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Re: Mobile App vs. Mobile Website

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From: Paul.Adam@dars.state.tx.us
Date: Jun 10, 2011 8:36AM

I'm a registered iOS developer, I've read all the Accessibility API docs for iOS and you have a lot more control with native apps. You can make a web app perfectly accessible with JavaScript and ARIA but the end user experience won't be as simple and easy to use as native apps are.

The strategy I would use would be to make a native iOS app for the apple devices which are the most popular for accessibility and a JS/ARIA enabled web app for all the other mobile operating systems with shoddy accessibility support. The web app would work for feature phones that don't have app stores as well.

Paul Adam
Accessibility Specialist
Center for Policy and Innovation
<EMAIL REMOVED>
@pauljadam on Twitter
www.PaulJAdam.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Birkir R. Gunnarsson [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
Sent: Thursday, June 09, 2011 2:46 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Mobile App vs. Mobile Website

Jini

Speaking as a blind user, I would prefer a dedicated mobile app myself.
My reasons are that I am not a big fan of browsing on the iPhone, and
I find Android browsing just not a good experience at all, even using
Mobile Access Suite from Codefactory, the most accessible browser I
know.
Remember that typing or inputting text on a mobile device is a pain,
more so for blind users, unless they have external keyboard.
Thus, setting up an app once, and then being able to perform routine
things, such as paying a bill, with the minimum number of keystrokes
is ideal for me.
Again, I do not claim to represent a research or a large group of
users, mainly my own perspective.
But I would be surprised if most blind users, at lesat, did not feel
the same way bout this.
Looking forward to other responses.
-Birkir


On 6/9/11, McDonald, Jennifer < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> A question for people who depend on Assistive Technology and use a
> mobile device, such as an iPhone or Android:
>
> To pay a bill - if you had your choice to use a company's mobile app to
> pay that bill, or their Mobile Website (both developed with
> accessibility in mind) which would you prefer? Which is easier to use?
> Does it matter? Does it depend on your device type?
>
> I'm trying to get a feel for if it is necessary to have both a Mobile
> Website and a Mobile App that do the same thing. Which is more
> accessible?
>
> Thanks,
> Jeni
>
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