Mobile Tech Accessibilities

Since you're viewing this on social media, this post is for you. It's for everyone who posts on social media. Many folks — including diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) leaders and those in the disability and accessibility space — don't realize how easy it is to make social media content accessible. Here's a reference guide to help you remember. Pick one thing. Start there. Make it a habit. Once you do, move on to the next thing. I suggest starting with hashtags. Super easy. I'm always learning and evolving my accessibility efforts. I used to be a little more freewheeling about using animated GIFs and emojis. Animated GIFs can be a problem for me. Now, I only post them on social media platforms that don't automatically play them. (Facebook and Twitter.) Another thing I used to do was add an opening line to arouse curiosity. Then, I'd enter a few blank lines after that. Thankfully, I quickly learned this is a problem for some disabilities where a lot of scrolling is a challenge. Here are the dos and don'ts in the image. (If you need an image with larger text or different color background, please reach out. A black or white background doesn't work for some folks. So, light purple it is.) - Skip the fancy font generator. Don't use fancy font generators or unreadable fancy fonts. - Be thoughtful about using emojis. Don't overuse emojis. - Be descriptive yet concise in describing images (alt text). Don't fill alt text with useless keywords. SEO. Blah. Blah. Blah. - Describe images in alt text. Don't use automatic alt text. - Limited use of animated GIFs. Don't use them in signatures, avatars, or comments. The motion is sickening for some folks. Add alt text, too. - Use one blank line between paragraphs. Don't use a lot of blank lines or omit blank lines between paragraphs. - Use sentence case. Don't use all caps because it has no visual shape. Please stop yelling. - Capitalize the first letter of each word in hashtags and user names. #CamelCaseRocks. The other hashtag is #YouCannotReadLowercaseHashtags in all lowercase - Check the color contrast on your images and text/background with a free tool. Don't assume an image or text/background pairing is accessible for everyone. - Caption your videos accurately. Don't let autocraptions do all the work. Edit them. - Provide transcripts for podcasts and videos with short paragraphs and speaker identification. Don't publish transcripts with big blocks of text. I hope this image is an improvement based on feedback. I changed the font. I change the light grey to light purple. P.S. What will you do differently after reading this? Comment below. Want training on how to make your content accessible? ✉️ me 🔔 Tap the profile bell now 👉 Find more #MerylMots content #SocialMedia #DigitalMarketing #Accessibility Image: Dos and don'ts for accessible social media with the left side listing what to do and the right side showing what not to do to make social media content accessible.

15 activities to test mobile accessibility In the last 15 years, the internet has gone mobile. Every major platform — from news to shopping to social media — has invested in sleek mobile versions because that’s where people spend their time. 📊 In fact, more than 60% of web traffic now comes from mobile devices (the source: https://lnkd.in/eeSrdHx4) We optimized for speed, performance, and design. But there’s one area where many mobile experiences still fall short: accessibility. And yet, mobile accessibility isn’t a niche concern. It affects everyone — whether you’re navigating with one hand while holding a coffee, trying to read in bright sunlight, or relying on a screen reader every single day. The good news is that you don’t need special tools to understand these challenges: your phone is already the perfect testing lab. That’s why I put together 15 quick activities to test mobile accessibility. Each one reveals how real people experience barriers and how small design choices can make a huge difference. Try these activities: 1. Turn on VoiceOver (iOS) or TalkBack (Android) → Navigate your favorite app. Every unlabeled button or image will suddenly become invisible. Study: Screen Reader User Survey 9 – WebAIM shows that over 70% of users rely on mobile screen readers daily (the study: https://lnkd.in/e9JeHsMx). 2. Increase text size to maximum in settings → Does your layout adjust gracefully? Do words overlap and buttons disappear? WCAG criterion: 1.4.4 Resize text (the link: https://lnkd.in/eDaYZ8wS) 3. Test color contrast outdoors → Step into bright sunlight. Can you still read the buttons? Fact: poor contrast is one of the most common accessibility issues 4. Switch your phone to grayscale → Do instructions still make sense without color cues (“Click the green button” won’t work). Study by WHO: around 300 million people worldwide have some form of color vision deficiency (the study: https://lnkd.in/eD9PkQk7) 5. Try captions on videos → Turn sound off. Are captions accurate, synced, and complete? Fact: 80% of caption users are not deaf or hard of hearing 6. Enable Dark Mode → Is content still clear, or do logos/icons disappear into the background? 7. Try high-contrast mode (Android) or Smart Invert (iOS) → Does the app break visually? 8. Test with one hand only → Can you still reach all main actions (especially on large phones)? 9. Rotate the phone (portrait ↔ landscape) → Does the app adapt, or do important features vanish? 10. Check hit targets → Can you tap small buttons without misclicking? WCAG requires minimum 44×44px target size (the link: https://lnkd.in/eNuZidir) Accessibility on mobile isn’t about edge cases, it’s about real-world design for real-world humans. #WebAccessibility #Inclusion #a11y #MobileAccessibility #WCAG

