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Checklist: How to make your iOS app more accessible
Here is a great resource for developers who want to include accessibility in their iOS app.
As Teachers of the Visually Impaired (TVIs), we frequently come across educational apps which are being used in mainstream classrooms that are not fully accessible. We – educators, families, school administrators, and even students – should advocate for accessible educational materials and apps. It can be as simple as rating an app in the App Store and stating if the app is or is not accessible. Want to go a step further? Contact the app developer directly and let them know exactly what is not accessible in their app. Be sure to mention what device you are using, the software version, and the app version.
Many times, developers will take this information you have shared and will run with it. Some developers may appreciate a little more information about how to make an app accessible. As an educator familiar with VoiceOver, I can include a quick description of the accessibility issues along with the expected VoiceOver reactions. However, I do not know the technical lingo or what code needs to be written to create the desired reaction. Paul Hudson, who writes books about Swift Coding, wrote an easy to follow accessibility checklist for iOS apps geared for developers. Consider sharing this article with app developers, computer science classes, and even students who are interested in computer science. Swift is the coding language for iOS apps; Swift Playgrounds is an app created by Apple which is a suite of curriculum content for teachers and students to learn how to code using Swift.
Read Paul’s article, Checklist: How to make your iOS app more accessible.
By Diane Brauner
