Note: We are sunsetting the Toolkit in its current form. There will be no more releases after this last release. We will launch a new cross-browser Toolkit in 2021.
Toolkit Description
The ARC Toolkit is a set of accessibility tools which aids developers in identifying accessibility problems and features for WCAG 2.0, WCAG 2.1, EN 301 549, and Section 508
The toolkit is designed to be integrated into automated and manual accessibility tests and works alongside the auditor or developer in order to simplify repetitive tasks and interactively explore accessibility features and problems. The ARC Toolkit is tightly integrated with Chrome’s Developer Tools and uses the ARC rule set, the same rules used by default in the ARC platform. This allows developers and quality assurance testers to take their ARC testing into their development environments and thoroughly investigate issues raised in ARC scans. It has two components.
1. ARC Toolkit Panel
This includes a set of tests that shows results both in the panel and in the page itself. Each test can be toggled on and off so types of issues can be isolated. Issues can be selected and viewed directly in the Elements panel.
2. ARC Toolkit Sidebar Pane
This appears as a side panel of the Elements panel and includes tools that evaluate the color contrast of a given element, evaluates nodes of a document for code validation, and listens for and displays changes to individual nodes.
It runs completely local within Chrome and works within iframes, so it can evaluate any page you can browse to. If you would like to pages that are not live on a website but are in development, turn on the option to “Allow access to file URLs”.
Because this tool is actively used by the TPG and Interactive Accessibility team, there are frequent updates as we further develop and refine the rules and features. If you would like training on how to use the ARC Extension for testing, please contact TPG at https://www.tpgi.com/contact/.
Using this as one of the top tools for semi-automated inspections, especially when doing WCAG-EM reports. We also recommend it to all QA and Dev: the selected element inspection and sending code fragment to W3C markup validation service are invaluable: let say when we want to validate only a new dialog inside a complex web interface.
It will be nice to have more information on the upcoming replacement, to plan accessibility testing process changes accordingly and promptly.
Just started using this one, and it looks promising. Though I would love some support for Dark Mode…
Great job!
I like it but there seems to be a bug when I begin to scroll down to the lower test groups. Steps to recreate: 1) open ARC toolkit tab in inspector, click “run test” 2) click a test group with an error or warning 3) click an erroneous element in the test results (takes you to the “elements” tab) 4) go back to “ARC Toolkit” tab and try viewing a test group near the bottom of the list. The panel should jump back to the top when you try and scroll down.
Checks contrast of text over images (not every instance, but often), provides a visual representation of tab order, and allows you to modify elements in the developer console and re-scan to see if fixes clear the error. EXTREMELY time saving for QC, as many other tools do not allow you to re-inspect the elements without refreshing the page and clearing any changes. Also appreciate the clear remediation recommendations.