/accessibility-compliance

Mobile Accessibility

Overview

Mobile accessibility ensures apps work for users with disabilities on iOS and Android devices. This includes support for screen readers (VoiceOver, TalkBack), motor impairments, and various visual disabilities.

Touch Target Sizing

Minimum Sizes

/* WCAG 2.2 Level AA: 24x24px minimum */
.interactive-element {
  min-width: 24px;
  min-height: 24px;
}

/* WCAG 2.2 Level AAA / Apple HIG / Material Design: 44x44dp */
.touch-target {
  min-width: 44px;
  min-height: 44px;
}

/* Android Material Design: 48x48dp recommended */
.android-touch-target {
  min-width: 48px;
  min-height: 48px;
}

Touch Target Spacing

// Ensure adequate spacing between touch targets
function ButtonGroup({ buttons }) {
  return (
    <div className="flex gap-3">
      {" "}
      {/* 12px minimum gap */}
      {buttons.map((btn) => (
        <button key={btn.id} className="min-w-[44px] min-h-[44px] px-4 py-2">
          {btn.label}
        </button>
      ))}
    </div>
  );
}

// Expanding hit area without changing visual size
function IconButton({ icon, label, onClick }) {
  return (
    <button
      onClick={onClick}
      aria-label={label}
      className="relative p-3" // Creates 44x44 touch area
    >
      <span className="block w-5 h-5">{icon}</span>
    </button>
  );
}

iOS VoiceOver

React Native Accessibility Props

import { View, Text, TouchableOpacity, AccessibilityInfo } from "react-native";

// Basic accessible button
function AccessibleButton({ onPress, title, hint }) {
  return (
    <TouchableOpacity
      onPress={onPress}
      accessible={true}
      accessibilityLabel={title}
      accessibilityHint={hint}
      accessibilityRole="button"
    >
      <Text>{title}</Text>
    </TouchableOpacity>
  );
}

// Complex component with grouped content
function ProductCard({ product }) {
  return (
    <View
      accessible={true}
      accessibilityLabel={`${product.name}, ${product.price}, ${product.rating} stars`}
      accessibilityRole="button"
      accessibilityActions={[
        { name: "activate", label: "View details" },
        { name: "addToCart", label: "Add to cart" },
      ]}
      onAccessibilityAction={(event) => {
        switch (event.nativeEvent.actionName) {
          case "addToCart":
            addToCart(product);
            break;
          case "activate":
            viewDetails(product);
            break;
        }
      }}
    >
      <Image source={product.image} accessibilityIgnoresInvertColors />
      <Text>{product.name}</Text>
      <Text>{product.price}</Text>
    </View>
  );
}

// Announcing dynamic changes
function Counter() {
  const [count, setCount] = useState(0);

  const increment = () => {
    setCount((prev) => prev + 1);
    AccessibilityInfo.announceForAccessibility(`Count is now ${count + 1}`);
  };

  return (
    <View>
      <Text accessibilityRole="text" accessibilityLiveRegion="polite">
        Count: {count}
      </Text>
      <TouchableOpacity
        onPress={increment}
        accessibilityLabel="Increment"
        accessibilityHint="Increases the counter by one"
      >
        <Text>+</Text>
      </TouchableOpacity>
    </View>
  );
}

SwiftUI Accessibility

import SwiftUI

struct AccessibleButton: View {
    let title: String
    let action: () -> Void

    var body: some View {
        Button(action: action) {
            Text(title)
        }
        .accessibilityLabel(title)
        .accessibilityHint("Double tap to activate")
        .accessibilityAddTraits(.isButton)
    }
}

struct ProductCard: View {
    let product: Product

    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            AsyncImage(url: product.imageURL)
                .accessibilityHidden(true) // Image is decorative

            Text(product.name)
            Text(product.price.formatted(.currency(code: "USD")))
        }
        .accessibilityElement(children: .combine)
        .accessibilityLabel("\(product.name), \(product.price.formatted(.currency(code: "USD")))")
        .accessibilityHint("Double tap to view details")
        .accessibilityAction(named: "Add to cart") {
            addToCart(product)
        }
    }
}

