This is a curated collection of guidelines resources for mobile accessibility. It’s constantly updated so if you have something to suggest post it in the comments.
Last updated 2nd July, 2015
General
The guidelines below either directly or indirectly relate to making mobile websites, and applications accessible.
- Mobile Accessibility: How WCAG 2.0 and Other W3C/WAI Guidelines Apply to Mobile – this includes a break down of issues and requirements for mobile as well as links to techniques that are currently being written by the working group.
- BBC Mobile Accessibility Guidelines – a set of technology agnostic best practices for mobile web content, hybrid and native apps (Disclaimer: I was lead editor)
- Mobile Web Best Practices 1.0 – best practices for mobile web design and development
- Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 – the definitive set of guidelines for building accessible content from the W3C’s Web Accessibility Initiative
- Relationship between Mobile Web Best Practices and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines – published by the W3C Web Accessibility Initiative this document highlights the cross over between the two sets of guidelines based on the barriers of disabled users experience on the web and limitations of mobile
- Barriers Common to Mobile Device Users and People with Disabilities – useful background information as to who is affected and how
- Widget Accessibility Best Practices – written by Steve Lee these look at building standards compliant cross platform widgets that are accessible.
- Mobile Website Guidelines – published by the University of Austin.
- Funka Mobile Accessibility Guidelines – published by Funka Nu
- Mobile Accessibility Checklist – Mozilla Developer Network
- Section 508 –
- The Twenty-First Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act – applicable in the USA
Android
- Designing for accessibility – Android Developers
- Accessibility: are you serving all your users – Android Developers
- Android Developers Accessibility Guide – Android Developers
- Accessibility Testing Checklist – Android Developers
- Building Accessibility Services – Android Developers
- Accessibility Developer Checklist – Android Developers
- Google Eyes-Free project – information on installing Talkback and the Eyes
Blackberry
- Best practices designing accessible applications – published by the Blackberry Developer Centre
iOS (iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch)
- Accessibility programming guide for iOS – Apple accessibility
- Accessibility verification on iOS – Apple accessibility
- Designing for iOS – Apple accessibility
- Accessibility for iPhone and iPad apps – by Matt Gemmell this is a easier to digest reference for building accessible apps than the Apple documentation
- iPad usability studies– two studies published over two years by Jakob Neilson
Nokia and Symbian
- User experience checklist for touch (PDF – new window) – published by Nokia
- User experience checklist for keypad (PDF – new window) – published by Nokia
Windows mobile
- Design guidelines for Windows Mobile – published by Microsoft and also covers usability, navigation, controls and text guidelines
- Accessibility and Ergonomic Guidelines – for Windows Mobile published by Microsoft
This is such a great list Henny, thanks for putting it together and sharing it with us all.
This is fantastic, thanks!
L
Henny, this is fantastic. I’ve been trawling through the web and pumping all my contacts for knowledge on this subject area so it’s wonderful to find all this information all in one place. You are, as always, a legend!!
Thanks
Katja
Thanks for this Henny.
You’ve just saved me hours of Googling!
Cheers!
This is awesome!! Thanks Henny …
Thanks Henny, I added this to our wiki page too.
Nice one Steve, thanks.
Very nice list Henny i think that mobile technology is the future for manyyyy years.
Many thanks Henny for a great resource of info
mobile is definitely the future of e business and ads
Thanks for this, Henny.
W3C WAI just posted updated information about mobile accessibility at: http://www.w3.org/WAI/mobile/
Thanks Shawn, the post lists guidelines rather than general resources but I wanted to get it in so have added it to the introduction – really useful resources. Thank you.
Thanks for this awesome list of resources Henny. Awesome work there.
Just a few little points.
I have been trying to find more inclusive plugins and features for WordPress and noticed your comment form is the standard one from WordPress. You might be interested to know that there are a few form building WP Plugins that are better and being accessible, like GravityForms.
Which ones have you had a hand in writing?
Fantastic job , very nice listing!
Thanks for this list! It’s really helpful to me!
On my search I additionally found the BBC Mobile Accessibility Standards and Guidelines:
Perhaps it would be another link to add.
The Funka Nu guidelines now moved to this page:
Argh, sry i screwed up the HTML-Tag in the last post, it should be:
BBC Mobile Accessibility Standards and Guidelines:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/futuremedia/accessibility/mobile_access.shtml
New Link to Funka Nu Guidelines:
http://www.funkanu.com/en/Our-Expertise/Research-projects/Arkiv-Forskningsrapporter-och-fortroendeuppdrag/Mobile-accessibility-guidelines1/
I know this if offf topic butt I’m looking into starting my own weblog and
was curious what all is required to get setup? I’m assuming
having a blog like yours would cost a pretty penny?
I’m not very internet savvy so I’m not 100% certain.
Any recommendations or advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you