Free Upgrade Available Within Current axe Chrome Browser Extension;
Empowers Web Developers to Progress Beyond Automated Accessibility Testing With No Additional Expertise Required
HERNDON, VA – September 30, 2019 – Deque Systems, a leading accessibility software company specializing in digital accessibility, today announced a key addition to axe, the popular web accessibility testing browser extension. Axe Pro Beta features enable developers to run both automated and intelligent guided tests against their websites and applications, helping ensure they are accessible to all users, including people with disabilities. Still in beta, axe Pro is available for free for a limited time and will continue to be improved based on feedback from developers everywhere.
“Axe Pro essentially lets every developer function as an in-house accessibility expert,” says Preety Kumar, CEO of Deque Systems. “It helps developers identify more areas for accessibility optimization, which is important as the rate of digital lawsuits continues to accelerate.”
Axe Pro builds upon the strengths of Deque’s open source axe accessibility rules engine by enabling developers to conduct intelligent guided tests, based on simple question-answer interactions that don’t require additional accessibility expertise. Available through a web portal within axe, axe Pro escorts developers through inspections of their websites and applications and returns reports highlighting areas for optimization. For example, axe Pro will highlight images where the accompanying alt text may not match the image.
Developers can typically identify about half of all critical accessibility blockers through axe. Augmenting the use of axe with additional Pro features will help developers increase their testing coverage with no additional resources needed.
“Enlisting the participation of the developer and accessibility community has always been a hallmark of Deque’s approach. It’s the reason we have open-sourced our axe rules libraries and also the reason we are soliciting developer input on these new additions to axe,” continues Kumar. “This feedback is essential in our efforts to continually enrich and expand our offerings, helping developers implement accessibility comprehensively, confidently and easily.”
ABOUT DEQUE:
Deque (pronounced dee-cue) is a web accessibility software and services company, and our mission is Digital Equality. We believe everyone, regardless of their ability, should have equal access to the information, services, applications, and everything else on the web.
We work with enterprise-level businesses and organizations to ensure that their sites and mobile apps are accessible. Installed in over 250,000 browsers and with over 1,000 audit projects completed, Deque is the industry standard.
News Media Contacts
At Deque:
Ryan Bateman, 703-225-0380, marketing@deque.com