Day 141

Don't rely on color alone

6 Oct 2022

You should convey important information in multiple modes, not just color. If you are still required to do so, at the very least you should complement that info with other modes, like symbols, if the user requested differentiation without color.

There are some cards from the game UNO. In that game a user throws a card based on the number or color of the card played by the previous player. A game like this could check if shouldDifferentiateWithoutColor is on to add symbols to the cards. UNO has a version of the game that uses the color blind alphabet to represent each color.

Some of you have asked me how you can support what I do. This would really help, and would be hugely appreciated:

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    • A download and a review go a long way. They're free by default. On the App Store, ratings and reviews really help more people discover them.

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You may also find interesting...

It is not just about applying accessibility APIs, but about caring, and thinking of features that can make your app more accessible and inclusive to everyone. Twitter's alt-text feature is a great example. Thanks, @TwitterA11y! You'll be missed.

Make sure you support Dynamic Type up to the largest text size available. Take into account that there are five extra accessibility sizes available from the Accessibility Settings. It can make a huge difference for lots of users.

Today I want to share something I use a lot. You can convert any article into a “podcast” by enabling Speak Screen in Accessibility Settings, switching to Safari’s Reader Mode and swiping down with two fingers from the top of the screen. I think it is a good example of how if we all knew more about how to use the assistive tech available in iOS, we would find ourselves using more of them, more often, exemplifying quite well that accessibility benefits everyone.


Content © Daniel Devesa Derksen-Staats on Accessibility up to 11! is licensed under CC BY 4.0. License details