💎 Accessibility For Designers Checklist (PDF: https://lnkd.in/e9Z2G2kF), a practical set of cards on WCAG accessibility guidelines, from accessible color, typography, animations, media, layout and development — to kick-off accessibility conversations early on. Kindly put together by Geri Reid. WCAG for Designers Checklist, by Geri Reid Article: https://lnkd.in/ef8-Yy9E PDF: https://lnkd.in/e9Z2G2kF WCAG 2.2 Guidelines: https://lnkd.in/eYmzrNh7 Accessibility isn’t about compliance. It’s not about ticking off checkboxes. And it’s not about plugging in accessibility overlays or AI engines either. It’s about *designing* with a wide range of people in mind — from the very start, independent of their skills and preferences. In my experience, the most impactful way to embed accessibility in your work is to bring a handful of people with different needs early into design process and usability testing. It’s making these test sessions accessible to the entire team, and showing real impact of design and code on real people using a real product. Teams usually don’t get time to work on features which don’t have a clear business case. But no manager really wants to be seen publicly ignoring their prospect customers. Visualize accessibility to everyone on the team and try to make an argument about potential reach and potential income. Don’t ask for big commitments: embed accessibility in your work by default. Account for accessibility needs in your estimates. Create accessibility tickets and flag accessibility issues. Don’t mistake smiling and nodding for support — establish timelines, roles, specifics, objectives. And most importantly: measure the impact of your work by repeatedly conducting accessibility testing with real people. Build a strong before/after case to show the change that the team has enabled and contributed to, and celebrate small and big accessibility wins. It might not sound like much, but it can start changing the culture faster than you think. Useful resources: Giving A Damn About Accessibility, by Sheri Byrne-Haber (disabled) https://lnkd.in/eCeFutuJ Accessibility For Designers: Where Do I Start?, by Stéphanie Walter https://lnkd.in/ecG5qASY Web Accessibility In Plain Language (Free Book), by Charlie Triplett https://lnkd.in/e2AMAwyt Building Accessibility Research Practices, by Maya Alvarado https://lnkd.in/eq_3zSPJ How To Build A Strong Case For Accessibility, ↳ https://lnkd.in/ehGivAdY, by 🦞 Todd Libby ↳ https://lnkd.in/eC4jehMX, by Yichan Wang #ux #accessibility

Our detailed testing guidance for Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2 is now live! It includes the six new criteria at levels A/AA with notes on how to test them on websites and mobile apps. Here it is: https://lnkd.in/eP99WZbj It has taken several months to put this together (amongst other work) but we've enjoyed debating the finer points of the criteria - some of them very fine. It is unofficial but should give a flavour of how we test in depth. It's great to put them into practice now we're monitoring for WCAG 2.2 across the UK public sector. Hope you find it useful! Great work Amy Wallis, Anika Henke, Calum Ryan, Derren Wilson, Eu-Hyung Han, Katherine Badger, Keeley Talbot, Kelly Clarkson, Louise Miller and Richard Morton 🎉 #accessibility #wcag

When we think about human-computer interaction, most of us picture fingers on a keyboard or swipes on a touchscreen. But what happens when those aren’t options? That’s the reality for millions of people living with paralysis or other mobility challenges. And it’s exactly the kind of barrier that a startup called Augmental is tackling - with a device that might shift how we all think about accessibility. Their innovation, MouthPad, is a wearable interface that sits inside the mouth and lets users control phones and computers using their tongue and head movements. It sounds futuristic, but for those who can’t rely on traditional input methods, it’s a doorway to independence. What’s powerful here isn’t just the technology - it’s the shift in mindset. Inclusive design like this doesn’t just “accommodate” people; it actively expands what’s possible. And history shows us that when we build with accessibility in mind, we often create solutions that benefit far more people than we initially imagined. Think of voice assistants, predictive text, or even video captions - many of these were originally developed for accessibility, but now serve a much wider audience. Have you seen similar efforts from startups or researchers in your part of the world? #innovation #technology #future #management #startups

