Top Developer Tips for Building ADA & WCAG Compliant Apps

In today’s world, accessibility is more important than ever. As technology keeps evolving, ensuring your mobile or web app is accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities, is a must. It’s not just about doing the right thing; it’s also about expanding your audience and avoiding potential legal issues. Apps that aren’t accessible can exclude a large group of users and even run into legal trouble down the road.

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) lay out clear guidelines to help developers create apps that anyone can use. These standards cover everything from ensuring your app works with screen readers to ensuring it’s easy to navigate with a keyboard, no matter what a user’s abilities are. Below, we’ll go over some essential tips for building ADA & WCAG-compliant apps that everyone can enjoy.

What Is ADA & WCAG Compliance?

ADA and WCAG compliance are all about making sure websites and apps are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. It’s about creating digital experiences that don’t leave anyone out. ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) is a U.S. law that protects people with disabilities from discrimination in many areas of life, including digital services. While it doesn’t spell out exact rules for websites or apps, courts and organizations often look to WCAG as the go-to standard for meeting ADA requirements online.

WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) is a set of recommendations created by the W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) to help make digital content more accessible. These guidelines are built around four core ideas: content should be perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. That means everything from readable text and voiceover support to simple navigation and strong color contrast. In simple terms, ADA sets the legal expectation, and WCAG tells you how to meet it. Following both helps you build apps that work for everyone, no matter their abilities.

How to Build an ADA & WCAG Compliant App

Creating an accessible app doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By following a few key practices and keeping users with different abilities in mind from the start, you can build an app that’s both inclusive and compliant. Here’s how to do it: 

1. Understand the Importance of Accessibility

Before getting into the technical stuff, it’s important to understand why accessibility matters. The ADA says that businesses need to make sure their services, including mobile apps and websites, are usable by people with disabilities. To help with that, the WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines), created by the W3C, lays out clear steps for making digital content more accessible. 

Adding accessibility features isn’t just about staying on the right side of the law, it’s about building apps that everyone can use and enjoy. When your app is more inclusive, it naturally offers a better experience for all kinds of users.

2. Follow WCAG 2.1 Guidelines

The WCAG 2.1 guidelines are centered around four main principles: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust, often referred to as POUR. These principles help developers create apps that are more accessible to everyone, including users with disabilities. Whether you’re building a web or mobile app, keeping POUR in mind makes a big difference in how inclusive and user-friendly your product is. Here’s what each one means in practice:

• Perceivable

Users need to be able to see or hear what’s on the screen, or have a way to access it in a way that works for them. This could mean providing alt text for images, captions for videos, or making sure your app works well with screen readers. Use high color contrast, scalable text, and avoid relying on color alone to show important info. If users can’t perceive the content, they can’t use your app, it’s that simple.

• Operable

Your app should work for everyone, no matter how they navigate. That means making sure it can be fully used with a keyboard, screen reader, voice commands, or even eye-tracking tech. Interactive elements like buttons and forms should be easy to find, use, and activate. Also, avoid things like flashing animations or time limits that might make it harder for some users to interact comfortably.

• Understandable

Everything in your app, from the layout to the wording, should be easy to follow. Keep your language simple and clear, and make sure your design feels intuitive. Users shouldn’t have to guess where to click or how to navigate. Consistent navigation is key, so they know exactly where they are and how to get where they want to go. Label your forms clearly, and use descriptive button text instead of vague phrases like “Click Here.” If something goes wrong, provide helpful error messages that explain what happened and how to fix it. Basically, your app should feel straightforward, not overwhelming or hard to figure out.

• Robust

Your app should be built to last and work smoothly across all kinds of devices, platforms, and assistive technologies. This means making sure it works not just on the latest gadgets, but also on older systems and with all types of tech. Stick to clean, organized code and proper markup so your content can be read and understood correctly by screen readers, voice commands, and other accessibility tools. A robust app isn’t going to break when a browser updates or when a new accessibility device comes out. It keeps running smoothly for everyone, no matter how technology changes.  

3. Use Semantic HTML and ARIA Roles

If you’re building a web app, using semantic HTML is a must for accessibility. Tags like <header>, <footer>, <main>, and <nav> give context to screen readers and other assistive tech, helping them understand the structure of your app. If your app depends a lot on JavaScript, adding ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) roles can really improve accessibility, especially for dynamic content. 

ARIA helps define things like roles, states, and properties for elements that might not be accessible by default. For mobile apps, make sure your UI elements are labeled properly with accessibility hints. Both Android and iOS have strong accessibility frameworks, like TalkBack for Android and VoiceOver for iOS, which work best when your app has a clear, semantic structure.

4. Test Your App with Assistive Technologies

Testing your app with assistive technologies is super important to make sure it’s actually accessible. Tools like JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver (for iOS), and TalkBack (for Android) are essential for checking if all your text content and interactive elements are being read aloud clearly. It’s not just about getting things to work; it’s about making sure users who rely on screen readers can easily navigate and understand your app. 

Also, don’t forget to test with keyboard-only navigation. This is key for users who can’t use a mouse or touchscreen, ensuring they can interact with everything in your app, from buttons to forms. The more you test with these tools, the earlier you can catch any issues and fix them, making sure your app is ready to go live without accessibility hiccups. 

