Mobile accessibility: the good, the bad and the ugly

Unfortunately, when developing WCAG2, the Working Group did not envision the current world where mobile is almost ubiquitous. For example, on a mobile device there is no continual access to a keyboard (unless someone is using it as an add-on to the device – or using a Blackberry Classic). WCAG2 requires that all content be accessible to the keyboard interface, but it does not require that all content be accessible to a mouse or to a touchscreen user – which is essential on a mobile device. Gian Wild talks about the unique accessibility issues on a mobile site and mobile app, including hover traps, VoiceOver swipe traps and zoom traps.

Accessibility is important to all – not everyone using your mobile app, device or wearable will be fully functioning: either because they have a disability or they are simply engaged elsewhere. Gian Wild talks about the things that are essential to avoid when designing mobile apps, devices and wearables to ensure that everyone can use them.

This is a fun talk, with lots of gasps and laughter. It is example after example of mobile accessibility fails - but they just look like mobile fails! In this way I try and stress that a usability issue is really an accessibility issue, and making a mobile site accessible actually makes it usable too.

I talk about specific mobile accessibility features: pinch zoom, native screen readers, haptic keyboard etc, and system accessibility settings: font size, screen rotation, high contrast etc

Previously run at Chicago Meetup: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTuioz4fzv4