Top Barriers in Mobile Accessibility and Best Practices to Fix them. Mobile devices have become an indispensable part of our lives. Yet, many users face significant barriers. A recent survey by Fable reveals key obstacles: Unlabelled Buttons/Links (60%): Navigating a mobile interface becomes a guessing game without clear labels. It's akin to walking in a city with no street signs. 🏙️ Best Practice: Always use descriptive labels for buttons and links. Implement ARIA labels if the visual text is not clear or sufficient. Small Buttons/Links (35%): Imagine trying to hit a tiny target with a dart - that's what small interactive elements feel like for many users. Size matters for accessibility. 🎯 Best Practice: Ensure buttons and links are of adequate size and spacing. The recommended minimum touch target size is 44x44 pixels. Gesture-Dependent Interaction (35%): Relying solely on gestures like swipes and pinches excludes many users with physical impairments 👆 Best Practice: Provide alternative navigation options that don’t rely solely on gestures, like simple taps or voice commands. 4. Screen Blockages (30%): Content blocked by other elements on the screen can be frustrating. Things like a chat widget or a sticky footer or modal. Best Practice: Design layouts that are responsive and adaptable to various screen sizes and orientations. Use CSS and flexible layouts to prevent blockages. 5️. Absence of Error Messages (26%): Without feedback on errors, users are left in the dark, unsure of what went wrong or how to proceed. 🌑 Best Practice: Provide clear and descriptive error messages, and guide users on how to correct them. 6️. Non-Resizable Text (22%): Fixed-size text can be a hurdle for users with visual impairments. The flexibility to adjust text size is crucial. 🔍 Best Practice: Use relative units (like em or rem) instead of fixed units (like pixels) for text size, ensuring that it can be resized according to user preferences. 7️. No Pinch and Zoom (21%): The inability to zoom in for a closer look can render content inaccessible, especially for users with low vision. 🔬 Best Practice: Don't disable zoom functionality in mobile browsers; ensure content can be magnified for users with visual impairments. Source:Insights: Mobile accessibility by Fable https://lnkd.in/gJr765ic #InclusiveDesign #Accessibility #DigitalAccessibility #A11Y #MobileAccessibility

A lot of accessibility issues can be already foreseen and prevented in the design phase. You can save time checking and documenting accessibility mockups. In this article, I cover color usage, contrast ratios, text resizing, font legibility, target sizes, form elements, focus order, complex components keyboard interactions, skip links, headings, landmarks, and alternative text for images. The tips in here are focused in Figma, but can be applied to other tools. https://lnkd.in/eu8YuWyF

📱💻 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝘁𝗶𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝘇𝗲𝘀? You’ve probably heard the terms responsive and adaptive, but what’s the difference in terms of Jetpack Compose? Let’s break it down 👇 🎯 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗨𝗜 👉 Adjusts dynamically based on screen size 👉 Uses constraints like screen width to show/hide/reposition elements 👉 Think: Column on phones, Row on tablets, all from a single layout ✅ Simple and fluid experience, great for smooth transitions across devices 🧠 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗨𝗜 👉 Changes intentionally for different device classes (phone, tablet, foldable, desktop) 👉 Often uses different layouts or navigation models based on the device 👉 Think: Navigation drawer on phones, persistent nav rail on tablets ✅ Tailored experience that is designed specifically for each form factor 🛠️ Jetpack Compose + Material 3 makes building adaptive experiences much easier with helpers like: 𝚆𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚂𝚒𝚣𝚎𝙲𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚜 𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚌𝚞𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚆𝚒𝚗𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚂𝚒𝚣𝚎𝙲𝚕𝚊𝚜𝚜() 𝙽𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚐𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚂𝚞𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚂𝚌𝚊𝚏𝚏𝚘𝚕𝚍 💡 TL;DR: Responsive is fluid, Adaptive is deliberate. You can combine both for a top-notch UI across all platforms! 🔥 --- 🚀 Want more Android, Kotlin, and Compose insights? Hit follow! ❤️ Found this helpful? Share it with your dev circle! #Android #Kotlin #JetpackCompose #AndroidDevelopment 

Last week, I posted about the significance of intuitive UI and UX in health and safety (H&S) software. Today, I want to delve into accessibility and how reducing friction can enhance user engagement. Here are the two main points: 1. Simplify Access with Single Sign-On (SSO) Requiring users to remember additional passwords or URLs can deter them from logging in. In collaboration with a government client, we observed a 27% increase in near-miss reports after implementing SSO. This uptick wasn't due to more incidents rather it came as a result of eliminating friction for end users. Integrating H&S systems with tools your team already uses, like SharePoint or intranet platforms, can further streamline access. 2. Embrace Mobile Accessibility In our daily lives, we rely on mobile devices for various tasks—ordering food, banking, communication. Yet, many H&S systems still expect users to access them via desktop. Ensuring that reporting is accessible anywhere, anytime is crucial. Features like easy mobile reporting, photo/video uploads, voice to text, geotagging, and offline functionality for remote work can significantly enhance user engagement. Additionally, setting up kiosks for those without mobile access can bridge the accessibility gap. Next up, we'll explore how leveraging voice technology can overcome literacy barriers and engage everyone. How is your organization enhancing accessibility in its H&S systems to boost engagement? #SafetyTech #MobileFirst #Inclusion #DigitalWorkplace