Day 88

When to use semanticGroup containers

14 Aug 2022

Here's a few examples where Apple seems to use the semanticGroup accessibilityContainerType, other than for the tab bar and toolbar, to serve for inspiration on when it might be useful in your own apps.

Three examples where Apple seems to be configuring the semanticGroup type to the accessibilityContainerType property of a container view in some of its Apps. It causes for VoiceOver to announce the accessibility label of the container, before what it would normally announce for an element, only when the focus moves from outside to inside the container. First example is the Messages app. The bar with the apps is called Apps. Second example is the Reminders app. The editing options bar is called Quick Actions. Third example is the camera app. The bar with extra camera controls that is hidden by default is called Camera Controls.

Reminder that this configuration causes for VoiceOver to announce the accessibility label of the container view, before what it would normally announce for an element, only when the focus moves from outside to inside the container.

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Day 94

Make charts accessible with UIAccessibilityElement

Creating UIAccessibilityElements, combined with a semanticGroup accessibilityContainerType, can also help you make components as complex as charts accessible. Example from "Bring Accessibility to Charts" WWDC21: https://developer.apple.com/videos/play/wwdc2021/10122/

Day 109

SwiftUI contain mirrors semanticGroup

The equivalent of using a .semanticGroup accessibilityContainerType in UIKit, would be to use the .accessibilityElement(children: ) modifier with the .contain option in SwiftUI. Here's a refresher with some use-cases: https://x.com/dadederk/status/1558790851496742914

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Day 90

When to tweak button accessibility labels

Buttons with a title, use it as its default accessibility label. Most cases, that's just perfect. But there's a few times that you might want to tweak it. Maybe the image is part of what the button does, or the text in the title is not very clear.

accessibilityLabel iOS

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