Asana Accessibility Testing: Faster, Structured Workflows

Asana’s updated accessibility testing approach centres on structured checklists, lightweight automation, and disciplined triage. By mapping WCAG checks to Asana tasks and custom fields, teams surface clear, fixable issues earlier, reduce back‑and‑forth, and track outcomes from discovery to verification in one transparent workflow.

Why this matters now

Accessibility isn’t a one‑off audit. It’s a continuous habit across design, engineering, and content. When testing is ad‑hoc, teams miss predictable issues—like missing labels or poor colour contrast—and fixes drag on. A structured workflow in Asana shortens the loop from “found it” to “fixed it”.

What’s new in the approach

The focus is on clarity, speed, and verification:

• Clarity: Convert WCAG rules into a short, team‑friendly checklist. Each check becomes a task template with acceptance criteria.

• Speed: Add lightweight automation (linting, contrast checks, keyboard traps) to catch common issues before human review.

• Verification: Record evidence (screenshots, short clips, assistive tech notes) and mark outcomes with custom fields.

The core workflow in Asana

1. Create an Accessibility Board

   • Columns: To Test, Found Issues, In Progress, Ready for Verification, Done.

   • Templates: “Keyboard Navigation”, “Forms & Labels”, “Colour Contrast”, “Screen Reader Semantics”.
     
     

2. Use Custom Fields for precision

   • Area: Component/Page (e.g., “Checkout – Address Form”).

   • Issue type: Contrast, Focus, Semantics, Motion/Animation, Media Captions.

   • Severity/Impact: Blocker, High, Medium, Low.

   • WCAG ref: e.g., 2.4.3 Focus Order, 1.4.11 Non‑text Contrast.

   • Status: New, Triaged, Fix Ready, Verified.
     
     

3. Adopt a repeatable Checklist

   • Keyboard only: All actions reachable, visible focus, no traps.

   • Screen reader basics: Proper landmarks, headings, labels, and roles.

   • Forms: Programmatic labels, helpful error messages, no placeholder‑only labels.

   • Contrast: Minimum ratios met (text, UI components, states).

   • Media: Captions, transcripts, reduced‑motion alternatives.
     
     

4. Speed up discovery with automation

   • Run automated checks in CI or locally (linters, contrast tests, HTML validation). Treat results as signals, not final verdicts. Create Asana subtasks tagged “Automated finding” for quick triage.
     
     

5. Triage in minutes, not meetings

   • Use a short triage rule: Is it user‑blocking? How many users? How hard to fix? Assign severity, owner, and due date directly in Asana. Add a 2–3 sentence reproduction note and a 10–20 second clip or screenshot.
     
     

6. Fix with context

   • Engineers link code changes, designers attach updated components, and content designers add copy alternatives. Keep the WCAG reference and acceptance criteria visible in the task description.
     
     

7. Verify and learn

   • Move to Ready for Verification. Re‑test with keyboard and a screen reader. Mark the task Verified, attach proof, and add a one‑line lesson to a recurring “A11y Learnings” task for future sprints.

Practical examples

• Form label gaps: A linter flags inputs without labels. The Asana template suggests adding programmatic labels and testing with a screen reader. Verification requires a narrated clip demonstrating field focus, announcement, and error recovery.

• Contrast regressions: A design handoff reduces button contrast. The “Colour Contrast” template includes a quick ratio check and alternative tokens. Verification expects before/after screenshots with measured ratios.

• Focus order issues: Modal opens but focus stays behind. The “Keyboard Navigation” template links to guidance on trapping and restoring focus. Verification requires tabbing through and closing via keyboard.

Tips for faster outcomes

• Put the checklist in your Definition of Done.

• Keep tasks small; split multi‑page issues into separate tasks.

• Default due dates to the next sprint.

• Add a hotlist section on the board for critical, user‑blocking items.

• Review a small sample with a screen reader weekly—even 15 minutes exposes recurring patterns.

Measuring success

Track:

• Time to triage: From “Found” to “Triaged”.

• Time to verify: From “Fix Ready” to “Verified”.

• Recurring issue rate: How often the same issue type returns.

• Coverage: Percentage of key flows tested monthly.

A steady drop in time‑to‑verify and recurrence shows the workflow is paying off.

Getting started

Spin up the board, add the custom fields, paste in the checklist, and run one hour of testing on a high‑traffic flow. By the end of the hour you’ll have a ranked list of issues, owners, and due dates—all visible, all moving.

Want help implementing this? Generation Digital can configure Asana projects, fields, and templates tailored to your product and compliance goals.

FAQs

How does this method improve testing?
It converts WCAG guidance into clear tasks, adds lightweight automation to catch easy wins, and uses disciplined triage so fixes move quickly from discovery to verification.

What are the benefits of faster accessibility testing?
Users get fewer blockers, teams see fewer regressions, and leaders gain visibility into risk and progress—all within Asana.

Can these methods be applied elsewhere?
Yes. The checklist and triage model work in any tracker; Asana’s strength is simplicity, templates, and visibility across teams.

Do automated tools replace manual testing?
No. Automation finds common patterns; manual testing with keyboard and screen readers confirms real‑world usability.

Which standards does this align with?
Primarily WCAG 2.2 success criteria, with emphasis on focus order, semantics, labels, and contrast.