// Custom accessibility rotor
struct DocumentView: View {
    let sections: [Section]

    var body: some View {
        ScrollView {
            ForEach(sections) { section in
                Text(section.title)
                    .font(.headline)
                    .accessibilityAddTraits(.isHeader)
                Text(section.content)
            }
        }
        .accessibilityRotor("Headings") {
            ForEach(sections) { section in
                AccessibilityRotorEntry(section.title, id: section.id)
            }
        }
    }
}

Android TalkBack

Jetpack Compose Accessibility

import androidx.compose.ui.semantics.*

@Composable
fun AccessibleButton(
    onClick: () -> Unit,
    text: String,
    enabled: Boolean = true
) {
    Button(
        onClick = onClick,
        enabled = enabled,
        modifier = Modifier.semantics {
            contentDescription = text
            role = Role.Button
            if (!enabled) {
                disabled()
            }
        }
    ) {
        Text(text)
    }
}

@Composable
fun ProductCard(product: Product) {
    Card(
        modifier = Modifier
            .semantics(mergeDescendants = true) {
                contentDescription = "${product.name}, ${product.formattedPrice}"
                customActions = listOf(
                    CustomAccessibilityAction("Add to cart") {
                        addToCart(product)
                        true
                    }
                )
            }
            .clickable { navigateToDetails(product) }
    ) {
        Image(
            painter = painterResource(product.imageRes),
            contentDescription = null, // Decorative
            modifier = Modifier.semantics { invisibleToUser() }
        )
        Text(product.name)
        Text(product.formattedPrice)
    }
}

// Live region for dynamic content
@Composable
fun Counter() {
    var count by remember { mutableStateOf(0) }

    Column {
        Text(
            text = "Count: $count",
            modifier = Modifier.semantics {
                liveRegion = LiveRegionMode.Polite
            }
        )
        Button(onClick = { count++ }) {
            Text("Increment")
        }
    }
}

// Heading levels
@Composable
fun SectionHeader(title: String, level: Int) {
    Text(
        text = title,
        style = MaterialTheme.typography.headlineMedium,
        modifier = Modifier.semantics {
            heading()
            // Custom heading level (not built-in)
            testTag = "heading-$level"
        }
    )
}

Android XML Views

<!-- Accessible button -->
<Button
    android:id="@+id/submit_button"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="48dp"
    android:minWidth="48dp"
    android:text="@string/submit"
    android:contentDescription="@string/submit_form" />

<!-- Grouped content -->
<LinearLayout
    android:layout_width="match_parent"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content"
    android:importantForAccessibility="yes"
    android:focusable="true"
    android:contentDescription="@string/product_description">

    <ImageView
        android:importantForAccessibility="no"
        android:src="@drawable/product" />

    <TextView
        android:text="@string/product_name"
        android:importantForAccessibility="no" />
</LinearLayout>

<!-- Live region -->
<TextView
    android:id="@+id/status"
    android:accessibilityLiveRegion="polite" />

// Kotlin accessibility
binding.submitButton.apply {
    contentDescription = getString(R.string.submit_form)
    accessibilityDelegate = object : View.AccessibilityDelegate() {
        override fun onInitializeAccessibilityNodeInfo(
            host: View,
            info: AccessibilityNodeInfo
        ) {
            super.onInitializeAccessibilityNodeInfo(host, info)
            info.addAction(
                AccessibilityNodeInfo.AccessibilityAction(
                    AccessibilityNodeInfo.ACTION_CLICK,
                    getString(R.string.submit_action)
                )
            )
        }
    }
}

// Announce changes
binding.counter.announceForAccessibility("Count updated to $count")

Gesture Accessibility

Alternative Gestures

// React Native: Provide alternatives to complex gestures
function SwipeableCard({ item, onDelete }) {
  const [showDelete, setShowDelete] = useState(false);

  return (
    <View
      accessible={true}
      accessibilityActions={[{ name: "delete", label: "Delete item" }]}
      onAccessibilityAction={(event) => {
        if (event.nativeEvent.actionName === "delete") {
          onDelete(item);
        }
      }}
    >
      <Swipeable
        renderRightActions={() => (
          <TouchableOpacity
            onPress={() => onDelete(item)}
            accessibilityLabel="Delete"
          >
            <Text>Delete</Text>
          </TouchableOpacity>
        )}
      >
        <Text>{item.title}</Text>
      </Swipeable>

