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Beyond the Checklist: Real-World Accessibility Testing for Mobile Apps That Truly Work

I can’t handle using an application that takes rocket science for even simple functions. I highly prioritize the user experience and interface more than anything else. Like me, there are millions of users around the world, and the platforms in the competition are all hustling to provide the best UI and UX (Dinesh Singh on LinkedIn). 

Hence, accessibility testing is one of the key aspects of app development that devs take equally seriously as any other aspect (if not more). Accessibility testing is a process done to test whether the app is capable of handling daily operations in practical life. The test includes various stages on which the app has to stand strong.

If interested in learning more, stick with me till the end of the blog. 

Why Accessibility Testing Matters

Accessibility of an application is much about giving it an easy experience. Think of it, are you sure about your program that it can be used by a blind or handicapped person or a person with any kind of disability? According to statistics, 15% of the global population suffers from some kind of disability.

 If your platform cannot be used by even a single person from that category, it means that the app is made for a particular segment of the audience. Rather, you must not limit your reach to that significant share of people. Instead, broaden the target audience of your platform and make it accessible to everyone. 

To get a bigger picture of how big players manage to do so, let me tell you about what challenges they try to tackle first. 

Understanding Real-World Accessibility Challenges

The following are some real-world accessibility challenges that makers and developers like you need to focus on:

1. Diverse Disabilities and Assistive Needs: Irrespective of disabilities related to the visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive, every user can use the program with ease. 
2. Levels of Familiarity with Assistive Technology: Even the people who are not as tech-savvy as others must also be able to navigate through the app with assistive technology.
3. Environmental Factors: External factors like low lighting, noise, or unstable network connection must cause zero or minimum damage to the app experience. 
4. Interruptions and Multitasking: The app should allow multitasking and should work well even if in the background. 

Key Areas for Real-World Accessibility Testing

Now that you know what challenges to tackle, let me tell you about the key areas where the apps are tested:

1. Screen Readers and Voice Assistants: Screen readers and voice assistants are great tools used by visually impaired people. The app must be tested if both these features are working well. 

2. Keyboard Navigation: If someone with motor disability, they can use a keyboard or some external input methods to access the app with keywords.

3. Color Contrast and Visual Design: Again, for visual impairment like color blindness, colors must be carefully thought out so that they can differentiate between elements.

4. Captions and Transcripts: For videos, for those who cannot listen, captions and transcriptions are their only support.

5. Text Scaling and Customization: Texts must be resizable so that font size can fit according to their needs. 

Best Practices for Accessibility Testing

Accessibility testing is not something that you can randomly perform as you like. The following are some best practices which you must take care of:

1. Test Early and Continuously: Start testing your app since the inception and each phase must verify if the process is going right. 
2. Involve Real Users: The best way to test your app’s practicality is to check if it survives in real-world applications.
3. Follow Established Guidelines: There are some guidelines like Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) that can make testing easier. Following them can significantly make a difference to the output.
4. Use Inclusive Design from the Start: The app’s core design must be focused from the start, and should be inclusive of all features concerned.
5. Focus on the User Experience: Make the app usage as easy as possible. Navigating through the app, its clarity, etc. must not be complicated.

The Value of Real-World Accessibility Testing

Making your app accessible is not only about broadening your consumer base. But, it is also seen as a matter of equality among everyone (including a person with a disability).  Accessibility to the app is seen from more than the business and tech angle, that is why its testing matters in the real world. 

DID YOU KNOW?
77% of accessibility lawsuits in 2023 alone were filed against organizations with under $25 million in revenue. Hence, even if you are not operating on a large scale, focusing on accessibility is a must.

The following are the reasons why there is so much emphasis on accessibility testing:

• Legal Compliance: The legal force around the world ensures that information and technology are accessible to everyone. Various acts like the RPWD act, guidelines for government websites, ADA, Equality Act 2010, WCAG guidelines, etc. are there to mandate some aspects related to accessibility.
• Inclusivity: The platform must be welcoming to all people across the world, irrespective of their disability. This shows your commitment to believing in equal opportunity and social responsibility.

Now you know that in the real world, accessibility testing is not only about reaching more people, but it also possesses a social and ethical responsibility. 

Choosing the Right Mobile App Testing Tool

While you filter out the right mobile app testing tool for your application, there are some points that you must not ignore. Here are the points given below:

1. Access to Real Mobile Device: Invest in having a testing lab at your premises and give yourself some time to test your apps in real-time. To build a lab, you must have a catalog of all new and old mobile devices, and operating systems.
2. Integration With App Testing Tools: Your testing tool must be able to collaborate or integrate with other app testing frameworks. Some famous frameworks include App Center, Espresso, Bamboo, etc.
3. Security: The European market and other highly data-centric markets are filled with digital security compliance like HIPAA and GDPR. You must emphasize on your selected testing tool that it efficiently monitors the app’s security.
4. Error Capturing, Test Reporting & Debugging: Along with capturing errors, the testing tool must create a detailed report on where the issue occurred and report what happened wrong with it. 
5. Support for Testing Techniques: Different tests require different techniques to find flaws and ensure seamlessness. Hence, go for a tool that has great support for testing techniques and solutions. 

Conclusion

Lastly, it is necessary for you to make your mobile app accessible for everyone if you want to sustain in the market. Not only from the business point of view but also holds its significance from ethical and legal aspects. So, I shared how much a mobile app testing tool matters to ensure your app stands on all accessibility points, and how it makes a difference. If you find it helpful, share it with your team and colleagues. 

Posted by

Priya Prakash

Internet Writer