benefits everyone.
In short, accessibility is about equity, usability, and sustainability. So, how do you make sure your website meets accessibility standards?
That’s where accessibility extensions come in.
What Are Accessibility Extensions?
Accessibility extensions are browser add-ons that identify, highlight, and sometimes also recommend solutions for accessibility problems on a web page. These tools will aid developers, designers, and QA testers to carry out audits from within their browsers, making accessibility checks for web pages easy, fast, visual, and part of their everyday process.
Most accessibility extensions work with either Chrome, Firefox or Edge. These tools vary in scope and complexity, from user-friendly visual contrast checkers to comprehensive audit tools that will compare your site against WCAG 2.1 success criteria.
They are not intended to be a complete accessibility testing solution, but are a vital part of a larger strategy that includes:
- Manual testing
- User feedback
- Real device testing
- Assistive technology testing (i.e., with screen reader)
Let’s take a look at some of the best tools that you can start using today.
Best Accessibility Extensions to Try in 2025
axe DevTools (by Deque Systems)
- Browser Support: Chrome, Firefox, Edge
- Overview: axe DevTools is a powerful, developer-focused extension that works with your browser’s DevTools panel, offering fast, reliable accessibility scans with actionable feedback derived from the industry-standard axe-core engine.
Key Features:
- Quick automated scans of WCAG 2.1 violations.
- Descriptions of each issue with guidance for fixes.
- Grouped issue types to help focus priorities.
- No data sent to servers, everything runs locally.
Ideal For: Developers and technical QA professionals who want robust, actionable audits against a number of best practices for webpages and applications. The minimal false positives make it highly reliable for production-level checks.
WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool)
- Browser Support: Chrome, Firefox
- Overview: Developed by WebAIM, WAVE is a popular tool used by many, with icons overlaid directly on the page so the user can easily see what is wrong with their page (as well as alerts and features). It is highly educational and allows users to understand not only what is wrong but also why it matters.
Key Features:
- Inline visual feedback with clickable icons to learn more about each violation.
- Color-coded indicators for issue types
- Educational tool for educators, as well as individuals who are new to accessibility.
- Includes a highlight of structure in the page, as well as ARIA labels and landmarks.
Ideal For: Designers, content writers, and individuals new to accessibility who prefer visual, intuitive feedback.
Accessibility Insights: (by Microsoft)
- Browser Support: Chrome, Edge
- Overview: Accessibility Insights provides a “FastPass,” a quick check option, and an “Assessment,” a more structured and detailed testing option, together. This is a good choice for teams that want to balance speed and thoroughness.
Key Features:
- Keyboard navigation path visualization
- Step-by-step guided assessments
- Color contrast evaluation & focus order tracing
- Easy integration with bug tracking systems
Ideal For: Teams looking for thorough assessments that include keyboard, screen reader, and structural testing.
Lighthouse: (by Google)
- Browser Support: Built into Chrome
- Overview: Lighthouse is an open-source Google auditing tool that checks multiple areas of a webpage— performance, SEO, best practices, and accessibility—providing an accessibility audit for accessibility issues, followed by an accessibility score of 0-100.
Key Features:
- Accessibility scoring system
- Fast links for common fixes
- A simulated mobile testing environment
- Can be easily exported to share with a team
Ideal For: Developers looking for an overall quality audit and baseline accessibility snapshot.
HeadingsMap
- Browser Support: Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox
- Overview: This lightweight extension allows you to check your heading structure, which is important for users who rely on screen readers. When used correctly, headings help all users understand and navigate your site more easily.
Key Features:
- Provides a structured outline of headings
- Identifies skipped levels and improper nesting
- Click to navigate between heading sections
Ideal For: Content editors and developers working on content-heavy websites.
Importance of Testing on Real Devices
Browser extensions are useful, but they only give you a partial view of your website’s accessibility. This is where testing on real devices can be useful.
Some accessibility issues will only be uncovered when tested on real devices using native assistive technologies. For example:
- Screen readers, like VoiceOver (iOS) or TalkBack (Android), may render layouts differently than anticipated.
- Touch gestures on mobile devices behave differently from a mouse and keyboard experience, and keyboard-only navigation behaves differently depending on the OS.
- The zoom settings and operating system-wide preferences for accessibility may display bugs in your layout or hidden text.
Real device testing can help verify your fixes and ensure that your site can be navigated and used effectively by users relying on real-world tools. It is an important aspect of validating the data provided by accessibility extensions.
One of the most efficient ways to test for accessibility across real devices is through LambdaTest Accessibility. It gives teams access to a wide range of real mobile and desktop devices equipped with native assistive technologies like VoiceOver and TalkBack. With support for both manual and automated accessibility testing, and seamless integration with popular CI/CD tools, LambdaTest Accessibility makes it easy to embed accessibility checks into your development pipeline, eliminating the need to maintain a costly in-house device lab.
How to Incorporate Accessibility Extensions In Your Workflow?
Making accessibility a part of your workflow doesn’t have to be complicated. Here’s how to effectively incorporate accessibility tools into your development process.
Use Early and Often
Don’t wait until the end of development to identify or test accessibility in your digital product. Trigger audits at the design or development phase of your project and identify accessibility issues as early as possible.
Include the Whole Team
Accessibility is everyone’s responsibility: developers, designers, writers, and testers. Look for tools that fit with the expertise and responsibilities of each role.
Use Combined Tools
No single tool is sufficient on its own. Use axe DevTools in combination with something like WAVE or Lighthouse to get a more comprehensive view.
Document and Share
Accessibility is a cumulative and team effort. Share reports or screenshots to help others understand and act on findings.
Use as Educational Tools
Many accessibility extensions serve as teaching tools. Encourage team members to use them to build awareness and skills.
Common Problems Accessibility Extensions Can Help You Address
Here is a short list of the most common accessibility issues these tools help highlight:
- Missing or non-informative alt text
- Inadequate color contrast
- Incorrect or skipped head levels
- Inaccessible form fields (missing labels)
- Uninformative link text (“Click here”)
- Elements that are not keyboard accessible
- Incorrect use of ARIA attributes
Resolving even a handful of these issues can dramatically improve user experience.
Conclusion
Accessibility is not a destination; it is a journey. The good news is you can begin that journey today with the right accessibility extensions.
Whether you are running your website with Axe DevTools, looking at Structure with HeadingsMap or testing and simulating color blindness, all of these tools provide insight into how your users will interact with your content.
Remember that tools are only the beginning. Tools are a great place to start, but the best user experience includes testing not only with tools but also with real devices, feedback from users, and using a combination of self-assessment and access to people with disabilities reports
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By committing to accessibility, you will not only improve usability and reach more users, but you will also be doing the right thing. And doing the right thing has never mattered more in a digital world.