Released by the OneVoice for Accessible ICT Coalition, the report Moving together: mobile apps for inclusion and assistance presents a number of key issues facing the growing populations of older people and people with a disability when using mobile apps.
Apps or applications are pieces of software that can be downloaded and installed on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Some mobile devices contain accessibility features that help older users perform tasks such as reading, typing and browsing the web. The assistive technologies included in the device will depend on what operating system it runs on, such as Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android. These features include text-to-speech technology, adjustable colour contrast and screen magnifiers.
However, apps aren’t always developed with accessibility in mind and can be incompatible with the device’s in-built assistive technology. For instance, the Voice Over screen reader that comes with iPads and iPhones might not be able to recognise some of an app’s elements, rendering the app unusable for some.
Peter Abrahams, co-author of the report, told E-Access Bulletin: “if the app is not accessible then the disabled person will be disenfranchised and marginalised. This is morally, ethically, financially and legally unacceptable.”
The report recommends a ‘top to bottom’ approach to including accessibility in the development of mobile apps, which means people across the different departments of an organisation are aware of the basics of accessibility so that it can be factored in from the start.
According to the report, accessibility on mobile apps has been compromised by the ‘gold rush mentality’ or the need for developers to keep up with competition and demand for mobile apps. But by compromising accessibility to keep up with competition, developers lose a part of their potential user base.
The report also acknowledges that accessibility on mobile apps varies greatly between different devices and operating systems, and recommends that developers maximise accessibility by building into them as much “choice, adaptability and flexibility as possible”.
The Moving together: mobile apps for inclusion and assistance report was co-written by Peter Abrahams of Bloor Research and Dan Jellinek, editor of E-Access Bulletin, for the OneVoice for Accessible ICT Coalition.
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