WAVE Accessibility Tool

Web Accessibility Evaluation - Visual Feedback Tool

100% Free Accessibility Testing

Developed by WebAIM, trusted by accessibility professionals worldwide

Free

No Cost

Visual

Feedback

Educational

Tool

What is WAVE?

WAVE (Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool) is a free browser extension developed by WebAIM that provides visual feedback about the accessibility of web content. It's one of the most popular accessibility testing tools, used by millions of developers, designers, and accessibility professionals worldwide.

WAVE evaluates web pages for accessibility issues and displays them directly on the page with color-coded icons and indicators. Unlike automated tools that only show lists of issues, WAVE provides visual, in-context feedback that makes it easy to understand and fix accessibility problems.

The tool is available as a browser extension for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox, as well as an online service. WAVE identifies WCAG violations, structural issues, and accessibility features, helping users understand both problems and what's working well on their pages.

WAVE is particularly valuable for educational purposes, as it helps developers and designers learn about accessibility by showing issues in context. It's also excellent for quick accessibility checks during development and for demonstrating accessibility issues to stakeholders.

Key Features

Errors (Red Icons)

Critical accessibility violations
WCAG failures that must be fixed
Examples: Missing alt text, empty links, missing form labels

Alerts (Orange Icons)

Potential accessibility issues
Items that need manual review
Examples: Suspicious alt text, very small text, low contrast

Features (Blue Icons)

Accessibility features detected
Positive indicators of accessible design
Examples: Alt text present, ARIA landmarks, heading structure

Structural Information

Heading hierarchy visualization
Landmark regions identification
Form structure analysis
ARIA usage indicators

How to Use WAVE

Using WAVE is simple and intuitive:

Install Extension: Install WAVE from Chrome Web Store, Firefox Add-ons, or Edge Add-ons. It's completely free.

Navigate to Page: Go to the webpage you want to test in your browser.

Activate WAVE: Click the WAVE extension icon in your browser toolbar, or use the online WAVE service.

Review Icons: WAVE will overlay icons on your page. Red icons are errors, orange are alerts, blue are features.

Click Icons: Click any icon to see detailed information about that accessibility issue or feature.

View Summary: Check the WAVE sidebar for a summary of errors, alerts, and features found.

What WAVE Tests

WAVE evaluates web pages for a wide range of accessibility issues:

Common Issues Detected:

✓ Missing or empty alt text
✓ Missing form labels
✓ Empty links and buttons
✓ Missing page language
✓ Missing page title
✓ Heading hierarchy problems
✓ Missing ARIA labels
✓ Contrast issues (alerts)

Structural Analysis:

✓ Heading structure visualization
✓ Landmark regions identification
✓ Form structure analysis
✓ List structure verification
✓ Table structure evaluation
✓ ARIA usage detection

WAVE vs Other Tools

Tool	Cost	Best Feature	Best For
WAVE	Free	Visual in-context feedback	Learning, quick checks, education
axe DevTools	Free/Pro	Comprehensive automated testing	Development, CI/CD integration
Lighthouse	Free	Performance + accessibility	Performance audits, Chrome DevTools
ANDI	Free	Section 508 focused	Federal compliance testing

WAVE's strength is its visual, educational approach. It's excellent for learning accessibility and demonstrating issues to stakeholders.

Best Practices

Use for Learning: WAVE is excellent for understanding accessibility issues in context
Fix Red Errors First: Prioritize fixing red error icons before addressing orange alerts
Review Blue Features: Check blue feature icons to verify accessibility features are working correctly
Combine with Other Tools: Use WAVE alongside axe DevTools and manual testing for comprehensive coverage
Test Dynamic Content: Re-run WAVE after interactions that change page content
Use for Demos: WAVE's visual feedback is great for showing accessibility issues to non-technical stakeholders

Find Jobs Using WAVE

Looking for accessibility jobs that require WAVE? Browse our latest opportunities.

Last Updated: January 2025