Mobile apps place information, entertainment and access to services at the fingertips of users, and they provide an unmatched way for businesses to reach current and potential customers 24/7, wherever they are. Unless these apps meet the needs of users of all ability levels, however, they’re not achieving their full potential impact and effectiveness.
Taking the time and care to design mobile apps with accessibility in mind not only allows you to reach more people, but also shows that your organization truly values inclusivity. Below, 20 members of Forbes Technology Council share essential best practices to follow to ensure mobile apps are fully functional and enjoyable for all.
1. Set Up Guided Workflows
Keep the experience simple. Time and again, guided workflows are a hit with customers. Workflows that explain the current and next steps in the process with voice-over functionality or with a script overlay not only address key accessibility needs, but also force a designer to simplify the workflow, which benefits all users. – Shailaja Shankar, Cisco
2. Integrate And Test Accessibility Features Early On
Adopt “accessibility by design” in mobile app development. Integrate and test accessibility features with tools such as Apple’s VoiceOver and Google’s TalkBack. Regular testing with users who are disabled ensures apps are universally navigable and compliant with industry standards, including Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, enhancing usability and market reach. – Krishnan Gopi, GEMS Education
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3. Ensure Interactive Elements Are Large Enough And Properly Spaced
One essential best practice for ensuring mobile app accessibility is following clear and consistent design principles for touch targets and layout. This includes ensuring buttons, icons and other interactive elements are large enough and properly spaced for use with one finger. AI-powered tools can be a valuable asset when used alongside established practices and human testing. – Justin Newell, INFORM North America
4. Implement Clear, Intuitive Navigation
Implementing clear and intuitive navigation is an essential best practice to ensure mobile apps are accessible for all users. By organizing content logically and providing easy-to-understand menus and controls, developers can enhance usability for individuals with varying abilities and ensure a positive user experience across diverse devices and platforms. – Mohit Gupta, Damco Solutions
5. Assure Accessibility Across Platforms And Devices
Historically, organizations have not prioritized mobile app accessibility across platforms and devices. By thoroughly testing mobile apps with the help of automation, such as AI or low-code or no-code solutions, developers can ensure optimized accessibility and the elimination of performance bottlenecks as demand for improved user experiences grows. – Kevin Thompson, Tricentis
6. Cooperate With Nonprofit Groups That Serve Those With Differing Abilities
Ensuring accessibility by design is easy to say, but it’s hard to do well. My advice would be to engage and closely cooperate with different nonprofit organizations that serve those with different disabilities, as well as senior groups. Work with them to test your app, collect feedback and ensure the needs of those they serve are clear and that solutions that serve them are included in your app. – Luboslava Uram, UniCredit
7. Prioritize Easy Readability
Prioritize an inclusive, easy-to-read design from the very beginning of development. This ensures you’re serving the needs of all users, including people with disabilities, throughout the design process. To improve accessibility, implement features such as alternative text for images, intuitive navigation and screen reader compatibility with different devices. Regular testing with users is also critical. – Klaudia Zaika, Apriorit LLC
8. Think About Use In Less-Than-Optimal Situations
Designing the user interface to provide optimal operability in less-than-optimal situations is an essential best practice for mobile apps, especially when they are being used to support business operations. This should include utilizing color schemes that allow for maximum contrast between text and background and providing alt text for images that may not load quickly in slow service areas. – Anar Mammadov, Senpex Technology
9. Adhere To WCAG Guidelines
Ensure mobile apps adhere to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines—federal agencies, specifically, need to ensure compliance with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Leverage mobile device management software to consistently deploy updates, further enhancing accessibility for all users. – Hemant Sahani, VMware
10. Consider These Factors As You Progress With Design
One essential best practice for ensuring mobile apps are accessible is to prioritize inclusive design from the outset. In practical terms, this involves following platform accessibility guidelines, user testing with diverse groups of users, providing alternative forms of content that users can choose from, and designing a customizable experience such that users can adjust it to fit their needs. – Chris Kinyua, Fizz
11. Design With Digital Inclusivity In Mind
Overcoming demographic barriers is key to ensuring accessibility, and this starts with designing apps with digital inclusivity in mind. Processing and onboarding users no matter their language or location or the document type they provide to verify their identity brings important new technologies and innovations to all, reducing the digital divide and helping businesses safely operate across borders. – Andrew Sever, Sumsub
12. Don’t View Accessibility As An ‘Extra Step’
The most essential best practice for ensuring mobile apps are accessible is to approach design with the mindset that accessibility is not an “extra step.” It’s fundamental to the whole process. That said, apps should always adhere to WCAG standards for touch targets, font sizes, color contrast and so on. Part of that includes making all buttons, headlines, copy and links legible. – Steve Spurgat, Big Human
13. Ensure Your Team Has A Comprehensive Understanding Of Disabilities
True accessibility begins with inclusive design, which demands a comprehensive understanding of various disabilities, from developmental challenges to sensory impairments. Until developers universally embrace this ethos, accessibility will remain an unfulfilled promise. – Vivek Bhaskaran, QuestionPro
14. Engage A Diverse Group Of Testers
Engage a diverse range of users for testing, including those with disabilities, members of different age groups, and people with varying levels of tech proficiency. Start the process early in the design process with prototypes and iterate based on feedback from accessibility testing. This helps catch issues before they become entrenched in the final product. – Jim Longo, Discuss.io
15. Gather And Store Data From A Range Of Users
So much mobile app development is done in isolation. Even group-based modeling somehow results in silo-based approaches that really don’t obtain—or ask for—proper data. The answer is to focus on approaches that gather and store data from a range of users. Rather than focus on orthodox categories of expected accessibility classes, focus on heterodox approaches, and analyze them carefully. – James Stanger, CompTIA
16. Support Native Device Accessibility APIs
Connect with and support the native accessibility APIs of mobile platforms, whether Android, iOS or something else. For example, those who are sight impaired can use Siri. But that’s a low common denominator. More advanced support could be added by creating purpose-built AI assistance that features deeper integrations with mobile applications. – Igor Jablokov, Pryon
17. Consider Whether Established Brand Guidelines Are Fully Accessible
The design choices of many major brands are not compatible with visual disability standards. For example, legacy companies with brand guidelines built for a world of print advertising may not have considered the color contrast needed to ensure digital readability. Have you ever tried reading a white font on a yellow background? This can be inconvenient for some, but prohibitive for those with visual impairments. – Aasim Saeed, Amenities Health
18. Make UI Elements Scalable
To ensure mobile apps are accessible, it’s crucial to design with accessibility in mind from the start. Use scalable user interface elements, ensure the text is resizable without losing functionality and provide sufficient contrast for readability. Regularly testing the app with assistive technologies and gathering feedback from users with disabilities can help maintain high accessibility standards. – Ashok Manoharan, FocusLabs
19. Design With Varying Screen Sizes In Mind
One essential best practice to ensure mobile app accessibility is designing with varying screen sizes in mind. This includes providing dynamic type options, leveraging platform accessibility features such as Dark Mode, minimizing clutter and using images with captions to accommodate users with different visual abilities and device sizes. – Arthur Miller
20. Go Beyond Regulatory Standards To Truly Serve All Users
Understand that there is a giant gap between an app that is accessible in legal terms and one that is truly inclusive. In many cases, apps that meet regulatory standards still don’t work as well as they could for people with disabilities. Go beyond simply including people with disabilities in testing; observe how they interact with your app and actively listen to their concerns. – Rob Mason, Applause