5. Implement Keyboard Accessibility

Keyboard accessibility is a must for users with mobility impairments who can’t use a mouse or touch-based input. To ensure your app is truly accessible, all interactive elements, like buttons, forms, and menus, need to be navigable using just a keyboard. This makes it easier for users to interact with your app, regardless of their physical abilities. Here are a few key considerations for keyboard accessibility:

• Tab Order

Tab order is all about making sure users can navigate through your app’s interactive elements in a logical, easy-to-follow way using the “Tab” key. For example, if someone’s filling out a form, they should be able to tab through the fields in the same order they’d naturally read them. Keeping the tab order clear and intuitive helps users feel more comfortable and less frustrated while navigating your app.

• Focus Visibility

Focus visibility is super important for helping users know where they are when navigating with the keyboard. This means there should be a clear visual indicator, like a border, outline, or color change, around buttons, links, and form fields so users can always see which element is focused. Without it, users might lose track of where they are, making navigation confusing. Clear focus visibility makes the app feel more user-friendly and accessible.

• Accessible Forms

When it comes to forms, making them accessible is a game-changer for keyboard users. Ensure each form field is clearly labeled so users know what info to enter. They should be able to navigate easily through the form using the “Tab” key, and all the controls, like checkboxes or radio buttons, should be keyboard-friendly too. Don’t forget to offer helpful instructions or error messages if something goes wrong. Accessible forms make it easier for everyone to complete tasks, no matter how they’re interacting with your app.

6. Ensure Color Contrast and Text Resizing

Color contrast is a big deal for users with low vision or color blindness. To make sure your text is easy to read, ensure there’s enough contrast between the text and the background. The WCAG recommends a contrast ratio of at least 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for larger text, so it’s clear and readable for all users.

But that’s not all. It’s also super important to make sure your app lets users resize the text if they need to. Some people may prefer larger text to read more comfortably, so your app should be able to handle that without losing any functionality or readability. When users increase the text size, the layout should adjust smoothly, ensuring that everything stays accessible and easy to use. 

7. Provide Text Alternatives for Non-Text Content

Not all users can see images, videos, or other non-text content, so it’s important to provide text alternatives. For images, that means adding alt text that describes what’s in the picture, so screen readers can read it aloud to users who can’t see it. For videos, you’ll want to offer captions or transcripts to explain both the dialogue and any important visuals. 

Don’t forget about buttons and icons; make sure they have clear ARIA labels (HTML attributes used to provide accessible names for elements) so users know what they do. By providing text alternatives, you make sure your app is accessible to everyone, regardless of how they’re interacting with it. It’s all about creating an inclusive experience where everyone can access the same content and features.

8. Design for Easy Navigation and Consistency

A clear and predictable navigation structure is key for users with cognitive disabilities, like those with ADHD or learning disabilities. These users may struggle with complicated or inconsistent layouts, so it’s important to keep things simple and familiar. Use consistent design patterns, labels, and menus across your app, so users can easily find what they’re looking for without getting lost or frustrated. 

Make sure labels are clear and descriptive, and avoid adding too much unnecessary information that could overwhelm them. With well-organized content, simple headings, and an intuitive flow, you’ll help users stay focused on what they need to do, instead of getting caught up in how to use the app. Ultimately, the goal is to make your app feel easy to use and accessible for everyone, no matter their cognitive abilities. 

9. Make Error Messages Clear and Helpful

Users with disabilities can sometimes have a tough time with forms or other interactive elements, especially when something goes wrong. That’s why it’s important to make your error messages clear and specific. Let users know exactly what the issue is and guide them on how to fix it. For example, if they forget to fill out a required field, the error message should tell them which field is missing and explain how to correct it. 

The message should be easy to spot, and if you can, highlight the part of the form that needs attention. For more complex issues, break down the solution into simple steps. Clear and helpful error messages make it much easier for everyone to complete their tasks, especially for users with disabilities, without feeling frustrated or stuck. 

10. Continuously Update and Improve Accessibility

Accessibility isn’t a one-time thing, it’s something you need to keep working on. As you update your app or add new features, it’s important to keep checking and improving accessibility. Don’t just set it and forget it; regularly test your app to make sure it still complies with WCAG and ADA guidelines. 

Accessibility standards evolve, so stay up to date with any changes and best practices. By doing regular checks and making improvements as needed, you’ll keep your app accessible for everyone, no matter how things change. It’s all about staying proactive and ensuring that your app remains easy to use for all users.

Building ADA & WCAG Compliant Apps With Nascenture

Building ADA & WCAG-compliant apps is not only about meeting legal requirements but also about creating a digital environment that is welcoming and inclusive for everyone. By following best practices, you can ensure that your app is accessible to all users, regardless of their abilities. Regular updates and continuous testing will help keep your app accessible and usable for everyone. 

If you’re looking for expert assistance, opt for mobile app development services to ensure your app is both functional and accessible to a wide range of users. When you prioritize accessibility, you’re not just improving user experience, you’re also making your app more inclusive and broadening its reach, ensuring that no one is left behind.