About Accessibility Verification on iOS
By now, you’ve made your app accessible. But how can you be sure? You can test the accessibility by interacting with your app using the same screen-reading technology as the visually impaired. In this way, you replicate the accessible experience. You may even think of accessibility enhancements when you experience accessibility for yourself. You’ve already done the work, now see for yourself what the experience is like.
Continue reading to learn how to verify that your accessibility enhancements work as intended.
At a Glance
You can test for accessibility on a physical device and in iOS Simulator.
Learn How to Use VoiceOver
iOS ships with a screen-reading technology called VoiceOver. VoiceOver changes the way taps and swipes are interpreted by the system in order to augment usability for those who cannot see. Because VoiceOver lets you control your device in ways you’re not used to, learning how to use it may seem daunting. But all it takes is the right gestures and a few usability tips.
Learn How to Use Accessibility Inspector
A handy tool called Accessibility Inspector can help you debug a flawed accessibility implementation. Accessibility Inspector runs on your Mac inside iOS Simulator. After you enable the inspector, you can see the available information VoiceOver leverages.
This article assumes that you’ve already attempted to make your app accessible, as explained in the following documents:
Accessibility Programming Guide for iOS—Describes how custom views can enhance accessibility.
“Accessibility from the View Controller’s Perspective” in View Controller Programming Guide for iOS—Describes the view controller’s role of making an app accessible.
Apple provides the following material that you may find helpful when implementing accessibility:
Formulaic—Download the sample code project to see an accessible implementation in action.
WWDC 2012: Accessibility for iOS—Watch to learn best practices for working with VoiceOver and how to integrate accessibility into your app.