Building a user-friendly application that adheres to ADA and WCAG standards for mobile accessibility: A guide.
In the digital age, creating an accessible and inclusive mobile app is no longer an option but a necessity. With over 15% of the global population falling under the specially-abled category, developing an ADA- and WCAG-compliant app opens the application to a wider user base.
The principles for building a WCAG-compliant mobile app are primarily based on applying the WCAG 2.1 and 2.2 success criteria to the mobile context. The core WCAG principles for mobile apps include perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust.
**Perceivable** Information and user interface components must be presented in ways users can perceive. This includes providing text alternatives for images, sufficient color contrast, captions for media, and easy-to-read and resizable text.
**Operable** User interface components and navigation must be operable. This means ensuring keyboard accessibility, touch target size, multiple input methods, and consistent navigation and clear labels.
**Understandable** Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable. This involves providing clear instructions, simple language, and consistent navigation.
**Robust** Content must be robust enough to be reliably interpreted by a variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.
Specific mobile accessibility guidelines include providing an app title and headings, using ARIA landmark roles, ensuring touch targets are large enough to be easily activated, providing text alternatives for all non-text content, ensuring sufficient color contrast, and making sure all app functions can be performed using a keyboard or equivalent input method.
Regular testing with assistive technology and users with disabilities is also crucial to ensure practical accessibility. Following platform-specific accessibility guidelines such as Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines and Google’s Material Design Accessibility best practices complement WCAG.
Compliance with mobile app ADA standards is essential to avoid expensive fines and settlements. A single violation can result in a fine of $75,000, and multiple violations can increase the fine to $150,000. Companies like Appinventiv are leading the way, making every digital product they create, including wearable applications, mobile apps, and websites, ADA and WCAG compliant.
By prioritising accessibility, digital businesses can tap into a quality audience base that spends half-trillion dollars annually. Improved SEO is also a benefit of ADA- and WCAG-compliant apps, as both Google and Apple consider accessibility as a key factor for app visibility and website genuinity.
In 2020, digital accessibility lawsuits increased to more than 3,500 cases, highlighting the importance of compliance. Building a WCAG-compliant mobile app involves considering four principles: perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. By following these guidelines, mobile apps can be accessible, inclusive, and compliant with WCAG standards, improving usability for people with diverse abilities.
Developing a mobile app with technology adhering to WCAG principles, such as perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust, ensures accessibility and inclusion for users with diverse abilities. To create an ADA- and WCAG-compliant app, specific guidelines should be followed, including providing text alternatives for images, touch target size, clear instructions, and regular testing with assistive technology and users with disabilities.
