Tidal Health Group's Definition of Accessibility Regression Testing
Recurring automated and manual accessibility tests designed to detect new WCAG failures introduced by CMS updates, theme changes, or new feature deployments on healthcare websites.
How Accessibility Regression Testing Is Used
For a podiatry group that had completed a full WCAG remediation but saw new accessibility failures appear after each quarterly CMS update, Tidal Health Group implemented a pre-deployment regression test suite covering the 14 previously remediated components. Failures introduced by plugin updates were caught before deployment rather than after release, breaking the cycle of remediating and re-failing.
Why Accessibility Regression Testing Matters
Healthcare websites that achieve WCAG conformance through a one-time audit and remediation typically re-fail after the next plugin update or theme change. Without a release-cycle testing process, accessibility conformance cannot be maintained over time. Regression testing makes conformance a sustainable operational standard rather than a one-time compliance exercise.
Who This Is For
Healthcare web development teams and marketing managers who have completed an initial accessibility remediation and need a process to maintain conformance through ongoing CMS updates and new feature releases.
What Problem Accessibility Regression Testing Solves
One-time accessibility audits produce conformance that erodes with each subsequent release. Healthcare organizations that invest in WCAG remediation without a regression testing process will consistently cycle between compliance and non-compliance as updates reintroduce failures.
