Inclusive App Design: A Guide to Mobile App Accessibility Standards

Inclusion is not a feature, not exclusivity, not singling out. It’s all about including and considering everyone. In other words, the inclusive design process is all about designers thinking about lots of different people and what they need. It’s about creating products that make everyone feel included, needed, and valued. 

We have already written about Why is mobile accessibility so important? Today, we’re going to focus on accessibility standards for mobile apps, current legal requirements, ways to test mobile accessibility, and outline future trends in this area. Right, let’s dive in! 

Understanding Accessibility Standards for Mobile Apps

When we talk about “mobile accessibility”, we’re all about making apps and websites more accessible to people with disabilities when they use their mobile phones and other devices like tablets, smartwatches, certain apps in cars, home appliances, and more.

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) have established a definitive set of criteria for accessible digital content. This was originally created for websites, however, WCAG is also the preferred standard for all types of digital experiences, including mobile apps. Although WCAG is not a legislative act in itself, it has been adopted as the global standard for web accessibility. Legal compliance with many international regulations, such as Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act in the United States, requires WCAG compliance. So, how does WCAG apply to mobile accessibility?

1. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)

Developed to provide a single, common standard for web content accessibility that meets the needs of individuals, organizations, and governments around the world.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines standards are stable and can be referenced if they are published as a ‘W3C Recommendation’ web standard. “W3C Recommendation”: 

• WCAG 2.0 was published on December 11, 2008.
• WCAG 2.1 was published on June 5, 2018, with an update published on September 21, 2023. 
• WCAG 2.2 was published on October 5, 2023.

WCAG covers three levels of compliance: A, AA, and AAA. Each level is an add-on to the previous level, just like a pyramid. So, to be compliant with level AA, you must comply with all levels of A, and to be compliant with level AAA, you must comply with all levels of AA.

Level A: This level represents the base compliance level. The criteria for Level A will affect the broadest group of users with the most benefits, and they are essential. However, some barriers affecting specific user groups will continue to exist.

Level AA: This is the most common level of compliance, often adopted in regulations or negotiated in legal settlements. The standards at this level establish a level of accessibility that will work for a larger number of users, including those who use assistive technology.

Level AAA: This covers the success criteria of all three levels and is the highest level of conformance achievable. However, Level AAA may not be applicable or realistic in all situations. At this level, some organizations may choose to adopt certain criteria.

WCAG’s accessibility criteria are based on four principles: perceivability, operability, understandability, and reliability (often referred to as POUR).

Perceivable. All of the information and components of your mobile application need to be presented in the most perceptible way possible.

Operable. All components of the app interface, including navigation, must be operable, regardless of ability.

Understandable. All information and application functionality must be understandable to all users.

Robust. Finally, all mobile app content should support multiple user interfaces, including assistive technology, for easy interpretation.

The requirements for mobile applications are considered following these principles. The W3C Mobile Accessibility Task Force provides detailed advice on possible accessibility violations in its WCAG for Mobile Guidelines. 

Regarding principle 1 (perceivability): accessibility issues in this category include screen size, zooming/enlarging capabilities, and providing sufficient contrast.

Regarding principle 2 (operability), attention should be paid to keyboard management for touch screen devices, optimization of touch size, spacing, and button placement, and provision of instructions for alternative touch screen gestures and device operation gestures (e.g., tips, guides, etc.) for people who may require them.

Principle 3 (understandability) cites the following accessibility issues for mobile devices: the ability to change screen orientation, providing a consistent layout, placing important page elements before scrolling, grouping work items that perform the same action, providing a clear indication that items are available for execution, and providing instructions for user touch screen gestures and device manipulation gestures.

Regarding the 4th principle (reliability), it is worth paying attention to: configuring the virtual keyboard for the required type of input, providing simple input methods, and supporting platform-specific properties such as device and operating system. Differences between devices and operating systems may affect the availability of certain accessibility features, such as adjusting the font size or moving text that has been enlarged.

2. App Accessibility on Apple and Android platforms 

iOS functions are conveniently divided into vision, hearing, mobility, and cognitive functions. All of these features can be found in one place in the “Special Features” section of the iPhone’s settings. While this has always been intuitive for iOS, it hasn’t always been the case for Android. A fairly recent update from Google now includes several accessibility features in one app - the Android Accessibility Suite. And now let’s compare. 

iOS Accessibility

Native Features: iOS has long been a leader in integrating accessibility features right into its system. Right out of the box, iOS devices are equipped with several native tools, including VoiceOver, Magnifier, and Live Listen.

Innovation and Leadership: Apple has been a champion of accessibility since its inception with its commitment to accessibility. By continually introducing groundbreaking features that improve the user experience for people with disabilities, they’ve set the bar high.

iOS Accessibility Features: iOS Accessibility Features demonstrate Apple at its best with a battery of options for those needing help with visual, hearing, mobility, and cognitive challenges.

