RE: iOS Accessibility Settings ~ auto-magically compliant?

I agree with Sean’s comments. With regard to the first point, WCAG allows you to use colours with insufficient contrast as long as you also provide some sort of style switcher that allows users to select a view with sufficient contrast. However, WCAG states that the style switcher must be built into the website (or mobile app in this case) so you cannot rely on features that may or may not be provided by the operating system.

With regard to custom components, the lack of native radio buttons and checkboxes means you have little choice. The native switch component is not an adequate replacement for a checkbox in many cases, and a native combobox is not usually a good replacement for a radio button set. I just don’t understand why Apple won’t give us the native components we need.

I am sure I recently read that it is possible to link custom components to the accessibility settings, but I can’t find that article now.

If a person or organization complains about the accessibility of a native iOS item, it doesn’t necessarily mean there is anything wrong with it or that they have a valid claim. In the UK, the law only requires you to take “reasonable measures” to ensure you do not discriminate on grounds of disability, and only a court can decide what is and is not reasonable. In other countries the law is written differently. As far as I can tell, it’s a complete lottery in the US, with different courts handing down opposite judgements on identical facts.

Steve Green
Managing Director
Test Partners Ltd


From: Sean Murphy (seanmmur) <seanmmur@cisco.com>
Sent: 17 September 2019 09:38
To: caroline <woodward.caroline@gmail.com>; w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject: RE: iOS Accessibility Settings ~ auto-magically compliant?

My personal comments:


  *   Does iOS's Accessibility Settings, excuse designers and developers from ensuring that the default view is accessible?

No. as not all uses will use the accessibility features of iOS. If someone has colour blindness, then colour contrast still applies for example.


  *   What is your view on custom components, is it bad that they aren't connected to the suite of iOS Accessibility Settings?

This is the ownership of the developer and vendor. The better question as I see it, is the pre-built objects for UI interaction on the iOS platform extensive or flexible enough to support developers and designers requirements. At the same time holding to the Apple Accessibility Protocol. What is missing forcing developers to create custom UI widgets. The developer community should be placing pressure on the relevant vendors development libraries to include the missing bits as feature improvements. In the long run, this will make everyone’s lives easier. As the vendor will not have to recreate the wheel.


  *   If a person or organization complains about the accessibility of an iOS item that is a native iOS item. Who is at fault? (This one is more of a legal question and my brain immediately thought of Winn-Dixie when I was added this..)

Country dependent this one. In Australia I would say the company who is selling it or providing it. In the USA it would be similar. I have heard of someone taking the company and developer through the courts. I believe they did win. This was in the USA.

For example:
Can designers now choose text colors that don't meet contrast requirements?
Is it ok that the native iOS switch is not contrast compliant because iOS Accessibility Settings has a switch that enables the appearance of a visible label?

At the moment, I'm asking for custom radio buttons and checkboxes. I was informed by the iOS mobile dev team that their concern is that custom items are not associated with Apple's Accessibility Settings. Also if something were to happen I was asked wouldn't that be more of the fault of Apple for not having a native radio button or checkbox? Again I keep thinking Winn-Dixie.



Remember, the standards cover all this and if they are not accessible custom or not. Then it is up to the vendor  to ensure it is. I would like to know why Apple hasn’t provided such controls in their standard library?


Cheers
Sean