Can Your App Handle Accessibility Issues? Here’s How We Did It

Still not sure if accessibility is a must-have for your app? Let us share a real story that might change your mind.

 

Spoiler: A client came to us with a big problem: iOS accessibility issues. Their food delivery app didn’t include accessibility features, which got them into legal trouble. They had to make the app available to everyone quickly to avoid a huge fine.

 

So, what happened next? We stepped in, helped fix the issue, and turned things around for them.

 

But let’s break it down properly.

 

Here’s what awaits you:

 

• Why ignoring accessibility is a bad idea
• An instructive story that will leave no doubt about the importance of accessibility
• How adding features like VoiceOver can actually improve your app

And yes, this story is based on a real project we worked on. Curious? Let’s dive in!

 

Why Accessibility in Apps Matters

A quick explanation to make sure we’re on the same page:

 

Accessibility in mobile apps is about providing an inclusive and convenient experience for everyone. It’s about adding features like:

 

• screen readers,
• voice commands,
• and support for assistive devices

 

to ensure no one is left out.

 

"Accessibility isn’t just about ticking a box. It’s about creating an inclusive experience for everyone."

 

Tetiana Kolesnyk, iOS developer at Onix

 

So, why does accessibility matter? Let’s start with the essentials.

 

Here are the stats and numbers that are hard to ignore:

 

World Health Organization states that more than 1 billion people worldwide experience some form of disability. That's 16% of the world's population or 1 in 6 of us.

 

As per the CDC, in the U.S.:

 

• 28.7% of adults have a disability
• 7.7% of adults have limited opportunities for independent living
• 5.5% have a visual impairment in the form of blindness or serious vision problems, even with glasses

 

Read also: Top 8 Mobile App Development Trends to Look for in 2025

 

And here are some significant reasons for business:

 

Compliance with regulations

Accessibility is often a legal requirement. 

 

Focusing on accessibility can help you expand into new markets, ensure your app meets standards, and set the stage for greater success.

 

Many regions and countries have adopted stricter accessibility laws.

 

Here are some of them:

 

• Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
• The European Accessibility Act (EAA)
• Canada’s Accessible Canada Act

 

Enhanced user experience

Solving iOS accessibility issues often results in a better experience for everyone, not just people with disabilities.

 

Features like:

 

• larger buttons
• intuitive navigation
• voice commands

 

can come in handy for users in different contexts, such as multitasking or in environments where touch interaction isn't practical.

 

Expanding the user base

By making your app accessible, you open doors to millions of potential users that may have been closed before. An inclusive and comprehensive design ensures that everyone can navigate your app without hassle, regardless of ability.

 

This expands your audience and fosters loyalty among users who value inclusive practices.

 

So, what does this all tell us? A quote from our expert sums it up perfectly.

 

“Accessibility is not about only meeting legal requirements. You build an app that is welcoming and user-friendly. It's a win-win for your users and your business.”

 

Denys Senichkin, Head of the iOS department at Onix

 

What Happens If You Ignore Accessibility

Unfortunately, some companies choose to ignore accessibility, and that decision often has serious consequences.

 

Here are some of them:

 

Legal risks and penalties for non-compliance

Legal risk is the first and most obvious consequence. This is exactly what happened with our client.

 

Non-compliance can result in:

 

• lawsuits
• fines
• damage to your brand’s image.

 

In 2024, more than 4,000 ADA lawsuits related to digital property were filed. Over 40% of all cases involved companies the plaintiffs had already sued. Among them are lawsuits related to unresolved accessibility issues.

 

Exclusion of potential users

When you have mobile apps accessibility issues, you’re excluding a significant portion of the population, who could be valuable users. These iOS accessibility issues limit your reach and send the message that inclusivity is not a priority, which can turn off users beyond just those with disabilities.

 

Damage to brand reputation and user trust

Word spreads fast about accessibility challenges in mobile apps, lawsuits, or practices that exclude people, and that kind of negative buzz can damage how the public sees your brand. These days, people expect companies to care about inclusivity and make it a priority.

 

Missed revenue opportunities

By excluding users with disabilities, you’re potentially missing out on billions in revenue. 

