A new look at Accessibility, giving it a broader definition and rewards, followed by an Overview of the iOS Accessibility Features, and finally Guidelines for Designers and Developers, including “good” and “bad” examples to better understand how it all works in practice.

1. iOS Accessibility
Low Effort, High Reward
Luis Abreu UX Designer

2. Agenda
Accessibility
iOS
Guidelines & Examples

3. Agenda
Accessibility
iOS
Guidelines & Examples

4. Accessibility is UX turned
up to 11.

6. Impairments
Severity Nature Duration
Mild External Temporary
Severe Internal Chronic

7. Blindness, Deafness
Impairments
Severity Nature Duration
Mild External Temporary
• Severe • Internal • Chronic

8. Dyspraxia, RSI
Impairments
Severity Nature Duration
• Mild External • Temporary
Severe • Internal Chronic

9. Sunlight, Noise, Multitasking
Impairments
Severity Nature Duration
Mild • External • Temporary
• Severe Internal Chronic

10. Accessibility is inclusion,
and robustness.

11. …one last thing about Accessibility

12. –2011 WHO World Report on Disability
“15 percent (1 Billion) of the world’s
population (7 Billion) live with some
kind of impairment”

13. –UN Factsheet on Persons with Disabilities
“75% of the FTSE 100 companies in
the UK do not meet basic levels of
accessibility, thus missing out on more
than £96 ($147) million in revenue.”

14. 🤔
If Accessibility is so important, how
come I mostly hear about it at events
like this?

15. Survivorship Bias

16. Survivorship Bias
Overlooking those that did not survive
because of their lack of visibility.

17. “Engagement” Bias
Overlooking those that did not survive
use your app because of their lack of
visibility.

18. Accessible apps are rare,
this is an opportunity.

19. Accessibility Takeaways
• Accessible apps are Inclusive and Robust
• Impairments vary in Severity, Nature, and
Duration
• No Complaints != No Problem or Opportunity

20. Agenda
Accessibility
iOS
Guidelines & Examples

21. Assistive Technologies
Any feature or hardware that informs or helps users interact
with your app in a way that’s most accessible to them.

22. LED Flash Alerts
Button Shapes
Audio Descriptions
Hold Duration
Reachability
Ignore Repeat
Dictionary
Darken Colors
Closed Captions
SDH
Reduce White Point
3D Touch Sensitivity
Home Button SpeedGrayscale
Audio Balance
Hearing Aid Mode
Inverted Colors
Button ShapesLarger Text
Reduced Motion
Tap Assistance
Mono Audio
Reduced Transparency
Bold Text
Switch Labels
Speak Selection
Zoom
Switch Control
VoiceOver
Assistive Touch
A. Hardware
Speak Screen

23. Impairments - Technologies
Mild Severe
Visual
Larger Text
Astigmatism
VoiceOver
Blindness
Hearing
Mono Audio
Partial Deafness
Captions
Deafness
Motor
Assistive Touch
RSI
Switch Control
Tetraplegia
Learning
Speak Screen
Dyslexia
Guided Access
Autism

24. Larger Text
Default LargestSmallest

25. Reduce Transparency

26. Assistive Touch

27. VoiceOver
Perception and Interaction

28. lmjabreu.wistia.com/medias/o2k8ln3iy8

29. VoiceOver
Perceive and Interact without seeing the screen or direct
manipulation
• Move through UI elements sequentially and announce them
via Speech or Braille
• Perform actions using a single button: whole screen/external
Very popular for Vision impairments
Doesn’t support 3D games, drawing apps
Free (saving thousands), Built-in, High-Quality

30. Switch Control
Interaction through any means possible

31. lmjabreu.wistia.com/medias/7iynpnjild

32. Switch Control
Interact without touching the screen
• Move through UI elements sequentially, automatically or
manually
• Point at elements using a gliding cursor (slower, any app)
• Select elements and actions via external switches
• Activated with head, chin, mouth, eyes, wrist, finger, etc
Very popular for Motor impairments
Also free, Built-in, High-Quality

