Assistive technology guide, Dragon for Windows testing steps

We’ll take you step by step through how to test a component or feature using your voice; with Dragon, speech recognition software for Windows by Nuance. Test with the latest version available.

How to turn Dragon on / off

Dragon is not installed on Windows devices by default.

1. To check if you have Dragon already installed on your device, go to the taskbar and search for 'Dragon', you should see the Dragon app listed in the search results, here you can open Dragon.
2. If you can't see Dragon, request this from IT. After download, when opening the app for the first time, follow the set up steps.
3. When Dragon is open, the Dragon Bar will be displayed on screen, usually at the top in the middle.
4. Check your user profile is being used. It's important to always use your own user profile, this enables the software to work well for you, with your accent and voice. You maybe prompted to select a user profile when opening Dragon, if not, in the Dragon Bar, go to 'Settings', then under 'Profile', select 'Open user profile'. If you've just installed Dragon and followed the set up steps, your user profile should have been created and be selected.
5. Before you can use voice commands you need to switch the microphone on, this allows Dragon to listen. In the Dragon Bar, look for the microphone button.
6. With the microphone on, you can toggle listening on or off, at any time. Say 'Go to sleep' to toggle listening off. When Dragon is asleep and not listening, the microphone button will be displayed blue with a night icon. Say 'Wake up' to toggle listening on. When Dragon is awake and listening, the microphone button will be displayed green with a listening affordance.
7. When Dragon is listening, you can speak commands just like you would perform an action by mouse. For example, you can say 'Scroll down' or 'Scroll up' to scroll a web page.
8. To see a list of voice commands, say 'What can I say'. For web specific commands see web browser basics and working with Chrome. There are many Dragon commands that you can use, though only a few are needed to perform the testing steps, all of which are explained below.
9. If using Dragon for the first time, follow the interactive tutorial, say 'Open tutorial'.
10. To exit and close Dragon, in the Dragon Bar, go to 'Tools', then select 'Exit Dragon'. Alternatively, you can right click the 'Dragon' app in the taskbar, then click the close icon.
11. If you find Dragon is having difficulty understanding your voice commands, try speaking slower and as clearly as possible. Also make sure there is no background noise, to reduce this, you could use headphones with a microphone.

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Testing in a foreign language

When testing with assistive technology it's important to test with content in a language that you can understand and with a language that is supported by the assistive technology. For further information see the assistive technology testing in a foreign language guide.

• Dragon is not supported for all languages
• Speak voice commands in the OS language

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Testing steps

We’ll take you step by step through how to test a component or feature. Following the same steps every time, ensures that everyone is testing using the same methods and using the most common techniques. The steps also enable anyone, in any role, to use Dragon for the first time.

To become more familiar and proficient using assistive technology, resist the temptation to cheat, always try to navigate like a user would.

As you go, make notes of any bugs you find.

Step 1 - Turn Dragon on

1. Open the Dragon app.
2. In the Dragon Bar, switch the microphone on.

See how to turn Dragon on / off for more detailed instructions.

Step 2 - Open Chrome

Open Chrome, this is the most used browser by Dragon users.

1. Say 'Open Google Chrome'.
2. If opening Chrome for the first time with Dragon, you will be prompted to install a Dragon web extension, this enables Dragon to work well with Chrome.

Note: Dragon will work with other browsers, such as FireFox, though always test in the most used browser.

Step 3 - Go to the testing url

Say or type in the testing url.

1. If the address bar is not focused, say the keyboard shortcut to move to the address bar 'Press Alt D'.
2. Now, say the testing url. If you make a mistake, say 'delete line' to start again. There are many commands you can say to dictate and edit text.
3. Then say 'Press Enter'.

Step 4 - Get in position to start testing

1. First check Dragon is working ok by saying 'Page down', the web page should scroll down.
2. Next, get in position to start testing by saying 'Page down' or 'Page up' until you can see the start of the component you're going to test. To move the page down by a few lines say 'Line down', to move the page up by a few lines say 'Line up'.

Step 5 - Activate all actionable elements

You are now ready to start testing.

