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Re: Need information on Mobile Accessibility Guidelines

for

From: Detlev Fischer
Date: Sep 14, 2017 6:17AM

Insofar as native apps are non-web content, the WCAG2ICT document can be relevant (which is just a working note, not a recommendation) https://www.w3.org/TR/wcag2ict/ .
I believe it has been used as the basis for chapter 11 of the European Standard EN 301 549, (Software). Here, you find the same criteria as WCAG2ICT, just with a different numbering. A few success criteria which are arguably also important for native apps, like 3.2.3 Consistent Navigation and 3.2.4 Consistent Identification, have been taken out, probably because they were not seen as universally applicable to software.

It looks like this is the closest you can get to a formal guideline, which of course does not tell you HOW to test (and without access to source code or the development environment, many SCs like 2.1.1, 2.4.3, 4.1.2 will need to be tested by exploring the apps with a screen reader turned on). The BBC guidelines are more complete in that they show test steps and code snippets for iOS, Android and web, but they are not a formal standard.

Some new Success Criteria proposed for WCAG 2.1 https://www.w3.org/TR/2017/WD-WCAG21-20170912/ would cover aspects important for 'mobile use' (or more general, use on touch and hybrid user agents which may also have other sensors detecting tilt, orientation or acceleration). Examples are 2.5.1 Pointer Gestures (applicably for touch, stylus and mouse) 2.5.3 Target Size, 2.6.1 Device Sensors or 2.6.2 Orientation. Be aware that these may be merged, renamed, integrated in existing success criteria or conformance requirements, or pushed back to WCAG 3.0, so this is a very fluid situation.

Hope this helps!
Detlev

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Detlev Fischer
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Subhash Chhetri via WebAIM-Forum schrieb am 14.09.2017 08:13:

> Hi All,
> It is true that W3C has not come upyet with formal guideline for mobile
> accessibility, so, is there any other suchseparate guideline for the same? One
> of the guidelines I found on web is BBC Mobile AccessibilityGuidelines
> http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/futuremedia/accessibility/mobilewhich I say is
> best of its kind, but question here is how often it is used. Canwe consider
> this as informative guideline to suggest somebody willing to
> conductaccessibility checks on mobile apps? Your response is highly
> appreciated. Best Regards, Subhash Chhetri Software Accessibility QA Engineer
> > > > >