Automating Accessibility Audits for UI Components with Replay AI

TL;DR: Replay automates accessibility audits by converting screen recordings of UI components into code, allowing for programmatic testing and remediation.

Automating Accessibility Audits for UI Components with Replay AI#

Accessibility is often an afterthought in UI development, leading to exclusion and potential legal issues. Traditional accessibility audits are manual, time-consuming, and prone to human error. What if you could automate this process, ensuring your UI components are accessible from the start?

Replay, a video-to-code engine powered by Gemini, offers a revolutionary approach. By analyzing screen recordings of UI interactions, Replay reconstructs working UI code, enabling automated accessibility audits and significantly reducing manual effort. This "behavior-driven reconstruction" allows us to understand the intent behind the UI, not just its visual appearance.

The Problem: Manual Accessibility Audits#

Manual accessibility audits typically involve:

1. •Manual testing: Using screen readers, keyboard navigation, and other assistive technologies to interact with the UI.
2. •Code review: Examining the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript code for accessibility issues.
3. •Reporting: Documenting accessibility issues and recommending solutions.

This process is:

• •Time-consuming: Each component requires significant manual effort.
• •Expensive: Requires specialized accessibility expertise.
• •Inconsistent: Results can vary depending on the auditor's experience.
• •Reactive: Issues are often identified late in the development cycle.

The Replay Solution: Automated Accessibility Audits#

Replay automates the accessibility audit process by:

1. •Converting screen recordings into code: Replay analyzes video of UI components in action and generates clean, functional code.
2. •Enabling programmatic accessibility testing: The generated code can be tested using accessibility testing libraries like
   text

   axe-core
   or
   text

   react-axe
   .
3. •Identifying and remediating accessibility issues: Automated tests flag accessibility violations, allowing developers to fix them early in the development cycle.
4. •Integrating with CI/CD pipelines: Automated accessibility audits can be integrated into your CI/CD pipeline, ensuring continuous accessibility compliance.

How Replay Works: Behavior-Driven Reconstruction#

Replay uses "Behavior-Driven Reconstruction" to understand the underlying behavior of the UI. Unlike screenshot-to-code tools that only capture visual information, Replay analyzes the actions performed in the screen recording. This allows Replay to:

• •Infer the purpose of UI elements: Understand what a button is supposed to do, not just what it looks like.
• •Reconstruct complex interactions: Handle multi-step forms, dynamic content updates, and other complex UI patterns.
• •Generate semantic HTML: Create code that is both functional and accessible.

Comparison with Existing Solutions#

Implementing Automated Accessibility Audits with Replay#

Here's a step-by-step guide to automating accessibility audits using Replay:

Step 1: Capture a Screen Recording#

Record a video of yourself interacting with the UI component you want to audit. Make sure to demonstrate all relevant interactions, such as:

• •Clicking buttons
• •Filling out forms
• •Navigating with the keyboard
• •Using a screen reader (if possible)

Step 2: Generate Code with Replay#

Upload the screen recording to Replay. Replay will analyze the video and generate clean, functional code representing the UI component. You can choose from various output formats, including React, Vue, and HTML.

Step 3: Set up your testing environment#

Install

or and your testing framework of choice (e.g., Jest, Mocha).

bash
npm install axe-core jest

Step 4: Write Accessibility Tests#

Write tests that use

or to scan the generated code for accessibility violations.

typescript
// Example using Jest and axe-core
const axe = require('axe-core');
const { JSDOM } = require('jsdom');

describe('Accessibility Audit', () => {
  it('should have no accessibility violations', async () => {
    // Assuming Replay generated HTML and you've loaded it into a string called 'html'
    const html = `
      <button aria-label="Close">X</button>
    `;
    const dom = new JSDOM(html);
    global.document = dom.window.document;

    const results = await axe.run();

    expect(results.violations).toHaveLength(0);
  });
});

💡 Pro Tip: Focus your initial tests on critical components like forms, navigation menus, and interactive elements.

Step 5: Run the Tests#

Run the tests and review the results.

and will provide detailed reports of any accessibility violations, including the specific elements that are failing and recommendations for fixing them.

Step 6: Remediate Accessibility Issues#

Fix the accessibility issues identified by the tests. This may involve:

• •Adding ARIA attributes to improve semantic meaning
• •Improving color contrast
• •Ensuring keyboard navigability
• •Providing alternative text for images

Step 7: Integrate with CI/CD#

Integrate the accessibility tests into your CI/CD pipeline to ensure that new code changes don't introduce accessibility regressions.

Code Example: React Component with Accessibility Testing#

Let's say Replay generates the following React component:

javascript
// Generated by Replay
import React from 'react';

const MyComponent = () => {
  return (
    <button aria-label="Close" onClick={() => alert('Closed!')}>
      X
    </button>
  );
};

export default MyComponent;

Here's how you can test it with

and Jest:

javascript
// MyComponent.test.js
import React from 'react';
import { render } from '@testing-library/react';
import { axe, toHaveNoViolations } from 'jest-axe';
import MyComponent from './MyComponent';

expect.extend(toHaveNoViolations);

describe('MyComponent Accessibility', () => {
  it('should have no accessibility violations', async () => {
    const { container } = render(<MyComponent />);
    const results = await axe(container);

    expect(results).toHaveNoViolations();
  });
});

⚠️ Warning: While Replay automates code generation, accessibility remediation still requires careful consideration and expertise. Always consult accessibility guidelines and best practices.

Benefits of Automating Accessibility Audits with Replay#

• •Reduced manual effort: Automate the repetitive tasks of accessibility auditing.
• •Improved accuracy: Eliminate human error and ensure consistent results.
• •Faster feedback: Identify and fix accessibility issues early in the development cycle.
• •Lower costs: Reduce the need for specialized accessibility expertise.
• •Increased accessibility: Build more inclusive and accessible UI components.
• •Seamless integration: Integrate into existing development workflows with Supabase, style injection, and product flow maps.

Replay's Advanced Features#

Replay offers several advanced features that further enhance the accessibility audit process:

• •Multi-page generation: Reconstruct entire user flows, not just individual components.
• •Supabase integration: Store and manage generated code and test results in Supabase.
• •Style injection: Apply custom styles to the generated code for consistent branding.
• •Product Flow maps: Visualize the user journey and identify potential accessibility bottlenecks.

📝 Note: Replay is constantly evolving, with new features and improvements being added regularly.

Frequently Asked Questions#

Is Replay free to use?#

Replay offers a free tier with limited usage. Paid plans are available for higher usage and access to advanced features. Check out Replay's pricing page for more details.

How accurate is Replay's code generation?#

Replay's accuracy is constantly improving. However, it's important to review the generated code and make any necessary adjustments. The goal is to accelerate development, not replace developers.

What types of UI components can Replay handle?#

Replay can handle a wide variety of UI components, including buttons, forms, navigation menus, and dynamic content updates. Complex interactions and animations may require additional manual effort.

Does Replay support accessibility testing for mobile apps?#

Currently, Replay primarily focuses on web applications. Support for mobile apps is planned for future releases.

How does Replay handle dynamic content?#

Replay analyzes the behavior of the UI to understand how dynamic content is updated. This allows Replay to generate code that correctly handles dynamic content.

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Ready to try behavior-driven code generation? Get started with Replay - transform any video into working code in seconds.