All actionable elements, such as links, buttons and form elements, should be able to be used with a voice command. Go through each actionable element in turn:

1. If the element has some visible text, say 'Click' followed by the text you can see. For example, to activate a link with text of 'Powerful earthquake hits coast' say 'Click Powerful earthquake hits coast' or you can just say the first few words, such as 'Click Powerful earthquake'. If there is more than one link on screen with the same text you will now be presented with a number for each element, say 'Choose' along with the number of the element you wish to activate, such as 'Choose 2'.
2. If the element has no visible text, a visual affordance for the element should provide a clue to the name of the element. For example, if the element only has an icon, such as a menu icon, try saying 'Click menu'.
3. If you are unable to activate the element by the above methods, say 'Click' followed by the element type such as 'Click link' or 'Click button', you will now be presented with a number for each element of that type on screen. Say 'Choose' followed by the displayed number for the element, such as 'Choose 5'.
4. If you are still unable to activate the element, say 'Mouse grid', a numbered grid will now be displayed over the page. Identify the grid number the element is located in, then say the grid number, for example '3'. You will then be presented with a smaller grid to select from. Keep saying the grid number until the grid is a similar size to the element, the mouse cursor will change to a hand pointer, you can then say 'Mouse click' to click the element. To hide the Mouse Grid, say 'Cancel'.
5. Go through all actionable elements in the component including those within expandable or popup content, activating each element in turn, until you reach the end of the component you're testing.

After activating a link, to go back to the component you're testing, say the keyboard shortcut to go back 'Press alt left arrow'.

Actionable elements bug examples

• A link or button with no visible text does not have a visual affordance giving a clue to the name of the element
• An actionable element does not have a displayed number when saying 'Click' followed by the element type such as 'Click link' or 'Click button'
• A button that expands or shows further content cannot be activated
• An actionable element cannot be activated with a voice command
• The name of an actionable element doesn’t match the documented UX

Step 6 - Components with a scrollable area

Components that have either a horizontal scrollable area such as a carousel, or any areas which can be scrolled or navigated vertically, such as an embedded map, should be able to be used with voice commands.

Scrollable area with button controls

1. Ensure you can view all content in the scrollable area by activating the button controls, such as a left or right arrow button, with voice commands.
2. Ensure you can activate all other control buttons with voice commands.
3. Move through all actionable elements within the scrollable area, activating each element in turn, until you reach the end of the content within the scrollable area.
4. Return to the default view of the scrollable area by activating the button controls.

Scrollable area without button controls

1. Ensure you can view all actionable elements in the scrollable area by tabbing to them with a voice command. To reach the component, you can move through a number of actionable elements on a page with a single command, such as by saying 'Tab 10 times'. Once you have reached the component, say 'Press tab' to move to the first actionable element, such as a link or button, within the scrollable area.
2. Move through all actionable elements within the scrollable area, activating each element in turn, until you reach the end of the content within the scrollable area.
3. Return to the default view of the scrollable area, say 'Press shift tab' to move backwards through actionable elements.

Scrollable area bug examples

• You cannot view all content in a scrollable area with voice commands
• You cannot activate all control buttons with voice commands
• Actionable elements within a scrollable area, such as links and buttons, cannot be activated with voice commands
• You cannot return to the default view of the scrollable area with voice commands

Step 7 - Components with a text field

Check any text fields can be completed and then submitted without any validation errors.

1. Say 'Click text field'. If there is more than one text field on screen, you will now be presented with a number for each text field on screen. Say 'Choose' along with the number of the text field, such as 'Choose 1'.
2. Complete the field by saying the text you are required to enter. If you make a mistake, say 'delete line' to start again. There are many commands you can say to dictate and edit text.
3. Go through all text fields in the component, completing each in turn, before then activating the submit button with a voice command, such as 'Click sign in'.

Text field bug examples

• You cannot enter the required text with voice commands
• You cannot submit text entered with voice commands
• You cannot submit text entered with voice commands without getting a validation error

Step 8 - Accessibility acceptance criteria

Accessibility acceptance criteria can be used for additional manual testing steps specific to your component and documented UX, specific Dragon commands maybe needed.

1. Read the accessibility acceptance criteria. If the accessibility acceptance criteria is missing, ask your team's business analyst for the criteria before continuing.
2. Check that any criteria that is specific to using speech recognition software is met with Dragon for Windows.

Step 9 - Document any bugs

Document any accessibility bugs found, include as much information as you can, including information on how to replicate the issue and the bug priority level.

Note, this guide takes one approach, there are other ways you could do this. Back to top