Accessibility Testing for Guidewire Applications

Pavan Kumar Gollapudi

Accessibility testing, Assistive technologies, Guidewire applications, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Accessibility testing ensures the usability of digital application by all people with diverse abilities, such as visual, auditory, cognitive, or motor disabilities. Accessibility testing is critically important for ensuring that Guidewire applications meet legal compliance, improve the user experience, and increase inclusion. This abstract summarizes the importance, methods, and best practices of accessibility testing for Guidewire applications.

Guidewire applications are designed to appeal to a wide audience of users: agents, customers, and administrators. Accessibility in the applications is more than a regulatory necessity for the ADA and WCAG; rather, it ensures increased usability of the platform by one and all. As the insurance industry has witnessed ever-increasing digital transformation, accessibility testing has become crucial in this direction for ensuring equal digital experience opportunities.

Accessibility testing for Guidewire applications is done through automated and manual approaches. Basic accessibility issues can be identified during development by using tools such as Axe, Lighthouse, and Wave, while manual testing with assistive technologies like screen readers and keyboard navigation ensures a more comprehensive evaluation. Specialized testing strategies are used to address Guidewire's dynamic interfaces, workflows, and customizations that pose specific challenges, such as complex forms, dynamic content updates, and interactive dashboards.

Additionally, accessibility testing involves guided applications among developers, testers, and business analysts. Accessibility inclusion very early in the development stages will prevent costly reworks for the teams and minimize the risk of non-compliance. Integrating accessibility checks into continuous integration/continuous deployment pipelines lets the software be kept accessible throughout the whole life of the software.

https://doi.org/10.31871/WJRR.20.1.9