How do you meet mobile accessibility needs of your audience?

1 Understand your audience

The first step to meet the mobile accessibility needs of your audience is to understand who they are, what they need, and how they use your mobile app or website. You can do this by conducting user research, testing, and feedback, as well as by using personas, scenarios, and user stories. By understanding your audience, you can identify the potential barriers and challenges they may face, and design solutions that address them.

2 Apply accessibility principles

The second step to meet the mobile accessibility needs of your audience is to apply the accessibility principles that are relevant for mobile devices. These principles are based on the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which provide a set of standards and best practices for making web content accessible to people with different disabilities. To ensure mobile content is perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, some key principles include using clear and contrasted colors, providing alternative text for images, supporting touch and voice input, using simple and concise language, following web standards and conventions, testing content on different screen sizes and orientations, and providing fallback options for unsupported features. Additionally, avoid flashing or moving elements that can cause seizures or distractions, use large and responsive buttons, avoid time limits and pop-ups, follow a logical and consistent layout, provide labels and instructions for forms and controls, use clear and consistent icons and symbols, and avoid jargon and abbreviations.

3 Use accessibility tools and resources

The third step to meet the mobile accessibility needs of your audience is to use the available tools and resources that can help you check, improve, and maintain your mobile accessibility. You can use accessibility checkers like WAVE, AChecker, axe, and Lighthouse to scan your content and identify any errors. Additionally, accessibility testing tools like screen readers, magnifiers, keyboards, voice assistants, and switch controls can simulate how your content is perceived and operated by users with disabilities or assistive technologies. Moreover, you can refer to online documents or courses such as WCAG, Mobile Accessibility at W3C, and Google's Mobile Accessibility Guide for more information on applying accessibility principles and best practices. Finally, you can join online forums or networks like WebAIM, Stack Overflow, Accessible Tech, and A11y Project to connect with other developers or users interested in mobile accessibility. By following these steps, you can create mobile apps and websites that are inclusive and accessible for everyone.

4 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?