WAVE
WAVE is a suite of evaluation tools that helps authors make their web content more accessible to individuals with disabilities. WAVE can identify many accessibility and Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) errors, but also facilitates human evaluation of web content.
About WAVE
WAVE is a suite of web accessibility evaluation tools that identifies accessibility and Web Content Accessibility Guideline (WCAG) errors on web pages while also supporting human evaluation of content. The online tool accepts a web page address for testing, and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge allow testing directly within the browser, including password-protected, locally stored, or highly dynamic pages.
For testing multiple pages, a subscription API and a stand-alone API and Testing Engine are available, allowing integration into infrastructure for testing intranet, non-public, and secure pages, including within continuous integration processes. An Accessibility IMpact (AIM) assessment report is also offered, providing detailed WAVE test data, an AIM score measuring end-user impact compared to web pages generally, and expert manual test results.
WAVE is developed by Utah State University. Site-wide monitoring and reporting over time is available through a separate enterprise-level system, pope.tech, built on WAVE.
Key features
- Identifies accessibility and WCAG errors on web pages
- Online tool evaluates any page by entering its URL
- Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge for testing password-protected or dynamic pages
- Subscription API and stand-alone API/Testing Engine for bulk testing and CI integration
- AIM report provides an accessibility impact score and expert manual test results
Frequently asked questions
Is there a free way to test a page?
Yes, you can use the online WAVE tool for free by entering a web page address.
What platforms does WAVE support?
WAVE offers browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge, plus an online tool, a subscription API, and a stand-alone API/Testing Engine.
Can WAVE test pages that aren't publicly accessible?
Yes, the stand-alone API and Testing Engine can be integrated into your infrastructure to test intranet, non-public, and secure pages, including in continuous integration processes.
Who is WAVE for?
It is for web authors and developers who want to evaluate and improve the accessibility of their web content against WCAG guidelines.
Is there a site-wide monitoring option?
Pope Tech offers an enterprise-level, site-wide web accessibility evaluation system based on WAVE.
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