Recording an accessibility testing session
Accessibility testing recordings share some ground with general UX research recording but have their own specific requirements that a standard usability-session recording setup doesn’t automatically cover.
Capture the assistive technology’s output, not just the screen
If a participant is using a screen reader, the screen recording alone misses the actual experience — you need the screen reader’s audio output captured too, which usually means recording system audio alongside the screen (see our guide on getting internal audio right on Mac if that’s your testing platform) rather than just the visual screen capture a typical usability test relies on.
Keyboard-only navigation needs to be visually traceable
For testing keyboard-only navigation, plain screen recording often fails to show where focus currently is — a sighted viewer watching the recording afterward can’t always tell what element is focused just from the video. Some testing setups add a visible focus indicator or overlay specifically so this is traceable in the recording, not just apparent to the person doing the testing live.
Document the specific assistive technology and version used
Accessibility behavior varies meaningfully by specific screen reader, browser, and version combination — narrating or otherwise recording this context (similar to the identifying-information practice covered in our insurance/warranty documentation guide, applied here for a different reason) means the recording remains useful evidence of a specific, reproducible issue rather than a vague “it didn’t work.”
Don’t over-produce these recordings
Unlike marketing or demo recordings, accessibility testing documentation benefits from being unpolished and complete rather than edited down — cutting parts that seem repetitive or slow can accidentally remove exactly the friction points that are the actual point of the recording.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to record screen reader audio, or is the screen recording enough?
For screen reader testing specifically, you need the audio output captured too — a silent screen recording misses the core experience being tested.
How do I show keyboard focus in a recording?
Some testing setups use a visible focus indicator or overlay, since standard screen recording doesn’t always make current focus position clear to someone reviewing the video afterward.
Should accessibility testing recordings be edited down?
Generally no — unlike marketing content, keeping these recordings complete and unpolished preserves the friction points that are the actual point of the documentation.
Related reading: Recording UX research sessions · Making a screen recording actually accessible · Getting internal audio right on Mac