33. Assistive Hardware
Hundreds of supported Input/Output Devices
• i.e. Braille Displays, Hearing Aids, Sip-and-Puff
Zero Design or Development effort

34. Braille Display
$2839 / £1885

35. Switches
Simple
$59 / £39
Chin
$199 / £132
Sip-and-Puff
$389 / £258
Sensitive
$79 / £52
Motion
$699 / £464

36. Agenda
Accessibility
iOS
Guidelines & Examples

37. How do I Accessibility 🤔
now that we’ve seen benefits and iOS technologies

38. Guidelines
1. Perceivable
2. Operable
3. Understandable
4. Robust
For Designers and Developers

39. ⚠ Always Remember
Don’t assume perfect Vision, Hearing, Physical
and Motor, Learning and Literacy abilities
Abilities can be limited by external conditions
such as Sunlight, Noise, Multitasking

40. Do I know it’s there?
Perceivable

41. Color Blindness
Use shape, color, and animation, as well as audio cues.
Brings your app to life, provides resistance to color impairments.

42. Color-rich
Red star is easy to spot.

43. Color… may fail.
Where’s the star again?

44. Color and shape.
Outlined vs. Filled, Red vs. Green.

45. …or just shape.
Outlined vs. Filled

46. Shape, it works even without color.
Color speeds up recognition, but clear shapes, and
ultimately, text remove ambiguity.

47. Low Vision
Good contrast makes reading text, distinguishing
elements or state easier, or even possible.

48. External blindness
Sunlight changes how your app (Spotify) is perceived.

49. External blindness
Go high contrast, test the usage context and device.

50. Blindness, Deafness.
Text is elementary, unambiguous, easily converted to
audio or braille.

51. Name the icon.

52. Name the icon.

53. Text is unambiguous, clear.
And it can look good.
Unambiguous options
Clear consequence

54. Can I use it?
Operable

55. Assisted Interaction
Do use custom UI components and gestures to speed
interactions but consider severely impaired users.

56. Timing
Don’t automatically perform or constrain actions to a
time limit.

57. Does it make sense?
Understandable

58. Language
Use simple, familiar language for both text and
metaphors. Localize your app.

59. Gmail doesn’t speak my language.
What’s that icon on the top right?
Why are add contact and attach disabled like the back button?
# Gmail $ Mail

60. Citymapper is localized
I can see the price in a familiar, local currency, and bus
stop identifier letters help me avoid mistakes.

61. Error Identification
Communicate through text, clearly.

62. Is it future-proof?
Robust

63. Native
Leverage ready-to-use, familiar components

64. Map View
Label
Header
Slider
Page View
Switch Text View
Text Field
Table View
Collection View
Tab Bar
Segmented Control
Activity Indicator
Page Control Stepper
Alert
Date Picker
Picker View
Image Picker
Document PickerNavigation Bar
ToolBar
Search Bar Contact Picker
Button
Generic Picker
Media Picker
Image View
Printer Picker

65. Nothing is free
Talking about an idea isn't free
Deciding wether to implement isn't free
QA won't be free
Informing users won't be free
Testing won't be free
Updating support isn't free
Maintaining it isn't free
Undoing it won't be free
adapted from Intercom’s Product Management book

66. iOS is designed to save you
work. Invent, don’t reinvent.
…so cheesy ¯_( )_/¯

67. Accessibility Semantics
Describe your app to iOS

68. Accessibility Semantics answer:
Purpose Am I relevant for Accessibility?
Name How do I identify myself?
Personality What are my characteristics?
Value Do I change with user interaction or time?
Interaction How exactly do I work?
Location Where am I?

