With the pervasive use of mobile phones, it has become indispensable to create accessible and user-friendly mobile experiences for everyone, regardless of their abilities and disabilities, as it has become a paramount concern, considering the fact that you can’t imagine your life without them.

Designing for accessibility is not just about a legal or moral obligation; it not only enriches the user experience for everyone but also broadens your app’s reach to a wider audience. When you create inclusive experiences, everybody feels valued, and nobody feels left out.

So, in this blog, we have included all the possible ways to make your mobile experience as inclusive as possible and also shared the principles for creating inclusive mobile experiences. Not to mention, the practices are quite similar for the web, and companies offering custom web development company also ensure to adapt to them. So, without further ado, let’s get started with the principles.

Key Principles of Designing for Accessibility

The following are the principles prioritized for designing inclusive mobile experiences:

Perceivable

It is important to ensure everything on the mobile interface is perceivable in some way. For example, you add alternative text for images to describe their content or purpose of being there for visually impaired users, add captions for the audio and videos on the interface so people who are hard of hearing can get to know what they contain, and use clear and easy-to-read fonts with clear color contrast for text and background elements.

Operable

Though it does not apply much to mobile phones, it is considered vital for web apps. You know, ensuring all interactive elements on the interface are keyboard-accessible and allowing users to navigate without a mouse and with just a keyboard, giving enough space for buttons and links and around other elements that make it easy to tap or click, etc.

Robust

Also, be mindful of using the right semantic elements for the right element on the interface. Apart from this, it is really important to ensure compatibility with various assistive technologies, such as screen readers, voice recognition software, etc., for people with disabilities. Being robust also involves regular testing of the app with different accessibility tools and devices to identify and fix potential issues that can raise problems for users.

Understandable

Last but not least, make the whole experience easy to grasp and understand. How do you do it?

• By keeping the interface consistent and predictable for users, as they scroll, they start recognizing certain patterns
• By providing clear and concise error messages with suggestions for resolution
• By simplifying complex tasks and processes and breaking them down into understandable steps

You don’t see these practices being followed in interfaces that come as presets, so software companies offering custom web development services or custom mobile development services get an edge and cash out on this point.

Implementable for Inclusive Mobile Experience

Here is what you can implement and add to make your mobile experience inclusive.

Responsive Design

One of the key parts of creating an inclusive mobile application is the adaptability of mobile to different or varying screen sizes and orientations. So, you ensure your application adapts to mobile phones of all sizes and different orientations. You can leverage fluid grids and flexible layouts to accommodate various devices that will fit the fonts and elements of your application accordingly as the screen size changes.

Clear and Simple Layouts

For the sake of easy navigation, keep the user interface and layout clean, simple, uncluttered, and easy to navigate so visually impaired people using screen readers or people with any other kind of disability can navigate the interface easily and without getting confused and without the need for physical aid.

One tip is to stay consistent throughout the interface and ensure all elements are aligned and communicating congruously. There should be consistent placement of navigation elements across different sections so people with disabilities can easily understand the pattern, and it becomes easy for them to follow along.

Form Accessibility

If there are forms, ensure there are labels for each of the elements. Also, for the “Submit Button,” add clear instructions and error messages for form validation or submission failure.

Accessible Typography

Don’t choose some fancy font for your app interface; rather, go for something that is easy on the eyes and easily readable. If you look up Amazon’s app or website, despite variations throughout the interfaces, you will see the font is highly legible with proper spacing, whether it is the product descriptions or product reviews, all visually appealing to the eyes.

Also, for people with weak eyesight or visual impairment, ensure there is enough contrast between text and background.

Alternative Text for Images

Make sure all images uploaded on the interface have descriptive alternative text for users who rely on screen readers. ALT text ensures multimedia content is accessible and understandable without the need for visual cues. Rather, the text conveys the content and purpose of the image.

Captioned Media

Just like ALT text is recommended for the assistance of visually impaired people, include captions and transcripts if there is an audio or video element on your app to assist people with hearing impairments. Also, give them full liberty to choose if they want captions and transcripts enabled or disabled.

Semantic Elements

Unlike what people do while developing websites with HTML, you should rather use proper dedicated elements so it is meaningful and purpose and meaning can be conveyed successfully.

Testing with Assistive Technologies

A practice falling under the “robust” principle is to regularly test your experience with screen readers, voice recognition software, and other assistive technologies available for people with various disabilities and impairments.

Consistent Navigation and UI Components

Ensure consistency in the placement of navigation menus, buttons, and other interactive elements and in their behavior. For example, if there is some sort of transition upon clicking a button in the upper area of the interface, it should be the same in the bottom area.

Provide Multiple Means of Interaction

Elevate the interaction to the next level by incorporating various input methods, including touch, voice commands, and gestures, to accommodate users with diverse abilities. Additionally, provide users with complete autonomy to customize input settings according to their preferences.

Regular Updates and User Feedback

As things keep evolving and new ways are always being introduced to stay inclusive with your app, it is vital to stay updated about them. Also, implement a mechanism and encourage users to provide feedback on accessibility issues so you can promptly address their concerns.

Resources and Practices

User Testing

Conduct thorough and rigorous usability testing with individuals with disabilities for the sake of gathering feedback and identifying usability challenges.

Clear Navigation and Information Architecture

On the interface, layout and organize content logically, you know, with proper headings and labels to assist screen readers in interpreting the content structure. Apart from that, implement intuitive navigation patterns that help users easily move between different sections of the app.

Flexible User Interface

Long gone are the days when you would have to zoom and zoom to view specific content, so design flexible layouts that adapt to various screen sizes and orientations, accommodating users who may use devices in different ways. And if you want to take the interface to new heights, allow users to customize the interface, such as by adjusting font sizes and contrast settings, to meet their specific needs.

Educational Resources and Documentation

You learn a lot from the resources available online, so provide accessible documentation and tutorials to your developers, designers, and content creators about accessibility guidelines and best practices so they are always updated with the new trends.

Conclusion

Designing for accessibility is not merely a legal or moral obligation; it enhances the user experience for everyone. By adhering to inclusive design principles and best practices, mobile applications can empower users of all abilities, fostering a more inclusive digital landscape. Additionally, it is important to remember that creating an inclusive mobile experience ensures that nobody ever feels left out and can use and navigate an application like everyone else, regardless of their abilities and disabilities. The practices and principles mentioned above are the regular practices of big organizations offering custom web development services and custom mobile development services.