*This article is an English translation of a Japanese article.
miChecker is a web accessibility evaluation tool provided by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan. It automatically diagnoses the accessibility of websites and highlights areas for improvement, making it an invaluable tool for developers and designers. This article provides an overview of miChecker, its key features, how to use it, and its benefits.
Overview of miChecker
miChecker is a tool designed to check website accessibility based on the international standard “Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).” Specifically, it evaluates websites for compliance with WCAG 2.0 and WCAG 2.1 standards, automatically detecting accessibility issues on a page. By using miChecker, you can easily understand how accessible your website is and where improvements are needed.
Key Features of miChecker
1. Automatic Diagnosis
miChecker allows you to input a webpage’s URL and automatically diagnoses accessibility issues. The results are visually presented, with problematic areas highlighted, so you can quickly see where improvements are needed.
2. WCAG Compliance Evaluation
The tool evaluates the site’s compliance based on WCAG standards (Levels A, AA, AAA). This helps you understand which level of accessibility your site meets and pinpoints areas that require improvement.
3. Detailed Reports
The diagnosis results are provided in a detailed report, including explanations of each issue and specific advice on how to fix them. The reports can be downloaded in PDF format, making it easy to share the findings with team members or stakeholders.
4. Multi-Page Diagnostics
miChecker can evaluate multiple pages at once, allowing for comprehensive accessibility assessments of large websites.
How to Use miChecker
1. Access and Login
miChecker is a web-based tool, so no installation is required. You can access it through your browser, register for a free account, and start using it right away.
2. Enter the URL
Enter the URL of the webpage you want to diagnose. You can also input multiple URLs for bulk diagnosis.
3. Run the Diagnosis
Click the “Start Diagnosis” button, and miChecker will automatically scan the page for accessibility issues. The scan can take a few minutes, depending on the size of the website.
4. Review and Improve
Once the diagnosis is complete, the results will be displayed, showing problem areas and details for each issue. Each problem is accompanied by a WCAG-based evaluation and advice on how to resolve it. Use this feedback to make necessary improvements to the website.
5. Re-Diagnose
After making improvements, run miChecker again to ensure all issues have been resolved. Repeat this process to continually improve your website’s accessibility.
Benefits of Using miChecker
1. Easy and Fast Diagnostics
miChecker is an online tool that requires no special technical knowledge to use, making it accessible to beginners and advanced users alike. Its simple interface allows you to quickly diagnose accessibility issues, making it useful from the early stages of website improvement.
2. Detailed Feedback
miChecker provides detailed reports that include specific instructions on how to fix detected issues. This feedback enables developers to swiftly address problems and enhance the site’s accessibility.
3. Compliance with Legal Standards
By evaluating websites according to national and international accessibility standards, miChecker helps you ensure that your site meets legal requirements, thereby reducing legal risks and promoting social responsibility.
4. Continuous Accessibility Management
miChecker allows you to monitor your site’s accessibility regularly. This ongoing evaluation ensures that new content or page updates do not introduce new accessibility issues.
Important Points When Using miChecker
1. Limitations of Automated Testing
While miChecker is a powerful automated tool, it cannot detect all accessibility issues. Manual checks are still required for elements like visual design usability and the overall user experience.
2. Understanding the Results
Interpreting the diagnosis results may require some knowledge of accessibility. Having a basic understanding of accessibility principles will help you better implement miChecker’s advice.
3. Need for Continuous Improvement
Accessibility is not a one-time task but a continuous process. Regularly use miChecker to evaluate your site and ensure it remains compliant with the latest accessibility standards.
Conclusion
miChecker is a powerful tool for quickly and accurately evaluating the accessibility of websites. It provides easy-to-understand feedback and specific advice for improving accessibility, making it easier to create websites that are accessible to everyone. By using miChecker regularly and continuing to improve your site, you can contribute to a more inclusive web and fulfill your social responsibility. Ensure that your website remains accessible by conducting regular diagnostics and making ongoing improvements.
We have released the UUU Web Accessibility Widget Tool, designed to make web accessibility easy to implement. This tool helps improve the accessibility of websites quickly and efficiently, even without specialized knowledge.
If you’re interested in enhancing your website’s accessibility, please check out the details. We are here to support you in making your website more user-friendly and accessible to a wider audience.