Android Accessibility

Up and Coming: Android is catching up fast with its respective Accessibility suite. The company is making leaps, not strides, in becoming more accessible with features like TalkBack, Sound Amplifier, and Lookout.

Third-Party App Support: Where Android shines true. Such flexibility allows users to make use of a wider variety of specialized or otherwise useful tools and apps, which may not be available in the play store.

What is the Android Accessibility Suite? While iOS offers some built-in functionality, the package also opens up a host of third-party options for development and integration with novel adaptive technologies not always available on Apple’s platform.

To summarize, Android’s approach of embracing third-party apps and continuously improving its suite displays a strong commitment to app accessibility, while iOS excels in native accessibility features and innovation.

In 2024: 

• Android: In 2024, Android 14 is improving device customization and accessibility. Users will now be able to personalize their lock screens with shortcuts and choose from new lock screen templates that use AI to adapt to situations like changing weather. Android 14 also introduces AI-powered wallpaper generation which lets users create unique wallpapers. For health and safety, Health Connect is integrated into settings, providing a centralized location for health data that is encrypted for privacy. Android also makes devices more secure and personalized for users by improving PIN security.
• iOS: In late 2023, Apple introduced a couple of new accessibility features, including Live Speech and Personal Voice. The first one transcribes face-to-face conversations making it an amazing tool for taking minutes during meetings and calls. The second allows users to create a synthetic voice and adjust it so that it will sound like their own. These innovations are designed to improve communication for users with disabilities and once again demonstrate Apple’s commitment to accessibility and usability. Visit the Apple Newsroom website to read the full announcement. In addition, many updates have been made to VisionOS for Apple Vision Pro.

3. Legal Requirements for Mobile Accessibility 

So, how to determine if the application is accessible or not? For that, a system of rules that are based on several legislative documents exists. 

The first to look at is the ADA or Americans with Disabilities Act. What it proclaims is that websites and mobile apps are now considered public accommodations.

The ADA does not provide technical specifications for the accessibility of mobile applications. Rather, the law requires companies to comply with the standards outlined in WCAG, which is the second regulation document. These general guidelines were developed by the World Wide Web Consortium, and they’re the basis for most website accessibility standards today, including those referenced in the ADA.

Section 508, an amendment to the 1973 Rehabilitation Act, is the first federal law in the US to prohibit discrimination against disabled people. The subjects of the law are federal agencies and organizations that get federal money, together with their contractors and suppliers. All digital communications must be accessible under Section 508, including those on mobile apps.

The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act (CVAA), protects people with disabilities from discrimination in telecommunications. It requires that advanced communications be accessible. Title I requires that web browsers on mobile devices be accessible to people with visual impairments. This includes video communications, email, and text messages.

How to Create Accessible Mobile Apps

• Keep in mind different screen sizes

When developing the app, one should keep in mind that users will have different gadgets with different screen sizes. So think of a way to minimize the information on each page to fine-tune it to smaller screens, adjust the position of form fields, and use reasonable content size. 

• Larger text and scalable fonts

Apply text resizing options in your app. Use relative font sizes so that text scales properly on different devices. Ensure that there is sufficient contrast between text and background colors. 

• Pay attention to color contrast

Since many mobile apps will be used outdoors and by users with disabilities, color contrast is an important aspect of accessibility. The color contrast ratio of text colors should be at least 4.5:1, while larger text should be at least 3:1 (for level AA). Avoid using color alone to convey information. Ensure that the color selection works for users with color blindness. 

• Simplify app gestures

Any gestures required to operate your mobile app should be as simple as possible to accommodate users with disabilities. Choose tapping or swiping gestures over more complex ones.

• Voice commands and screen readers

Ensure compatibility with built-in screen readers such as VoiceOver and TalkBack. Provide alternative text for images and icons. Support voice commands for basic app functions.

• Haptic feedback and multimodal interactions

Implement haptic feedback for important actions or notifications. Provide multiple ways to interact with app functions (e.g., touch, voice, gestures). 

• Customize the size of the target

If your app displays multiple elements at once, they should be large enough and spaced apart so that app users can easily touch them. This includes elements such as buttons.

• Make data entry easy

Since text entry can be a difficult and time-consuming task for many users, it’s important to provide easy methods for data entry. Follow the concept of “Don’t make me think”. Create clear, consistent navigation patterns. Provide easily identifiable Back buttons and Home screens. Implement a logical heading structure for screen reader users. It is also recommended to provide autocomplete and data-sharing features.

• Keep your layouts consistent

Any information that appears on multiple screens in your app should be consistent. Even if you need to place the hamburger menu navigation on certain screens, make sure that the menu items are in the same order.

• Conduct regular accessibility testing for mobile apps

Regular accessibility testing with users with disabilities can help you identify where accessibility errors exist in your mobile apps. Additionally, users can provide insight into the best way to resolve errors. Be sure to test your mobile content on different screen readers; this can help you provide a better experience across devices.

