Mobile App Accessibility Audit According to WCAG
We conduct mobile app accessibility audits according to the WCAG 2.1 standard. Our certified engineers check contrast, text alternatives, screen reader navigation, and other criteria.
Order a turnkey audit — we will identify all Level A and AA violations and prepare a report with code examples in Swift, Kotlin, Flutter, or React Native. Contact us to evaluate your app.
Why is accessibility audit critical for your app?
Without an audit, you risk losing up to 15% of users with disabilities, as well as facing lawsuits (for example, under the ADA in the US). WCAG 2.1 via WCAG2ICT applies to mobile applications. Levels A and AA are the minimum threshold for public procurement and most requirements.
Level AA covers 3 times more use cases for people with visual and motor impairments than level A. Our audit ensures that your app complies with EN 301 549 and other standards.
What issues does a WCAG audit identify?
We identify typical issues: missing accessibilityLabel on icons, low text contrast, incorrect focus order, form errors invisible to screen readers, and much more. Our report includes screenshots of each violation with a fix priority.
Example: a gray placeholder #9E9E9E on a white background gives a contrast ratio of 1.9:1 (4.5:1 is required).
What we check
Criterion 1.1 — Text alternatives — mobile accessibility audit
All non-text elements must have a text alternative. On iOS — accessibilityLabel, on Android — contentDescription. Decorative elements are marked as skippable. Tool: Accessibility Inspector (Xcode) and Android Accessibility Scanner.
Criterion 1.3 — Adaptability
The structure must not depend on visual perception. The screen reader reading order must match the logical order. For ConstraintLayout and ZStack, we set the focus order explicitly.
Criterion 1.4 — Distinguishability
1.4.3 Contrast (AA): minimum 4.5:1 for text, 3:1 for large text. We check all elements. 1.4.4 Resize text: support for Dynamic Type (iOS) and font scaling (Android). 1.4.10 Reflow: content without horizontal scrolling at up to 400% zoom. 1.4.11 Non-text contrast: icons, borders — 3:1.
Criterion 2.1 — Keyboard accessibility
On mobile — Switch Control and an external keyboard. All functions must be accessible without a touchscreen. We check Tab navigation, Enter for activation, Escape for closing modals.
Criterion 2.4 — Navigation
Focus when a modal window opens moves to the first element, and when it closes — returns. Screen headings structure the page. A visible focus indicator is mandatory.
Criterion 3.3 — Input assistance
Error messages must be associated with the field via accessibilityHint or UIAccessibility.post(notification:). A red border alone is invisible.
Audit Format
The final report contains:
- A table of WCAG criteria with Pass/Fail/N/A ratings
- Screenshots with descriptions of violations
- Priorities (blocking vs minor)
- Recommendations with code examples
Example table:
| Criterion | Level | Status | Violation description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.1.1 | A | Fail | 14 icons without contentDescription |
| 1.4.3 | AA | Fail | Gray placeholder #9E9E9E on white: 1.9:1 |
| 2.4.3 | A | Pass | Focus order is logical |
| 1.4.4 | AA | Partial | Dynamic Type is not supported in custom cells |
What is included in the audit?
The cost includes:
- A detailed report with a page-by-page breakdown
- A file with code examples for iOS, Android, Flutter, React Native
- Prioritization of violations by severity
- A consultation on fixes 1 week after the report
- Recommendations for long-term accessibility support
Tools we use
- iOS: Accessibility Inspector, Xcode Audit, VoiceOver
- Android: Android Accessibility Scanner, TalkBack
- General: WAVE, axe DevTools, colour contrast analysers
Comparison of Levels A and AA
Level A — minimum requirements (25 criteria). Level AA adds another 21 criteria, including a 4.5:1 contrast ratio and captions. In practice, most clients choose AA, as it covers the core user needs and complies with legislation.
| Parameter | Level A | Level AA |
|---|---|---|
| Text alternatives | Present | Present + descriptions for complex elements |
| Contrast | — | >=4.5:1 |
| Keyboard navigation | Present | Visible focus |
| Interface language | Specified | Specified + language parts |
How do we conduct an audit?
- Preparation: we study your application and collect usage scenarios
- Automated check: we run Accessibility Scanner and Lighthouse
- Manual testing: 3–5 scenarios on physical devices
- Report preparation: we document every violation
- Final consultation: we discuss the remediation plan
Our experience and guarantees
Over 5 years of work, we have tested more than 100 mobile applications for accessibility. Our engineers are IAAP (International Association of Accessibility Professionals) certified.
We guarantee that after fixing issues according to our report, your application will pass a repeat audit with a Pass result for the selected level.
Audit timeframe: from 2 to 5 days depending on the scope. Contact us for an accurate estimate and to place an order. WCAG