Introduction: Translation is Key We’ve all seen a bad bug report: “The site is broken for screen readers.” For a developer, this is incredibly frustrating because it doesn’t tell them what is broken, where it is, or how to fix it. An accessibility bug is just like any other technical bug—it needs clear data and actionable steps. At Aditya Catalyst, we teach QA teams how to write reports that lead to fast fixes, not long arguments.
The Perfect Accessibility Bug Report
A great report should include these five things:
- The Barrier: What is the actual problem? (e.g., “The ‘Submit’ button cannot be reached using only a keyboard.”)
- The Impact: Who does this affect? (e.g., “Critical: Users with motor disabilities cannot complete the checkout.”)
- The WCAG Violation: Which rule is being broken? (e.g., “Violation of WCAG 2.1.1: Keyboard.”)
- Steps to Reproduce: How can the dev see it for themselves? (e.g., “1. Go to homepage. 2. Hit Tab 5 times. 3. Notice focus disappears.”)
- The Recommended Fix: Give them a hint! (e.g., “Add a visible focus state to the .btn-primary class.”)
Categorizing Severity
Not all bugs are equal. We recommend using a simple ranking system:
- Blocker: The user cannot finish the task (e.g., can’t submit a form).
- High: The task is very difficult or confusing.
- Medium/Low: The task is possible, but annoying (e.g., a decorative image has a bad description). By speaking the “language” of developers, you turn accessibility from a “chore” into a clear set of engineering goals.