At the same time, keep such features in mind from the very beginning of the app design and development process, instead of adding them after launch. This will help you find and fix issues with special features before they affect your users.

How to Check if Your Mobile App is Accessible?

Various assessment tools help you check certain aspects of accessibility. However, it should be noted that no technical tool can determine the level of accessibility better than a human. That’s why it’s always best to have comprehensive testing of the application by groups of people with disabilities - of different numbers, ages, professions, and genders.

Accessibility assessment is also called “evaluation”, “audit”, and “testing”.

Even if you don’t know anything about accessibility and don’t have a reliable accessibility tool, you can check some aspects of accessibility.

Easy checks are a first overview of web accessibility that provides step-by-step instructions and brief explanations for checking some aspects of accessibility.

Web accessibility assessment tools are applications or web services designed to help people determine if their web content meets accessibility standards.

The Web Accessibility Evaluation Tools List contains information about more than 100 tools. You can use filters to narrow the list to the types of tools you are interested in.

You can download a comprehensive PDF checklist to summarize the ADA web accessibility requirements outlined in this document.

A Strategic Approach to Implementing Mobile Accessibility

Let us offer you a strategic approach to the successful implementation of mobile accessibility in your organization:

• Make accessibility a core business value (Include accessibility goals in your company’s mission and vision. Ensure support from leadership and departmental stakeholders)
• Involve people with disabilities and older people in the design process (Conduct user testing with different age groups and abilities. Establish an advisory group of people with disabilities and older people to provide ongoing feedback)
• Train development teams in inclusive design and WCAG compliance (Conduct regular training on WCAG requirements and best practices for general accessibility. Encourage developers to use assistive technologies themselves to better understand user needs. Ask designers and developers to get IAAPA Certification) 
• Integrate accessibility into your development lifecycle (Include accessibility checkpoints in your quality assurance process. Conduct regular accessibility tests for mobile applications)
• Stay up to date with evolving standards (Keep up to date with updates to the WCAG guidelines for mobile apps. Monitor changes in ADA compliance requirements for mobile apps).

By adopting this approach, companies can safeguard that mobile accessibility becomes an integral part of their app development process, and thus, leading to more inclusive products and a stronger market position.

Future Mobile Accessibility Trends

As scientific progress continues to advance, the following trends are emerging in the field of mobile accessibility testing: 

1. Testing based on AI and machine learning

AI and ML are extremely handy technologies for developers to create more sophisticated testing tools that will detect accessibility issues automatically. And after that, each new test cycle will help them learn for future improvements with testing.

2. Accessibility testing in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR)

By 2028, the number of users in the augmented and virtual reality market will most likely increase. The number the experts expect is no less than 3,674 million users globally. As VR and AR become progressively integrated into mobile apps and adopted by more and more people, accessibility testing in these immersive environments is crucial. 

3. Accessibility testing in CI/CD pipelines

The tech scene is embracing a new trend! It’s about time more developers integrated accessibility testing into their continuous integration/continuous deployment (CI/CD) pipelines! And it’s no surprise at all! It’s a no-brainer, given how many people are embracing Agile and DevOps! Integrating accessibility testing into their pipelines gives developers total peace of mind, knowing that availability is always at the forefront of the entire development process. The best part? Automated tests are performed at every stage of the pipeline! 

4. Voice assistants and natural language processing

Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant, and Apple’s Siri have made incredible strides in improving accessibility for people with disabilities – and it’s about time! These technologies will become even more advanced and widespread very soon! Natural language processing (NLP) algorithms are making voice recognition more accurate and reliable. This makes it an even more powerful tool for people with mobility or communication impairments, which is fantastic! Voice assistants are being integrated into a plethora of devices, including smartphones, tablets, and smart home appliances. This is extending their accessibility benefits so much, which is great for everyone! Voice technologies will undoubtedly become an integral part of digital accessibility solutions as they continue to evolve.

5. Brain-computer interfaces (BCIS)

The BCIs are the next big thing in technology. They allow ones to communicate directly with a computer or other digital device using only our thoughts. This could be a real game-changer for people with severe physical disabilities, giving them the power to control computers and interact with digital content. The future looks bright for BCIs, with further development opening up new possibilities for communication and interaction for people with mobility disabilities.

CONCLUSIONS

Mobile accessibility is a fundamental part and a requirement of our everyday lives, businesses, and even the law. We are opening up a world of possibilities by creating a digital world that’s accessible to all of us! It doesn’t matter who you are or where you are on the spectrum of physical and mental ability – everyone can and should enjoy seamless interaction with the modern digital ecosystem!

This is not just the right thing to do morally, but it also helps build loyalty with your customer base, and ultimately, contributes to a happier, more inclusive society! As technology continues to advance rapidly, let’s aim to create mobile apps that are functional and accessible to absolutely everyone! 

The SmithySoft® Team can TEST SOFTWARE to make it inclusive! We will assist you in releasing the highest-quality product possible. Contact us!