Barriers that are often overlooked

In her article, Jacoba Denker from the "Access for All" foundation sheds light on often overlooked barriers to using mobile apps. Various people with disabilities talk personally and concisely about the obstacles they encounter in their everyday lives.

The accessibility of websites and apps can be measured objectively on the basis of met and unmet WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) criteria. But behind these generalised criteria are individuals with different needs who want to use the technological applications in their day-to-day lives. The idea of this input is to give them a voice.

In our study, we don’t just intend to present figures, we also want to show what accessibility means in practice. With this in mind, we asked a number of those affected to tell us about their experiences with apps in everyday use. The responses show that the types of impairment and the resulting barriers are much more diverse than one might first assume.

Mirjam M.

Mirjam is deaf and has little vision. Using Braille is often so difficult for her that she relies on what remains of her vision.

Unfortunately, the accessibility with Braille is still so bad that I can’t use some apps at all. Navigation is tedious with some apps – you have to navigate through many elements until you finally get to where you want. Not all elements are labelled for readability using Braille. Some elements are not even selectable. Luckily, I still have some remaining vision. Without my remaining vision, I would be reliant on Braille and it would be very difficult. Carrying out a task using an app would take hours.

Mirjam M.

Marinus S.

Marinus has been deaf from birth. Attempting to contact customer service by telephone is rarely successful. That’s because connecting to a sign interpreter often takes so long that the other person thinks there’s no one on the phone.

In general, I’m quite satisfied with the accessibility of apps, but there’s still plenty that could be improved on for the future. Often things with AI don’t work well, and callbacks are difficult because it takes too long to connect via the interpreter.

Marinus S.

Chiara B.

Chiara suffers from post-burnout depression.

For me, most apps work pretty well. I’m very happy that I can use all the apps I want. I find it annoying if there is too much irrelevant information on one page, or if it is arranged illogically.

Chiara B.

Rita H.

Because of her schizotypy, Rita finds it difficult to distinguish between which information is important and information which isn’t. Advertising may annoy us – but for Rita, it’s a hindrance.

It gets overwhelming for me, because my brain doesn’t have a “filter”. Changing the content of apps too often or updating content too quickly is a problem. When unnecessary advertisements and other things are constantly appearing and disappearing all the time, it makes me nervous. I wish there was ONE app for communication instead of several – I find that confusing.

Rita H.

Further statements from our anonymous survey:

  • A pensioner receiving invalidity insurance pointed out that an accessible shopping app should also include the option of ordering on account. As an invalidity insurance pensioner, he cannot apply for a credit card. What’s more, he states that he needed assistance just to complete the application for assistance.
  • A person who relies on an electric wheelchair uses a smartphone to control the TV, lights and house equipment. For that reason, the lock screen of their smartphone must remain permanently disabled. But this means apps like ‘Twint’ or ‘Postfinance’ refuse their service.

General observations:

  • People who are hard of hearing or deaf are dependent on written communication: if only a telephone number can be given for enquiries, this makes communication considerably more difficult.
  • Mental illness makes it difficult to concentrate, so advertisements or pop-up windows can be a source of distress for some people.
  • People with ADHD can also quickly lose track of a poorly structured app. A clear structure is essential for the way they process information.

Many sensory impairments such as blindness or deafness are relatively easy to understand. One area which is often overlooked in the context of accessibility is cognitive limitations. These are difficult for those not affected to understand, and accessible implementation often requires far-reaching adjustments for this stakeholder group – and that includes with regard to content. As shown by the examples, sometimes it is details such as a delayed connection to the sign interpretation service or a disabled lock screen that cause unexpected hurdles. Precisely because the range of possible hurdles is so broad, agencies and app development professionals should not rely solely on guidelines and tests, and instead should closely involve the everyday expertise of those affected in the development phases. Not only will this promote the development of accessible apps suitable for everyday use, but it will also foster active inclusion.

About the author

Jacoba Denker is Junior Accessibility Consultant at the ‘Access for All’ Foundation. She is currently deepening her expertise in the field of accessibility with a Master’s degree specialising in ‘Accessible Communication’.

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