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IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker
What it is
IBM Equal Access Accessibility Checker automates accessibility checks for web content and applications. Its rule engine maps checks to accessibility standards, including WCAG 2.2, and reports can identify the issue type, success criterion, affected element, XPath, progression level, and a help link. The tool is intended for web developers and accessibility auditors, and is free at no cost.
Browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge integrate with DevTools for scanning and keyboard checker mode visualization. The extension can combine up to 50 stored scans into a Microsoft Excel report. For CI/CD workflows, packages are available for Node, Cypress, and Java; the project Wiki also lists a Karma plugin and names Selenium, Puppeteer, Playwright, and Zombie as testing or parsing engines. The Wiki says web data, rules, and the engine stay local, rather than sending web data to servers or third parties. IBM notes that automated checks cover only a subset of its accessibility requirements, so manual and screen reader testing should follow.
For and against
For
- Maps checks to accessibility standards, including WCAG 2.2
- Extensions available for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge
- CI/CD packages available for Node, Cypress, and Java
- Combines up to 50 stored scans in an Excel report
Against
- Automated checks cover only a subset of requirements
- Manual and screen reader testing should follow
The verdict
The checker provides page-level automated findings through browser extensions and CI/CD packages. Treat its results as one part of accessibility evaluation, not a replacement for manual and screen reader testing.
Who it suits
It suits web developers and accessibility auditors who want automated page checks alongside their development workflows. It can also support teams that use CI/CD packages and browser DevTools.
Plans and prices
Free/open-source toolkit
browser extensions · Node/Cypress automation · accessibility rules engine
Read 19 Oct 2026 · github.com
Free and open source
Browser extensions · CI/CD and automated testing packages
Read 11 Oct 2026 · github.com
On the record
- API access
- Yesibm.com · read 21 Sep 2026
- Audience
- IBM describes the tools as intended for web developers and accessibility auditors.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Baseline testing
- Results can be compared with baseline files and tests can fail according to configured violation levels.github.com · read 19 Oct 2026
- Browser extension
- The Chrome extension runs inside Developer Tools and helps locate accessibility problems and possible fixes.chromewebstore.google.com · read 19 Oct 2026
- Browser tools
- Browser extensions are listed for Chrome, Firefox, and Edge.ibm.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Build requirement
- Building the repository requires Node version 22.github.com · read 19 Oct 2026
- Chrome usage
- The Chrome listing reports 40,000 users and version 4.0.33.9999 updated September 3, 2026.chromewebstore.google.com · read 19 Oct 2026
- CI/CD integration
- Yesibm.com · read 21 Sep 2026
- CI/CD integrations
- Packages are available for Node, Cypress, and Java, and the Wiki also lists a Karma plugin.ibm.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Command line
- The command-line utility scans files, directories and URL lists supplied through a text file.github.com · read 19 Oct 2026
- Company headquarters and size
- LinkedIn lists IBM headquarters in Armonk, New York, and company size above 10,001 employees.linkedin.com · read 19 Oct 2026
- Cypress integration
- A separate Cypress wrapper package is provided.github.com · read 19 Oct 2026
- Developer tools
- The extension integrates into browser DevTools and provides scanning and keyboard checker mode visualization.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Firefox users
- The Firefox listing reports 2,140 users and Apache License 2.0.addons.mozilla.org · read 19 Oct 2026
- Installation
- The Node module installs with npm install --save-dev accessibility-checker and can also be installed globally for the achecker command.github.com · read 19 Oct 2026
- Issue details
- Scan results can include issue type, WCAG success criteria, element, XPath, progression level, and a help link.github.com · read 11 Oct 2026
- Keyboard visualization
- The extension includes a keyboard-checker visualization mode.github.com · read 19 Oct 2026
- Licence
- The source repository is published under Apache-2.0; separate Toolkit copyright content is generally CC BY unless marked otherwise.github.com · read 19 Oct 2026