      {/* Alternative for screen reader users */}
      <TouchableOpacity
        accessibilityLabel={`Delete ${item.title}`}
        onPress={() => onDelete(item)}
        style={{ position: "absolute", right: 0 }}
      >
        <Text>Delete</Text>
      </TouchableOpacity>
    </View>
  );
}

Motion and Animation

// Respect reduced motion preference
import { AccessibilityInfo } from "react-native";

function AnimatedComponent() {
  const [reduceMotion, setReduceMotion] = useState(false);

  useEffect(() => {
    AccessibilityInfo.isReduceMotionEnabled().then(setReduceMotion);

    const subscription = AccessibilityInfo.addEventListener(
      "reduceMotionChanged",
      setReduceMotion,
    );

    return () => subscription.remove();
  }, []);

  return (
    <Animated.View
      style={{
        transform: reduceMotion ? [] : [{ translateX: animatedValue }],
        opacity: reduceMotion ? 1 : animatedOpacity,
      }}
    >
      <Content />
    </Animated.View>
  );
}

Dynamic Type / Text Scaling

iOS Dynamic Type

// SwiftUI
Text("Hello, World!")
    .font(.body) // Automatically scales with Dynamic Type

Text("Fixed Size")
    .font(.system(size: 16, design: .default))
    .dynamicTypeSize(.large) // Cap at large

// Allow unlimited scaling
Text("Scalable")
    .font(.body)
    .minimumScaleFactor(0.5)
    .lineLimit(nil)

Android Text Scaling

<!-- Use sp for text sizes -->
<TextView
    android:textSize="16sp"
    android:layout_width="wrap_content"
    android:layout_height="wrap_content" />

<!-- In styles.xml -->
<style name="TextAppearance.Body">
    <item name="android:textSize">16sp</item>
    <item name="android:lineHeight">24sp</item>
</style>

// Compose: Text automatically scales
Text(
    text = "Hello, World!",
    style = MaterialTheme.typography.bodyLarge
)

// Limit scaling if needed
Text(
    text = "Limited scaling",
    fontSize = 16.sp,
    maxLines = 2,
    overflow = TextOverflow.Ellipsis
)

React Native Text Scaling

import { Text, PixelRatio } from 'react-native';

// Allow text scaling (default)
<Text allowFontScaling={true}>Scalable text</Text>

// Limit maximum scale
<Text maxFontSizeMultiplier={1.5}>Limited scaling</Text>

// Disable scaling (use sparingly)
<Text allowFontScaling={false}>Fixed size</Text>

// Responsive font size
const scaledFontSize = (size: number) => {
  const scale = PixelRatio.getFontScale();
  return size * Math.min(scale, 1.5); // Cap at 1.5x
};

Testing Checklist

## VoiceOver (iOS) Testing

- [ ] All interactive elements have labels
- [ ] Swipe navigation covers all content in logical order
- [ ] Custom actions available for complex interactions
- [ ] Announcements made for dynamic content
- [ ] Headings navigable via rotor
- [ ] Images have appropriate descriptions or are hidden

## TalkBack (Android) Testing

- [ ] Focus order is logical
- [ ] Touch exploration works correctly
- [ ] Custom actions available
- [ ] Live regions announce updates
- [ ] Headings properly marked
- [ ] Grouped content read together

## Motor Accessibility

- [ ] Touch targets at least 44x44 points
- [ ] Adequate spacing between targets (8dp minimum)
- [ ] Alternatives to complex gestures
- [ ] No time-limited interactions

## Visual Accessibility

- [ ] Text scales to 200% without loss
- [ ] Content visible in high contrast mode
- [ ] Color not sole indicator
- [ ] Animations respect reduced motion

Resources

• Apple Accessibility Programming Guide
• Android Accessibility Developer Guide
• React Native Accessibility
• Mobile Accessibility WCAG