In our practice, VoiceOver on iPhone reads "Button" instead of "Add to Cart" — because the UIImageView with the cart icon lacks an accessibilityLabel. A user with visual impairments taps blindly. This is not theoretical: 2.2 billion people have vision impairments, and Apple/Google now reject apps with gross accessibility violations during review. We are a team of engineers with 6 years in mobile development; we have completed over 40 accessibility audits. We conduct accessibility audits and guarantee compliance with WCAG 2.1 AA.
Why is accessibilityLabel so often missing?
Custom components — sliders, custom buttons, icon-only elements — lack automatic labels. VoiceOver reads coordinates or class names. On iOS you must explicitly set accessibilityLabel and accessibilityHint. On Android — contentDescription in XML or via ViewCompat.setAccessibilityDelegate. Developers often forget to set a label when creating a custom view. In 70% of cases, the problem is solved by adding one line of code.
How to properly manage focus after closing a modal?
After closing a modal, VoiceOver/TalkBack focus remains on elements no longer on screen — the user gets lost. On iOS we control via UIAccessibility.post(notification: .screenChanged, argument: targetView). On Android — ViewCompat.setAccessibilityPaneTitle and sendAccessibilityEvent(AccessibilityEvent.TYPE_WINDOW_STATE_CHANGED). Manual verification of this scenario is mandatory: automated tools do not always catch focus loss.
Testing Tools
Accessibility Inspector (Xcode). Launch via Xcode → Open Developer Tool → Accessibility Inspector. One-click audit finds missing labels, small touch targets, contrast issues. Works on simulator and real device.
Accessibility Scanner (Android). An app by Google that scans the screen and lists problems by type. Integrates into Espresso via AccessibilityChecks.enable() — automatically runs checks on every test action:
@Before fun setup() { AccessibilityChecks.enable() .setRunChecksFromRootView(true) } Each Espresso test now additionally verifies a11y — any violation fails the test. Accessibility Scanner processes a screen in 2–3 seconds, 5x faster than manual checks.
Manual testing with VoiceOver/TalkBack. We walk through key scenarios: registration, purchase, main user flow — using only screen reader gestures, no visual feedback. This catches semantic issues automation misses: logical reading order, unclear label wording, lost focus.
axe DevTools Mobile. A commercial tool with detailed violation classification per WCAG. Provides a report with severity and criteria references. Useful for EU Accessibility Act compliance preparation.
When is manual testing required?
Automated tools cannot check reading logic and ease of perception. If the app has complex animations, dynamic lists, or non-standard gestures, a manual run with VoiceOver/TalkBack is essential. We recommend manual testing after each major release.
Audit Matrix
| Violation | Automated test | Manual test |
|---|---|---|
| Missing accessibilityLabel | Accessibility Scanner / Inspector | VoiceOver |
| Incorrect focus order | — | VoiceOver / TalkBack |
| Touch target < 44pt/48dp | Accessibility Inspector | — |
| Contrast | Colour Contrast Analyser | — |
| Animations at reduce motion | — | Settings → Accessibility |
Tools Comparison
| Tool | Speed | Depth | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accessibility Inspector | fast | basic | free |
| Accessibility Scanner | fast | basic | free |
| axe DevTools Mobile | medium | full WCAG | commercial |
Our Process
- Audit — run through Accessibility Inspector and Scanner, get a prioritized list of violations.
-
Automation — add
AccessibilityChecks.enable()to Espresso tests so every action checks a11y. - Manual check — walk through key scenarios with VoiceOver and TalkBack, record semantic issues.
- Report — document all violations classified by WCAG 2.1 (A/AA) with fix recommendations.
What’s Included
We deliver a detailed report with found violations and their severity, fix recommendations for each error type, updated automated tests with accessibility checks enabled, a brief guide for the iOS/Android team to prevent regressions, and a WCAG 2.1 AA compliance certificate (upon request). According to WCAG 2.1 Success Criterion 1.4.3, the minimum contrast ratio for normal text is 4.5:1.
Timelines and Pricing
An audit of an average app takes 2–4 days. Full documentation for the EU Accessibility Act may add another 2 days. Pricing is calculated individually based on the number of screens and complexity of scenarios. Contact us — we will assess your project and offer an optimal plan. Request an accessibility consultation today.
Common Mistakes When Implementing Accessibility
- Low contrast on placeholders and hints — often using gray #999999 on white.
- Small buttons in navigation bars and toolbars — less than 44pt/48dp.
- Ignoring gestures — if there is swipe-to-delete, it must be duplicated with a long press.