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Checklist for logging accessibility issues

Updated on December 13, 2022

Testing an application for accessibility and usability ensures that all users share an equal experience when using your application. Before you submit an incident with Pega Support, check the following preliminary information to get a better understanding of the components involved and to confirm the issue.

Supported software

Check your application for the following software issues:

  • Check if your system, browser, and software is supported. For more information, see Pega Platform Client Operating System and Browser Support.
  • If assistive technology is involved, test your issue with a different version of that software.
  • Confirm that you are not using the PegaWAI ruleset in Pega Platform versions later than version 8.
For example:

A user might report that tab focus moves to non-actionable items in the end-user portal, making standard navigation more complex for keyboard and screen reader users. Through investigation, it was discovered that the PegaWAI ruleset was still enabled in the application, causing the unnecessary focus. Since Pega Platform version 8, the PegaWAI ruleset is no longer recommended for accessibility features.

Component optimization

Pega puts continuous effort into improving controls and components for accessibility. When you optimize for the best accessible experience for users, some configuration options function better than others.

  • Confirm that you are following best practices for components. For more information, see Best practices for configuring UI components.
  • Some components use different keystrokes for navigation based on the elements that the user works with. Check if the navigation of the component aligns with the supported keyboard navigation for components. For more information, see Supported keyboard navigation.

Reflow and resolution

Proper reflow in end-user portals is also important for an accessible web application. According to W3C criteria on reflow, reflow dimensions are defined as 400% browser zoom at 1280x1024px, or 320x256px. Zooming the browser into 400% does not cover the requirements if the screen dimensions are incorrect. You can modify your screen dimensions either through your browser’s developer tools panel, or through display settings on your computer.

DOM Components

In some cases, the issue might involve the misuse or lack of one or more attributes in the markup that are necessary for a component to work properly with assistive technologies.

  • Check the W3C standards on how technologies and elements interact.
  • Use the browser's developer tools to manipulate HTML and see how results differ depending on the mix of attributes and assistive technologies.
  • For Google Chrome environments, consider using the Accessibility Tree tool.
Note: When checking Pega Platform pages, some automated testing tools might report several instances of non-unique ID attribute values in HTML elements. These attributes are attached to non-actionable DOM elements such as div or span. Individuals using assistive technologies do not interact directly with those elements. Actionable components, such as buttons, all have unique IDs.

Filing an accessibility issue

If an issue remains unresolved, the next step might be to open a support ticket in the Pega Support Portal. When submitting an issue, use the following best practices to improve response time:

  • Use attachments to provide additional information, such as screenshots of the scenario, output of the assistive technology, or the markup of the component that produces the issue. In more complex scenarios, recording a walktrough video can also be useful.
  • Avoid using application-specific keywords and terminology in the ticket title and the issue description.
  • Specify the browser and the browser version.
  • Provide the name and version of any assistive technologies used, where applicable.
  • Provide the name of the section rules and controls involved, and specify if these are out-of-the-box or custom.
  • Previous topic Key errors reported by the Accessibility Inspector
  • Next topic Custom configuration options for accessibility

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