Accessibility Testing & AI: What’s New in 2025?

The digital landscape of 2025 is poised to be more inclusive than ever, thanks to innovations in artificial intelligence (AI) and accessibility testing. Technology is rapidly evolving to help businesses ensure equitable digital experiences for all users, including individuals with disabilities. For software testers and developers, this presents an immense opportunity to elevate their projects while meeting critical compliance standards. 

This blog explores how enterprise-grade AI solutions like Perfecto transform accessibility testing. We will explore automated detection of accessibility violations, simulating diverse user journeys, and the importance of voice interaction and screen reader testing to provide insights for today’s testing professionals. 

Related Reading: The Truth About AI In Testing: How Smart Teams Scale Faster & Deliver More

What Is Accessibility and AI?

Accessibility and AI work in tandem to ensure the usability of software applications. Accessibility testing ensures applications are usable by everyone, including people with disabilities, by meeting standards like WCAG. AI enhances this process through automated issue detection, assistive technologies, personalized interfaces, and real-time feedback.

Accessibility & AI In Action

AI has significantly streamlined the process of identifying accessibility issues, making testing more efficient and accurate. The following are some of the ways in which accessibility testing and AI are transforming the software testing landscape in 2025 and beyond.

1. Automated Detection of Accessibility Violations 

Traditionally, QA teams relied on manual testing to ensure compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), the Americans with Disabilities Act, and various international standards. While effective, manual processes can be time-consuming and prone to human error. 

AI to the Rescue 

AI-powered tools now offer automated detection of accessibility violations that QA engineers and testers can incorporate seamlessly into their workflow. For example, Perfecto AI analyzes app elements and flags issues in real-time: 

• Text Contrast: Ensures optimal readability by measuring the ratio between text and background colors.
• Element Dimensions: Evaluates hit area sizes, ensuring components like buttons meet usability standards.
• Natural Language Identification: Detects meaningful patterns in text inputs and labels, verifying that they correctly communicate their purpose to assistive technologies.
• GUI and View Hierarchy: Tests applications for logical navigation flow, ensuring users can efficiently interact with layouts across devices. 

These tools not only simplify compliance but also enable teams to identify and resolve accessibility issues early in the development cycle. By “shifting left,” testing teams can reduce the cost of fixing defects and enhance overall project efficiency. 

Related Reading: Semantic AI vs. Agentic AI vs. Generative AI in App Testing: Everything You Need to Know

2. Simulating Diverse User Journeys 

Empathy is critical in accessibility testing. Testing teams need to move beyond simply fulfilling requirements and instead focus on truly understanding impaired user journeys. Imagine an app experienced from the perspective of someone with vision impairments. Can they seamlessly perform essential tasks such as filling out forms, navigating menus, or accessing information? 

Going Beyond Standards 

AI enables teams to simulate diverse user experiences in ways that traditional testing cannot match. For example, testers can ask AI, “How would you interact with this app if you were visually impaired?” Through these simulations, QA engineers can uncover unique insights into barriers users may face. 

Features like personalized AI-focused testing help businesses fine-tune apps for all types of users. By analyzing how individuals with varying abilities engage with your application, teams can predict issues before they arise and implement innovative solutions to enhance user experience. 

Practical Example 

An AI tester could simulate navigating a banking app with vision impairments, identifying potential pain points such as unlabeled buttons or confusing layout structures. By addressing these barriers, developers can create intuitive, personalized experiences for all users. 

Related Reading: Automated Accessibility Testing Tools: What to Look For

3. Voice Interaction and Screen Reader Testing 

Voice interaction and screen readers are becoming indispensable tools for accessibility. Popular tools like VoiceOver (for iOS) and TalkBack (for Android) are pivotal to enabling people with visual impairments to interact with apps. However, testing teams often depend on manual processes to verify that these tools work properly. 

Voice Interaction Testing 

AI is revolutionizing voice interaction testing, ensuring that spoken instructions align with text displays. By integrating advanced natural language understanding (NLU) capabilities, AI-powered systems can test whether a user engaging with voice commands receives accurate feedback. 

For instance, an AI validator can assess if phrases like “Open Settings” are correctly recognized and executed. At the same time, additional context checks ensure that the voice feedback matches the on-screen navigation or task completion. 

Screen Reader Testing 

Screen readers need to accurately interpret and describe interface components, from labels to actionable elements such as buttons or links. AI-powered tools such as Perfecto allow automated screen reader testing to verify proper descriptions of components, enhancing the user’s overall comprehension. 

Key Considerations for Voice Interactions and Screen Readers 

• Content Consistency: Does the content read aloud by the screen reader match what a non-disabled user sees?
• Accessibility Labels: Are all actionable elements (e.g., buttons) named clearly and meaningfully?
• Contextual Awareness: Does the screen reader communicate context changes, such as navigating to a sub-menu? 

Automating these processes eliminates the dependency on manual testers while ensuring superior accuracy and scalability, especially across dynamic, multi-device environments. 

Related Reading: The Importance of Screen Reader Accessibility Testing

Accessibility & AI: Looking Ahead 

Accessibility testing is no longer a “nice-to-have” feature; it is a business imperative. Failure to meet accessibility standards risks not only compliance violations and lawsuits but also alienating a significant segment of users. 

By harnessing the power of AI for accessibility testing in 2025 and beyond, QA engineers, testers, and developers can ensure their applications are inclusive, performant, and user-friendly for everyone. Automated detection, empathetic testing of diverse user journeys, and streamlined voice interaction/screen reader verification are becoming tools for lasting transformation. 

Related Reading: Accessibility Testing: Start Here

Bottom Line

At the core, enterprises need partners equipped with cutting-edge AI capabilities to meet these challenges. Perfecto’s automation platform offers an all-in-one solution ideal for modern accessibility demands. 

Take your accessibility testing to the next level with Perfecto. See how automated AI testing simplifies compliance, accelerates issue detection, and ensures seamless experiences for all users. 

Sign up for a free trial today and future-proof your projects in the era of accessibility and AI.

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