 

Accenture research shows that companies that are leaders in disability inclusion reap significant financial benefits compared to their peers.

 

In particular, these companies have:

 

• 1.6x more revenue
• 2.6 times more net income
• 2x more economic profit 
• 25% more likely to outperform on productivity.

 

As you can see, the consequences are no joke, and the cost of fixing accessibility challenges in iOS mobile apps can be pretty impressive.

 

So, how do these consequences look in action?

 

Let's go back to our client’s story to see how these challenges were faced and how we found the right solutions for accessibility issues in iOS apps.

 

The Background Story

Here’s how our cooperation with the client began:

 

Our client faced a serious problem: his app lacked accessibility features, which put them in legal trouble.

 

Apps are required to be accessible to everyone, and their app didn’t meet those standards. To avoid a hefty fine, the court gave the client a strict deadline to implement accessibility features.

 

That’s where Onix stepped in. We took on the challenge of making the app fully accessible, ensuring it met all regulations and became inclusive for all users.

 

Onix's specialists worked on an iOS food delivery app as part of an outstaffing arrangement.

 

How Onix Helped Our Client to Solve iOS Accessibility Problems

Finally, it’s time to get to the heart of the matter: how we solved it.

 

When our client reached us with common iOS accessibility issues, we were tasked with making his app accessible and compliant.

 

Our primary solution was configuring VoiceOver, the powerful screen reader built into iOS.

 

Below, we discuss the why, the how, the technical details behind it, and the results we achieved.

 

Why we focused on VoiceOver

Let's first clarify:

 

VoiceOver is a gesture-based screen reader that allows people to experience the interface on their devices without looking at the screen.

 

While VoiceOver is vital for visually impaired users, it’s not exclusively for such users. For example, you can use VoiceOver while traveling to avoid screen movement.

 

We chose VoiceOver because:

 

• It’s built directly into iOS, ensuring smooth configuration and compatibility
• It supports various accessibility needs, including gesture-based navigation and spoken feedback for on-screen elements
• It’s widely used, meaning many people are already familiar with it, reducing learning curves

 

However, VoiceOver requires well-structured elements with clear labels and hints to run smoothly. Without them, the app's interface can be confusing or unusable for users who rely on screen readers.

 

That's exactly what we worked on.

 

What we did to configure VoiceOver

 

• Added accessibility labels and hints

Accessibility labels are concise descriptions of interface elements, such as buttons, titles, and icons. We ensured every relevant element in the app had a meaningful label. 

 

For example:

 

• A “Search” button was labeled as “Search for restaurants or dishes”
• A title displaying a restaurant name included a hint like “Double-tap to view restaurant details”

 

These labels and hints help VoiceOver convey the purpose and functionality of each element, creating a smoother user experience.

 

• Enhanced navigation flow

We've improved the app's navigation so that users who rely on VoiceOver can navigate the app easily and intuitively.

 

This involved:

 

• Hierarchical structure of interface elements
• Defining focusable elements in the correct order so that users could swipe through them naturally

Read also: Cost to Design a Mobile App

 

• Tested dynamic content updates

The app contains dynamic content, such as restaurant listings or the availability of dishes that change in real time.

 

We used UIAccessibilityPostNotification, an accessibility API in iOS, to notify VoiceOver when content is updated, ensuring that users are always informed of changes.

 

That's how VoiceOver works when a user navigates our client’s app:

 

• Touch-based feedback: When the user touches an element, VoiceOver reads its label aloud.
• Gestures for interaction: Swiping left or right moves the focus between elements, while double-tapping activates the selected element.
• Contextual hints: Accessibility hints provide additional guidance, such as explaining what will happen after activating an element.
• Auditory feedback: Users receive voice feedback on actions such as adding items to a cart or confirming an order.

 

Technical details behind VoiceOver implementation

Using the UIAccessibility API, our developers have effectively configured VoiceOver with the client's iOS app.

 

Our main steps include:

 

Adding custom accessibility properties

Our specialists defined and customized how the app’s interface elements should behave and how assistive technologies perceive and interact with them.

