• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

WeCo Digital Accessibility

  • Home
  • Who We Are
    • Our Story
    • Our Mission
    • Our Clients
    • Our Testers
    • For the Press and Media
      • Press Releases
  • Services
    • Free Accessibility Review
    • Accessibility Support Consulting
    • Legal Accessibility Support
    • Disability-Focused Usability Testing
    • Manual Accessibility Audits and Remediation
    • Accessibility Policy Statement
    • Accessibility, Usability, and Disability Awareness Training
    • Accessible Document Services
    • Accessibility, Inclusion SME Speaker Services
  • Our Reviewed Seals
    • Our Reviewed Seal Organizations
  • Jobs and Internships
    • Working as a Tester
    • Application and Interview Tips
  • Events
    • Webinars
  • Resources
    • Access Blog
    • Recorded Free Accessibility Webinars
    • Free Access Library
      • Make a Case for Access
    • Disability Employment Resources
      • Disability Employment Awareness Month
  • Contact Us

July 13, 2022 by Tyler Melone

Accessible Mobile 101

A laptop and a smartphone with the screens displaying the homepage, showing the different layouts of accessible mobile versus desktop.Over half of the world’s internet traffic now takes place over mobile connections. As the market share of people move towards mobile devices, we can guess that the focus on mobile is here to stay.  It’s important to note that mobile environments can offer some extremely innovative accessibility solutions.  This article will give you a quick list about why and what you can do next.

Differences between desktop and mobile

Here is our quick list of the differences between desktop and mobile to help you understand  how the formats can be different.

Based upon device usage:

  • Desktop
    • Usually includes longer, more complex tasks to complete actions like form completion
  • Mobile
    • Actions, like form completion, can be done with quick, streamlined tasks

Based upon layout:

  • Desktop
    • Large screens provide detailed, aesthetically pleasing, and functional interfaces
    • Controls, such as navigation bars, are often arranged across the top and sides of interfaces
  • Mobile
    • Limited screen sizing warrants features like collapsible menus and simple visuals
    • Controls are often accessed through dynamic context menus layered over content, such as swiping to the right to reveal the navigation menu

Based upon interaction:

  • Desktop
    • Keyboard and mouse cursers are used for most user interactions, such as scrolling or using the keyboard arrow keys to navigate a web page
  • Mobile
    • Simple to complex touch-based gestures are used, such as swiping up and down to navigate a web page

Making mobile environments accessible

  1. Review the latest version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, a set of standards and success criteria that apply to any product. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is also considering how best to approach mobile specific accessibility guidelines.
  2. Develop a keen understanding of the features and limitations available on your platform. IOS and Android have robust, system level accessibility support built in. Additionally, mobile browsers support HTML5 and WAI ARIA.
  3. Create user stories including common scenarios for users living with disabilities. Work with users with disabilities and have them test your product, then translate those findings into product requirements.

Points to ponder

Noting the differences between desktop and mobile, designers and developers can apply both universal and platform-specific accessibility features to their products. Bringing accessibility to mobile environments allows users living with disabilities to enjoy the same innovative, streamlined mobile experience available to other users today.

 

Read more about mobile accessibility

Learn more about what WeCo’s Accessibility Team has to say about making mobile accessible and inclusive.

Review our Free Accessibility Library page on Mobile Accessibility Technical Requirements.

Learn about how Digital Accessibility by WeCo can help your team make your mobile product accessible! You can sign up for one of our upcoming events, consult our free accessibility library, or reach out to WeCo Client Relations with questions.

Filed Under: Featured Articles, General, Inclusion, Mobile Accessibility, WCAG, WCAG 2.1

Primary Sidebar

Use WeCo’s Library. Quick search hundreds of articles, documents and resources.

Footer

Contact WeCo

Digital Accessibility by WeCo
Reach us at: 855-849-5050 [email protected]

Stillwater Office:

310 1/2 Main Street South
Stillwater, MN 55082

 

CONTACT US

The information provided by WeCo (The Wehrman Collaborative, LLC) is not intended or designed to be used as, or take the place of, legal advice. If you have questions regarding how this information may affect you or your organization legally, please seek the advice of professional legal counsel.

Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.

IAAP Organizational Member logo

QUICK LINKS

Site Map

Resources

Privacy Policy

Accessibility Policy

SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK

LINKEDIN

TWITTER

YOUTUBE

Disability-Owned Business circular certification badge with text shown in circular orientation and with Disability:IN icon logo in center. />

National Organization on Disability

NOD Leading Disability Employer 2022 written in a variety of teal sections, making a square. />

Subscribe to our Blog & QuickTips







    Check each one you'd like to receive.

      
      
      

    Copyright © 2023 · Log in