Your accessibility audit came back all green. So why are users still complaining they can't use your site?
Here's the thing about accessibility testing. Lab data and field data serve completely different purposes and mixing them up wastes everyone's time.
By lab data I mean automated scans, browser extensions, development tools. Any testing done in isolation. It's easier and cheaper to collect. Lab data tells you some of what's broken. It's a diagnostic. You run a test, you get your compliance score, you fix the obvious stuff and you ship. It's pretty good for ticking boxes and catching low-hanging fruit before launch.
But lab data can't tell you if real users get stuck anywhere. That's where field data comes in.
Field data is real assistive tech, real devices, real users and real frustration when something doesn't work. It's messy and harder to collect. But it shows you the actual experience. It's more accurate.
It's important to know this distinction and when to use each.
If you're chasing WCAG compliance scores, lab data gets you most of the way there. But if you want to know whether your users with disabilities can work with your product, you need field data.
No automated test can replace watching someone struggle with your interface.