 

To do this, they used modifiers like:

 

• accessibilityLabel enables a voice description for elements
• accessibilityHint provides additional context or instructions for using an element
• accessibilityTraits tells the system how to classify an element
• accessibilityHidden indicates whether assistive technologies like VoiceOver should ignore a UI element
• accessibilityValue provides additional information about an element's current state or value, like sliders, progress bars, or text fields.

 

Make custom UI components accessible.

Sometimes, custom UI components in an app don't work well with VoiceOver right after installation. To fix this, we customized everything to ensure these components were accessible to everyone. 

 

Here’s how we did it, step by step:

 

1.Turning accessibility on

First, we ensured that every custom component could "talk" to VoiceOver. To do this, we enabled isAccessibilityElement for each element we wanted VoiceOver to notice.

 

By adding the accessibility label, we gave VoiceOver something to read aloud.

 

For example, how it looks with a "Confirm Order" button:

 

Label: "Confirm Order"
Hint: "Tapping this button will complete your order."

 

That way, users would know exactly what the button did.

 

2. Keeping things simple for complex components

Some custom UI elements, like charts or grouped buttons, can confuse VoiceOver by focusing on each tiny part instead of the whole. We fixed this by grouping related parts so that VoiceOver treats them as one.

 

For example:

The date picker bar became a single clean element for VoiceOver instead of a pile of labels and buttons.

 

3. Guiding focus where it’s needed

When a new popup or notification appears, we don't leave VoiceOver users guessing where to look. Using a bit of magic (UIAccessibility.post(notification: .layoutChanged)), we shifted the focus to the most crucial element.

 

For example:

When a confirmation dialog appeared, VoiceOver immediately jumped to the "Confirm" button so users didn't have to search for it.

 

4. Managing focus for dynamic components

Some components, such as sliders or progress bars, change when users interact with them. We've added real-time updates so VoiceOver can read them.

 

For example:

A volume slider now says something like, "Volume set to 70%," as it moves. No more guessing!

 

Testing custom accessibility features

Custom accessibility implementations require extensive testing to make sure they work flawlessly.

 

Here's a quick overview of how we hold mobile accessibility testing:

 

• VoiceOver Testing. We enabled VoiceOver on physical iOS devices to navigate and interact with custom components.
• Accessibility Inspector in Xcode. This tool helped catch anything we missed.

 

Technologies Behind The App

To make the app fully accessible and compliant, we relied on proven iOS technologies, tools, and accessibility APIs built into iOS.

 

Tools and technologies we used:

 

 

Read also: The Best Tech Stack for Mobile App Development in 2025

 

Results We Achieved

Thanks to these efforts, the app is now fully accessible and inclusive. Users can easily navigate the app, place orders, and interact with it without any hindrance.

 

As for our client, he:

 

• successfully avoided legal issues,
• expanded their user base,
• and demonstrated his commitment to inclusivity.

 

This success story is a great example of how thoughtful design and tools like VoiceOver can transform mobile apps accessibility issues into an opportunity, making your app more inclusive and compliant.

 

If you're in the process of developing an app or have already encountered mobile app accessibility issues, now is the perfect time to take action.

 

And the good news? We're here to help you do just that!

 

FAQs

 

What are some quick wins for improving iOS app accessibility?

 

1. Enable VoiceOver support and test your app using it.
2. Add meaningful accessibilityLabels and accessibilityHints to UI elements.
3. Ensure proper contrast ratios for text and background colors.
4. Use larger, tappable UI elements.

 

How can I test my app for accessibility?

 

1. Use iOS’s built-in Accessibility Inspector.
2. Test with VoiceOver enabled on an actual device.
3. Leverage automated tools like Xcode’s Accessibility Audit.
4. Collect feedback from users with disabilities.

 

How long does it take to add accessibility features to an existing app?

It depends on the app’s complexity and current state, but adding basic accessibility can take a few days or weeks. Comprehensive accessibility configuration might require several months.

 

How can Onix help improve the accessibility of my iOS app?

Onix can help improve your iOS app's accessibility by configuring features like VoiceOver support, accessibility labels, hints, and custom accessibility features. We also ensure compatibility with assistive technologies and provide color contrast improvements, dynamic type support, and more.