Mobile App Accessibility Remediation: Making Your App Inclusive for All

Our phones and tablets have become essential devices in the age of mobile computing, acting as our crucial resources to use the internet. On the other hand, inaccessible mobile app solutions can pose significant obstacles for over 1.3 billion individuals with disabilities.

It has been demonstrated that inclusively designed apps enhance everyday active users, improve retention, and broaden their audience. Providing mobile app solutions that are accessible to consumers with disabilities can boost app customer retention by 36%. Building for accessibility entails improving the experience for all your clientele, so making an effort is indeed worth it.

This blog covers the intricacies of mobile app accessibility remediation along with the reasons why it improves your business. Let’s dispel the ambiguity surrounding accessibility, explore its benefits, and close the gaps in digital experiences. Keep reading to find out how being inclusive can give you a competitive edge!

Table of Contents:

• Why is Mobile App Accessibility Significant?
  1. It is a Stringent Legal Requirement
  2. Reduces the Cost of Developing Mobile Apps
• 6 Steps to Accessibility Remediation for Mobile Apps
  1. Design for an Array of Screen Dimensions
  2. Concentrate on Placement and Touch Plans
  3. Maintain Device Actions Basic and Offer Plenty of Reviews
  4. Ascertain Formats and Layouts are in Tandem
  5. Offer Simple Techniques for Entering Data
  6. Verify Color Contrast
• Takeaway

Why is Mobile App Accessibility Significant?

Apps with accessible mobile design can cater to a greater range of different people. Businesses can create online experiences that are accessible to everyone by taking into account the needs of individuals with disabilities in advance.

However, here are the two basic and crucial requirements for making apps ADA-compliant:

1. It is a Stringent Legal Requirement

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates that all businesses must provide accessible online content. Organizational leaders are devoting additional funds to technological compliance, even as the number of lawsuits related to ADA web accessibility rises annually.

But in addition to being necessary for websites, Title III of the ADA also mandates accessibility for mobile apps.

As stated differently, it is legally required of all organizations to ensure that their mobile apps are accessible. Of course, there are other benefits to being accessible as well, but for many companies, this is a persuasive case.

2. Reduces the Cost of Developing Mobile Apps

ADA compliance for mobile apps helps to emphasize the advantages of inclusive design when contending for an accessible mobile app.

The widely accepted international norms for digital accessibility are the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), which also serve as an outstanding basis for enhancing adherence to other non-discrimination regulations and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Despite being a technical manual, the WCAG doesn’t severely restrict mobile app developers; on the contrary, it strengthens industry standard practices.

You can connect with a wider audience and lower your service’s long-term expenditures by adhering to WCAG guidelines for mobile:

• WCAG requires accurate semantic markup. Your app will function on a greater variety of platforms and be easier to upgrade and add new functions to when its semantics are right.
• WCAG demands responsive design of content. Setting reflow as a top priority is essential because non-responsive mobile app content will not function consistently across various screens.
• When a feature needs pointer gestures, WCAG mandates that the feature be able to be used with just one pointer and no path-based gesture. Adhering to this stipulation guarantees that the content functions for a wider spectrum of users.

Also Read: The Future of Accessibility Compliance in 2024: Emerging Technologies and Opportunities

6 Steps to Accessibility Remediation for Apps

Six inclusive accessibility remediation strategies for mobile native apps are outlined here. To guarantee accessibility and usability, these are the most important components a native app creator or developer must pay attention to.

1. Design for an Array of Screen Dimensions

Mobile devices are characterized by smaller display sizes and unique aspect ratios, which developers must take into consideration when creating native apps. A less extensive screen reduces the amount of data that users can process at once, particularly when they are using it to enlarge content because of low vision.

Here are a few accessibility app development tips to enhance the user interface for small screens:

• Reducing the volume of data on every page by offering a mobile-specific website or using a mobile-friendly design
• Providing touch controls and information with a suitable default size will reduce the necessity for consumers with low vision to zoom in and out
• The link text dimension is adjusted to the viewport breadth
• Form fields should be positioned beneath their labels instead of alongside them.

2. Concentrate on Placement and Touch Plans

Mobile devices with higher resolutions enable the presentation of multiple interactive features on a small screen simultaneously. But for users to aim for these components with their fingertips, they need to be sufficiently big and far apart.  

An app’s tap targets must be large enough to allow users to engage confidently and precisely, even when they are rushing through tasks.  

Touch target size; optimal procedures include: 

• Creating touch targets with a minimum height and width of 9 mm
• Increasing the amount of inactive space around smaller touch targets

The interactive components on mobile applications should also be well positioned so that users can easily access them no matter how the device is held. Designers should take into account the possibility that a button that is intuitive for certain individuals may be challenging for others to navigate.

Here are some pointers for placing touch targets: 

• Place the buttons in a convenient location
• Give every interactive aspect unlimited operational status

3. Maintain Device Actions Basic and Offer Plenty of Reviews

The majority of mobile devices are made mainly to be used with touchscreen actions. These motions can be as straightforward as tapping with one fingertip or as complicated as using several fingers, pressing using several taps, and drawing patterns. 

Mobile app control gestures should be as simple for users as possible. Those with motor or skill disabilities may find complicated gesture control especially difficult. Provide substitutes that enable basic swipe or tap actions instead of complicated ones.

4. Ascertain Formats and Layouts are in Tandem

In a mobile application, elements that are displayed repeatedly on different pages must have a uniform structure. Pages with specific dimensions and positioning should have in-line placement of navigational elements and repeating features according to a responsive layout, which arranges components depending on device size and display orientation.

5. Offer Simple Techniques for Entering Data

Another crucial feature of mobile devices is multi-modal data entry, which allows individuals to input data using a variety of methods, such as speech, a displayed keyboard, and a Bluetooth keypad.

For certain users, typing can be laborious and challenging; however, alternative methods of information entry can take priority. Provide checkboxes, toggle switches, or select listings to minimize the volume of text entry needed. You can also have known data (like the date, time, and location) filled in automatically.

6. Verify Color Contrast

The majority of users can follow the general color contrast ratios outlined by WCAG, but mobile apps and devices require special consideration.

Mobile device use is more common outside, where sunlight may make it difficult to focus on the screen. For all users, employing good contrast is essential, as poor contrast can exacerbate the difficulties individuals with low vision have while using mobile devices.

Also Read: Common Pitfalls in Mobile App Accessibility Testing and How to Avoid Them?

Takeaway

Performance is driven by accessibility; however, the advantages of accessibility testing for mobile go beyond just performing well.

Making sure your app is usable by people with different abilities is not just a moral duty but also a smart business move for mobile app developers. A mobile experience that is accessible expands the user base for your app, fosters client retention, and improves the perception of your company.

If you are looking for mobile app accessibility remediation, get in touch with Hurix Digital. Our accessibility specialists have laid the groundwork for an effective methodology-based assessment. In addition, we certify your products and provide WCAG audit reports to help with your marketing and sales initiatives.