Automated Accessibility Testing: axe-core, Keyboard Navigation, and WCAG in the Browser

Short summary

Automated accessibility testing is incomplete if it only scans the initial HTML—most accessibility problems occur in interactive states that static scanners never reach. The post explains how to combine axe-core (for WCAG rules) with real browser testing to validate focus order, keyboard navigation, and screen reader announcements after user interactions like form submission or menu expansion. Running tests against actual rendered states, not jsdom approximations, catches modal traps, focus theft, and dynamic content issues that comprise most real-world accessibility complaints.

• •Static accessibility scanners only check initial HTML and miss interactive states
• •axe-core validates WCAG rules; real browser testing catches focus and keyboard navigation issues
• •Test after user interactions to catch focus theft, modal traps, and inaccessible dynamic content

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