69. Purpose
var isAccessibilityElement: Bool
Basic Accessibility API

70. not recommended
[Image]; [Do Not Disturb; Button].
Do Not Disturb
Don’t
“Image” is unhelpful, redundant

71. recommended
Do Not Disturb; Button.
Do Not DisturbDo Not Disturb
Do
Hide unhelpful, redundant elements.

72. Name
var accessibilityLabel: String?
Basic Accessibility API

73. not recommended
Button.
M.I.A.
Bad Girls
Don’t
“Button” clarifies neither identity or consequence

74. recommended
Play, Bad Girls by M.I.A.; Button.
M.I.A.
Bad Girls
Do
Identity and consequence are clear

75. Personality
var accessibilityTraits: UIAccessibilityTraits
Basic Accessibility API

76. Detail
not recommended
Detail.
Don’t
“Detail” provides identity but not personality

77. Detail
recommended
Detail; Button.
Do
“Button” declares interactive personality

78. Value
var accessibilityValue: String?
Basic Accessibility API

79. not recommended
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Don’t
State changes aren’t perceptible

80. 12
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recommended
9:00 … 9:08 … 9:30 … 9:41
Do
Value changes with time

81. Interaction
var accessibilityHint: String?
Basic Accessibility API

82. not recommended
Reorder Lisbon; Button, Draggable.
Lisbon
San Francisco
Don’t
No helpful interaction hint

83. recommended
Reorder Lisbon; Button, Draggable;
Double tap and hold, wait for the
sound, then drag to rearrange.
Lisbon
San Francisco
Do
Provides a helpful interaction hint

84. Location
var accessibilityFrame: CGRect
Basic Accessibility API

85. not recommended
Incorrect size and position.
Lisbon
San Francisco
Don’t
Confusing, which element am I focused on again?

86. recommended
Large, well-positioned, easy to see.
Lisbon
San Francisco
Do
Clearly indicate highlighted element.

87. Advanced Accessibility API
func accessibilityIncrement / Decrement() (with .Adjustable Trait)
func accessibilityActivate() -> Bool
func accessibilityScroll(_ direction: UIAccessibilityScrollDirection) -> Bool
func accessibilityPerformEscape() -> Bool
func accessibilityPerformMagicTap() -> Bool
var accessibilityActivationPoint: CGPoint
var accessibilityElementsHidden: Bool
var accessibilityLanguage: String?
var accessibilityPath: UIBezierPath?
var accessibilityViewIsModal: Bool
var shouldGroupAccessibilityChildren: Bool
var accessibilityNavigationStyle: UIAccessibilityNavigationStyle
var accessibilityCustomActions: [UIAccessibilityCustomAction]?
enum UIAccessibilityZoomType: Int
struct UIAccessibilityNotifications for Accommodations, Announcement status and Highlight Control
struct UIAccessibilitySpeechAttributePunctuation(NSNumber)/Language(NSString)/Pitch(NSNumber) for attr. strings

88. Summary
Accessibility
iOS
Guidelines & Examples

89. Accessibility
• Shares principles with UX, not a separate
effort.
• More than just severe impairments, sunlight
can blind you.
• Few accessible apps, make a difference, or
business.

90. iOS
Low Effort, High Reward

91. Low Effort
Accessibility is built-in and robust
• Accessible UI Elements for display, interaction,
navigation
• Simple APIs for Custom Accessible UI
Components
• Free Assistive Technologies
• Free Assistive Hardware support

92. High Reward
Easier Testing, Multi-Language/Device/Orientation/Tasking
• Shared benefits from using Dynamic Text, Auto-Layout, Built-in
Components
Wider, happier userbase
• App works regardless of disability, or situation
Radically improve people’s lives by giving them independence
• Communication
• Entertainment
• Business

93. Guidelines & Examples
Design
• Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and
Robust
Development
• Relevance, Name, Personality, Value,
Interaction, and Location

94. Twitter
@lmjabreu
iOS Accessibility Handbook
leanpub.com/iosaccessibility
Apple Accessibility Documentation
developer.apple.com/accessibility/ios
Thank you