Mobile Accessibility, Part 2: Mobile Native Accessibility Testing and Development

In this one day advanced mobile accessibility workshop attendees will learn Native Mobile Accessibility, How to Test Native Apps with TalkBack for Android and VoiceOver for iOS, Android Native Keyboard Accessibility Techniques, Accessibility Testing with Integrated Developer Environments Android Studio and Xcode, Mobile Simulator and On-Device Testing Techniques, Native Accessibility Testing Tools, and Advanced Native iOS and Android Accessibility APIs.

Workshop format is structured to focus specifically on Native iOS and Android apps. Designed to be the second full day advanced native workshop which will build off the first day introduction to mobile web accessibility workshop so attendees will be prepared to learn advanced accessibility testing and development for native only apps on day two.

Attendees should bring iOS and Android devices along with their laptops and headphones as there will be hands-on accessibility testing projects and group native app coding exercises using Android Studio and Xcode. Attendees who want to code both iOS and Android should have a macOS laptop with Xcode installed for iOS native apps and Android Studio for developing Android apps. Android Studio is available on Windows and macOS but Xcode is only available on macOS. Windows laptop users should have Android Studio installed.

There will be group accessibility testing and development projects to encourage collaboration and networking among attendees. Group projects will include testing native apps for accessibility problems, creating a simple report of issues, comparing test findings with group partners, brainstorming recommendations to fix native accessibility issues, and sharing results with the class to prompt discussion.

Please note that this class is only available in our training center in Austin, Texas or can be delivered virtually.

Groups Activities Will Include:

• Manual Native Mobile Accessibility Testing & Reporting Exercises
• Discussion & Development of Accessibility Remediation Solutions in Native Apps
• Exploration of Native Coding Environments, Automated Tools & Presentation of Pros/Cons
• Xcode and Android Studio Accessibility Testing & Development Exercises and Findings Presentation

Those who have been working in the field of accessibility testing for 5 years or longer and have a good understanding and knowledge of accessibility testing.

Five or more years of experience with accessibility testing.

Knowledge and skills learners will gain from the workshop:

• Learn Advanced Mobile Accessibility Testing techniques and development with Native iOS and Android Apps.
• Learn Native Accessibility APIs for Android and iOS and common code fixes for accessibility problems in your native apps.
• Learn differences in Native iOS vs Native Android accessibility testing and coding methods.
• Learn keyboard accessibility testing and development in Android and differences between keyboard accessibility of iOS vs Android Native apps.
• Learn how to test for accessibility in Xcode and Android Studio native coding development environments using built-in automated tools, mobile simulator, and on-device testing.
• Learn how to code simple native accessible examples in Android Studio or Xcode.

Introductions

• Name, Job Title, Something Specific You Want to Learn Today?

Testing Native iOS and Android Apps with Mobile Screen Readers

• Give Attendees Cheatsheets for iOS & Android
• VoiceOver for iOS
  • Gestures
  • Rotor
  • Keyboard (VO Keys, Quick Nav, Single-Key Quick Nav)
  • Accessibility Shortcut (Triple-Click Home Button)
• TalkBack for Android
  • Explore by Touch
  • Gesture Commands
  • Global and Local Context Menus
  • Android Keyboard Accessibility Testing and Differences from iOS
  • Developer settings > Display speech output
  • High Contrast Text
  • Pause, Enable/Disable Talkback (Accessibility Shortcut)

Hands-On Testing Mobile Accessibility with Screen Readers Activity

• Give Attendees Mobile Accessibility QA Checklist

Native Accessibility in Android & iOS Overview

• Demo Accessibility Problems with Popular Native Apps like Weather Channel, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Demo iOS and Android Good & Bad Apps for Accessibility
• Pure Native vs. Hybrid vs. Web-view Apps

Native iOS App Accessibility

• UIAccessibility API (Label, Hint, Trait, etc.)
• Xcode Overview, Fixing Accessibility Issues in Interface Builder or Pure Code
• Common Native iOS Accessibility Problems & Solutions
  • Dynamic Type
• iOS Simulator Testing
• Accessibility Inspector showing Accessibility Tree
• VoiceOver On-Device Testing
• New Xcode 8 Accessibility Inspector Simulator and On-Device Testing
• Apple Watch Accessibility
• Apple TV Accessibility
• Advanced Accessibility Remediation Methods for iOS
• Coding Accessibility Examples for Native iOS in Xcode

Native Android App Accessibility

• Android Accessibility API Capabilities/Limitations/Version Numbers
• Android Studio
• Fixing Accessibility Issues in Design View, XML View, Java Code View
• Common Android Accessibility Problems & Solutions
• Android Lint Accessibility Errors & Solutions
• Automated Android Native Accessibility Testing On Device
• Automated Android Accessibility Testing in the Simulator
• Advanced Accessibility Remediation Methods for Android Native
• Coding Native Android Accessibility Examples in Android Studio

Hands-On Native iOS or Android Accessibility Testing of Popular Apps Activity

Summary Of What We Learned

• Hand-Outs
• Online Resources
• Future Communication/Collaboration

Live Testing of Audience Chosen Mobile Apps

• Attendees can suggest a native app to test or specific questions for live demo