Best Practices for Mobile Accessibility

Designing accessible UIs isn’t just about compliance—it’s about creating better experiences for everyone. And importantly, building accessibility into your designs doesn’t have to be complicated. With a few mindful practices, you can make your work more inclusive without adding a lot of extra effort. Here are 5 quick wins to boost accessibility in your designs: 1️⃣ Use a contrast checker Use a plugin like Color Contrast Checker so your text is readable for users with visual impairments. ↳ Aim for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for body text. ↳ For smaller text or secondary elements, prioritize higher contrast whenever possible. 2️⃣ Stick to global styles Consistent text and color styles make your designs more cohesive and easier to tweak for accessibility. ↳ Set up global styles early for typography, colors, and spacing. ↳ Adjustments made at the system level will flow through your entire design, saving time and effort. 3️⃣ Label layers clearly Screen readers rely on descriptive layer names to guide users. ↳ Rename buttons, images, and interactive elements meaningfully (e.g., “CTA Button” instead of “Rectangle 23”). ↳ This small habit makes a big difference for users relying on assistive technologies. 4️⃣ Include focus indicators Add visual cues like highlights or outlines to show which element is selected or active. ↳ Essential for users navigating with keyboards or assistive devices. ↳ Ensure these indicators are both visible and consistent throughout your design. 5️⃣ Test with simulated impairments Put yourself in your users’ shoes by using simulation plugins like: ↳ Sim Daltonism: Visualize color blindness and how it affects your design. ↳ Color Blind: Test how your designs appear to users with different types of color vision impairments. Accessibility isn’t just about meeting standards—it’s about creating designs that work for everyone. Inclusive design improves usability, builds trust, and makes a lasting impact. What’s your go-to method for building accessibility into your designs? Drop your tips below—I’d love to learn from your approach. 👇 #FigmaFriday #accessibility #uxdesign #designstrategy #figmatips #inclusivedesign ---------------- 👋 Hi, I'm Dane—I share daily design tools & tips. ❤️ If you found this helpful, consider liking it. 🔄 Want to help others? Consider reposting. ➕ For more like this, consider following me.

🌍 Designing for Everyone: The True Meaning of Accessibility ♿️ 🔍 Introduction: When we talk about accessibility in UI/UX design, it’s more than just meeting legal requirements. It’s about creating products that ensure everyone—regardless of physical or cognitive ability—can use and benefit from them. Accessibility is key to building digital experiences that are inclusive, usable, and welcoming to all. 💡 Best Practices: Creating truly accessible interfaces starts with following these best practices: - Text Alternatives: Provide alt text for images to ensure screen readers can convey visual information. - Color Contrast: Ensure there’s enough contrast between text and backgrounds so content is readable for users with low vision. - Keyboard Navigation: Make sure all features are accessible via keyboard for users who don’t rely on a mouse. - Accessible Forms: Label form fields clearly and make sure forms are easy to navigate for all users. 🔧 Tools and Resources: There are a number of tools to help ensure your designs are accessible: - WAVE: A web accessibility evaluation tool to help spot issues. - Color Safe: Ensures your color choices meet contrast standards. - Axe: A browser extension that provides detailed accessibility audits. These resources help ensure your product is as accessible as possible. 🌟 Conclusion: Designing for accessibility is about more than compliance—it's about creating inclusive, human-centered designs. When you prioritize accessibility, you not only create a better user experience for everyone but also foster brand loyalty and trust. It’s a win-win, both ethically and from a business perspective. Accessibility is not an option—it’s a necessity. Let’s design for everyone! 🌐 #InclusiveDesign #AccessibilityMatters #UX #DesignForAll #AccessibleTech

  Day 16 of the Mobile Accessibility Advent Calendar!   Let's talk assistive technology!   One mindset we tend to get into in mobile application accessibility is testing only with screen readers. In theory screen reader testing SHOULD catch most of the issues in your application, however to get a full picture of the accessibility of your app you need to test with multiple assistive technologies. The truth is there is a load of different assistive technologies that users use that you should be testing with to ensure you content is accessible. For this post, we will cover iOS!   What you should be testing with: Voiceover - The standard default screen reader with iOS, that should be at the core of the testing you are doing.   Switch Control - Allows users to use an adaptive accessory to interact with their phone by highlighting each item sequentially. More on Switch Control: https://lnkd.in/g6uKPrnq     Voice Control - Allows users to use voice to control iOS device. One of the common testing methodologies I suggest with this is saying "show numbers" and ensuring all the actionable items on the screen are accounted for AND function. More on Voice Control: https://lnkd.in/giyt4NDH   Keyboard - Yes, you read this correctly. No it isn't an assistive technology per say, however keyboard users exist in iOS. To say that they don't would be a mistake, testing your application with keyboard and Voice Over on (and off) will ensure that multiple inputs can work with it.   Follow #MobileA11yAdventCalendar all month for tips and tricks on #Mobile #Accessibility !   #A11y #iOS #Android

With the European Accessibility Act set to become national law in 2025 our customers have been asking how to make their demos more accessible. So below is a list of 3 main ways to help demos meet accessibility guidelines: 1️⃣ Update your demo themes ‒ Use a free color contract checker for your dialog color vs font color ‒ Add a high contract Focus Ring around your step text and buttons ‒ Make sure your font is accessible* *Arial, Verdana, Times New Roman, and Helvetica are some common examples of more accessible fonts 2️⃣ Test your demo with screen readers ‒ Include Aria Descriptions to explain interactive elements in your demo ‒ Use a free screen reader to check you’re properly dictating what is happening in the demo 3️⃣ Improve navigation ‒ Turn on navigation buttons so users can use the tab keyboard to progress ‒ Toggle on auto progress in your mobile swipe view A special thanks to our Head of CS Alisa Feng for helping us compile this list!

I learn digital accessibility best practices from our Product Diversity Office and members of ABLE* all the time. For example, a few tips that social media pros could keep in mind as they celebrate GAAD** online this week are: 💬 For promo videos, remember to include accurate closed captions displaying spoken dialogue and background noises. 🗣 Also consider including a voiceover narration that verbally describes visual elements, actions, and scenes in the video to ensure viewers with visual impairments fully understand the content. 🎨 Why not opt for high-contrast color schemes? This enhances readability for individuals with low vision. Plus, use clear, easy-to-read fonts for any text displayed on the video. 📜 Lastly, offer a text transcript of the video content alongside the video itself to provide an alternative format for accessing the video's information—a benefit to individuals who prefer reading or using screen readers. --- My LinkedIn post needs footnotes 😆 * ABLE (A Better Lenovo for Everyone) ** GAAD (Global Accessibility Awareness Day)