As we step into 2024, the digital world continues to evolve, bringing new challenges and opportunities in mobile app development, particularly in ensuring accessibility for all users. An estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability worldwide, and the number of global smartphone users in 2024 was estimated at 4.74 billion.
With the growing number of smartphone users and almost 20% of the population considered disabled, accessibility testing in mobile apps is gaining paramount importance. Let’s explore the latest trends shaping the future of mobile app accessibility testing in 2024.
What is Accessibility Testing?
Accessibility in mobile app development is the practice of making apps usable for everyone, including people with disabilities. It’s about ensuring that all users, regardless of their physical or cognitive abilities, can easily access, understand, and navigate mobile apps. This commitment to inclusivity enhances user experience and broadens the user base, tapping into a market that values and requires accessible digital products.
Mobile app testing is a huge part of ensuring accessibility. Straits Research reports that the global accessibility testing market is expected to reach $606.46 million by 2027, showcasing just how vital accessibility testing has become.
What are Accessibility Guidelines?
Adhering to established guidelines like the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is the foundation of mobile app accessibility. These guidelines provide a framework for creating digital content accessible to people with a range of disabilities, covering aspects like visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive impairments. They emphasize the need for apps to be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust (POUR).
While the WCAG was originally created for web accessibility, it has also released a set of guidelines specifically for mobile app accessibility. These guidelines cover accessibility features related to screen sizes, magnification, keyboard controls, and more.
What are the Trending Topics in Accessibility Testing?
The landscape of accessibility testing is dynamic, with several key trends emerging in 2024 that developers and QA testers should be aware of.
1. Testing Powered by AI and Machine Learning
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) are revolutionizing accessibility testing by providing advanced tools to predict, learn, and adapt. Developers and testers can use these technologies to develop more sophisticated testing tools that can automatically identify accessibility issues, suggest solutions, and even learn from each testing cycle to improve future tests.
AI-powered testing tools can detect app accessibility issues like missing alt text, low color contrast, improper text size, inadequate button sizes and spacing, and more.
2. Automated Testing for Accessibility
In Gartner’s 2023 State of Digital Accessibility Report, 69% of respondents indicate that they lack adequate time to address accessibility issues. Adopting automated testing for accessibility is becoming increasingly prevalent, allowing teams to save time and efficiently identify and rectify accessibility issues.
Automated testing tools can scan apps against WCAG criteria and other accessibility standards, providing comprehensive reports highlighting improvement areas. This trend significantly speeds up the testing process and ensures that accessibility considerations are integrated throughout the app development lifecycle.
Automated tests can’t detect every accessibility issue, but it can catch issues such as:
- Missing alt text for images
- Missing labels on form inputs
- Improper heading structure
- Missing or unclear errors described to the user
- Indistinguishable buttons and links
3. Integration of Screen Reader Technology
Screen readers are essential tools for users with visual impairments, translating on-screen information into speech or braille. Integrating screen reader technology into accessibility testing ensures that apps are navigable and usable for users relying on these assistive technologies. Testing with screen readers allows developers to experience their apps from the perspective of users with visual impairments, ensuring that their apps are genuinely accessible.
Apple and Android provide screen reader technology used to navigate smartphones and mobile apps. To test your app’s accessibility, turn on VoiceOver (iOS) or TalkBack (Android) and navigate through your app to reveal any UI element accessibility issues.
4. Testing Accessibility in Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR)
The number of AR and VR market users is expected to reach 3,674 million users worldwide by 2028. As VR and AR technologies become more integrated into mobile apps and are adapted by more people, testing for accessibility in these immersive environments is crucial. This involves ensuring that VR and AR content is accessible to users with disabilities, including those with limited mobility or sensory impairments.
Developers are exploring ways to make VR and AR experiences more inclusive, such as providing alternative input methods and ensuring that content is perceivable in different modes. Use these strategies for testing accessibility in AR and VR:
- Screen Reader Compatibility: Explore how screen readers can be integrated or adapted for AR/VR environments.
- Adjustable Sensory Settings: Ensure that users can adjust sensory settings, like brightness or volume, and test for the presence of captions or audio descriptions for multimedia content.
- Motion Sickness and User Comfort: Test for factors that could contribute to motion sickness or discomfort.
- Alternative Interaction Methods: Test for the availability of alternative interaction methods, such as voice commands, adaptable controllers, or gaze-based navigation.
5. Accessibility Testing in CI/CD Pipelines
Integrating accessibility testing into Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipelines is a growing trend, coinciding with increased Agile and DevOps adaptation. This integration ensures that accessibility is a continuous focus throughout the development process, with automated tests running at every stage of the pipeline.
According to Gartner’s 2023 State of Digital Accessibility Report, 68% of respondents who rate their digital accessibility practices “highly developed,” and 56% of those who rate their practices “somewhat developed,” say their organization begins addressing accessibility in either planning or design. By catching and addressing accessibility issues early, developers can ensure that their apps remain accessible as they evolve.
6. Inclusive UX Design
Inclusive UX design is about creating app experiences that are accessible and meaningful for all users. This trend involves a user-centered approach to design, considering the diverse needs and preferences of users with disabilities. Inclusive design goes beyond compliance with standards, focusing on how users interact with apps in real life and ensuring that everyone can have a positive and productive experience. 2024 marks a significant phase in mobile app development, where accessibility testing is not just a regulatory requirement but a core aspect of creating inclusive digital experiences.
By embracing these trends, developers and QA testers can ensure their apps are not only accessible to a broader audience but also provide a more enriching and empowering experience for users with disabilities. As we move forward, the integration of advanced technologies and inclusive design principles in accessibility testing will continue to play a crucial role in shaping the future of mobile app development.
Wrapping Up: What’s Trending in Accessibility Testing for 2024?
2024 marks a significant phase in mobile app development, where accessibility testing is not just a regulatory requirement but a core aspect of creating inclusive digital experiences. By embracing these trends, developers and QA testers can ensure their apps are not only accessible to a broader audience but also provide a more enriching and empowering experience for users with disabilities. As we move forward, the integration of advanced technologies and inclusive design principles in accessibility testing will continue to play a crucial role in shaping the future of mobile app development.
