Cognitive Walkthrough

An accessibility and usability evaluation method in which one or more experts step through a series of tasks from the perspective of a target user, identifying potential barriers and difficulties at each step. In accessibility evaluations, cognitive walkthroughs often involve experts using assistive technologies such as screen readers and keyboard-only navigation to complete representative tasks, documenting where focus management, feedback, or interaction patterns break down. The method is valuable for identifying issues before user testing, though it should be complemented by testing with actual users of assistive technologies.