Browser Extensions 101: Building Custom Tools for Accessibility Testing
taught by: Noel Tibbles
Session Summary
Accessibility testing tools often require digging into DevTools or juggling multiple extensions to get the insights you need, but what if you could build a browser extension tailored to your specific accessibility testing needs?
In this session, you’ll learn how to create, debug, and distribute a simple browser extension to streamline accessibility testing for your projects.
Description
Have you ever installed multiple accessibility testing extensions, only to realize they don’t quite meet your needs? Or found yourself thinking, “There has to be an easier way to test this”? Browser extensions offer a powerful and efficient way to identify accessibility issues—without requiring deep dives into code every time. But building one from scratch can feel overwhelming, especially for developers already balancing multiple responsibilities.
This session will demystify the process of developing a custom accessibility-focused browser extension. You’ll learn the fundamentals of extension development, explore debugging techniques, and discover how to distribute your tool to your team without the hassle of publishing it on the Chrome Web Store. Whether you're new to extension development or looking for ways to optimize accessibility testing, this session will equip you with practical knowledge to build tools that make testing faster and more effective.
Practical Skills
- Understand the fundamentals of developing a Chrome browser extension for accessibility testing.
- Learn how to distribute a browser extension internally—without needing the Chrome Web Store.
- Identify common challenges and limitations of building an extension and determine if it’s the right solution for your team’s accessibility testing needs.