New W3C Guidance on Mobile Accessibility

Creating accessible digital services is essential to ensure that everyone, regardless of ability, can access information and functionality. The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has now released an updated supporting document, Accessibility Guidelines for Mobile, which offers practical advice on how to implement WCAG 2.2 in mobile interfaces.

Focus on Mobile-Specific Challenges

The new guidance highlights scenarios where usability and accessibility can be especially impacted on mobile devices, such as limited screen space, touch interaction, orientation changes, and varied usage environments. It provides both technology-neutral principles and actionable recommendations.

Topics covered include:

• Size and placement of touch targets
• Accessibility of gesture-based interactions
• Use of device motion (e.g., shaking or tilting) in an inclusive way
• Focus handling and keyboard navigation in mobile UIs
• Adaptation to different screen sizes and orientations

Practical Support for Applying WCAG 2.2

This document is not a standalone standard but serves as a complement to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, published in October 2023. Its aim is to support those designing or evaluating mobile apps and responsive websites, and to promote more consistent and inclusive design across platforms.

Funka Welcomes the Initiative

At Funka, we work daily with interpreting and implementing WCAG in real-world projects. This new guidance from W3C is a valuable resource that clarifies how accessibility can be strengthened in mobile environments, where the challenges often differ from desktop use.

We highly recommend this document to anyone involved in mobile development and accessibility requirements.

Read the full document here:

Accessibility Guidelines for Mobile (W3C Website, opens in new window)