This website collects cookies to deliver better user experience. Cookie Policy
Accept
Sign In
The Wall Street Publication
  • Home
  • Trending
  • U.S
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Markets
    • Personal Finance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Arts
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Reading: For Users With Disabilities, Paid Apps Lag Behind Free Ones in Accessibility
Share
The Wall Street PublicationThe Wall Street Publication
Font ResizerAa
Search
  • Home
  • Trending
  • U.S
  • World
  • Politics
  • Business
    • Business
    • Economy
    • Real Estate
    • Markets
    • Personal Finance
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
    • Lifestyle
    • Style
    • Arts
  • Health
  • Sports
  • Entertainment
Have an existing account? Sign In
Follow US
© 2024 The Wall Street Publication. All Rights Reserved.
The Wall Street Publication > Blog > Tech > For Users With Disabilities, Paid Apps Lag Behind Free Ones in Accessibility
Tech

For Users With Disabilities, Paid Apps Lag Behind Free Ones in Accessibility

Editorial Board Published December 20, 2021
Share
For Users With Disabilities, Paid Apps Lag Behind Free Ones in Accessibility
SHARE

Many of the most popular paid smartphone apps are less accessible to people with certain disabilities than top apps that are free to download, according to a new report.

Contents
Newsletter Sign-upWSJ | CMO Today

The digital agency Diamond, which builds accessible products for its clients, conducted manual and automated testing of 20 leading paid apps and 20 popular free apps in Apple’s App Store and in the Google Play Store as of October 2021.

Top free apps, which consist of bigger companies such as Meta Inc.’s Facebook and Instagram or Snap Inc.’s Snapchat, tend to include such accessibility features because they have more users providing feedback and greater resources to tackle problems, said Joe Devon, co-founder of Diamond, which is operated by StartupDevs Inc.

Screen readers, for instance, were able to help people use the core functions of 80% of leading free apps in Apple Inc.’s App Store, compared with 10% of paid ones, according to the report from Diamond. A screen reader is an assistive technology for people with vision disabilities that can read and speak text, images and buttons displayed on a screen.


Newsletter Sign-up

WSJ | CMO Today

CMO Today delivers the most important news of the day for media and marketing professionals.


Screen readers were effective for the main features of 65% of the biggest free Android apps on the Google Play Store, compared with 40% of paid ones, Diamond said.

Accessibility for digital products has become a growing area of interest for companies, particularly as the pandemic drove more people to conduct more of their activities online, advocates say. Businesses are creating positions with titles such as “head of accessibility” to help make sure their products work for people with disabilities.

Lawsuits alleging that websites, apps and digital videos were inaccessible have risen as well, prompting many companies to invest in accessibility checkers and services.

In its testing, Diamond also examined how challenging it would be for people with disabilities using screen readers to register, sign in and sign out of free apps. It ranked 65% percent of free App Store apps and 75% of Android apps as accessible, according to the report. Diamond didn’t include paid apps in that exercise because registering for them is subsumed into the purchase process in the Apple and Android app stores.

A final focus checked whether apps’ registration and home screens change orientation if users rotated their devices, enlarging the text in the process, and whether their images include alternative text, descriptions that screen readers use. These functions can aid those with disabilities or other limitations to understand what is being displayed on a screen.

Fifty-nine percent of free App Store apps passed that test, compared with 35% of paid ones, the report said. Sixty-two percent of free Android apps fared well in these tests, as opposed to 29% of paid ones.

An analysis of the Alexa top 100 websites, a service that measures traffic rankings from Amazon.com Inc., found that 62% were fully accessible, an increase from 40% in 2020 and 29% in 2019, Diamond said. This was the first time its report addressed the accessibility of apps.

Zoom Video Communications Inc. met the report’s criteria for accessibility testing across Apple’s iOS operating system, Android and on the web, Diamond said. The videoconferencing platform has also rolled out accessibility features that extend beyond screen reader capabilities, such as expanding automated captions to free accounts in October. The feature was previously restricted to paying customers or to users who requested it via a form.

DoorDash Inc. was another top-performing free mobile app for screen reader usability across iOS and Android, Diamond said. The delivery app accounts for accessibility in each new feature it introduces, said Rajat Shroff, vice president of product and design at the company.

When DoorDash rolled out contactless delivery during the pandemic and began sending customers photos that showed where drivers had left orders, for example, it included optional written descriptions for customers using screen readers, Mr. Shroff said.

DoorDash plans to add more automated accessibility testing in 2022, he added.

Many of the shortcomings cited in Diamond’s report will likely lessen over time as digital accessibility becomes a more familiar concept, said Samuel Proulx, accessibility evangelist at Fable Tech Labs Inc., an accessibility-testing platform.

Diversity and inclusion efforts are beginning to include accessibility as well, making the topic a bigger priority than in previous years, he said.

“People are coming to understand that accessibility is also part of diversity and it needs to be handled in the same way that you handle your other diversity efforts—that is, spread throughout your teams, integrated into your processes,” Mr. Proulx said.

Write to Ann-Marie Alcántara at [email protected]

Copyright ©2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8

TAGGED:Tech NewsWall Street Publication
Share This Article
Twitter Email Copy Link Print
Previous Article Companies Get Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate Reprieve as Legal Battle Continues Companies Get Covid-19 Vaccine Mandate Reprieve as Legal Battle Continues
Next Article Liberals irked by Manchin call for new Senate apportioned by population Liberals irked by Manchin call for new Senate apportioned by population

Editor's Pick

Brooke Hogan Written Out of Hulk’s Will (At Her Personal Request)

Brooke Hogan Written Out of Hulk’s Will (At Her Personal Request)

Studying Time: 3 minutes Brooke Hogan isn’t in her dad’s will, a brand new report reveals. Regardless of years of…

By Editorial Board 4 Min Read
A brand new elite member bank card is out as issuers goal rich prospects
A brand new elite member bank card is out as issuers goal rich prospects

A ‘Mornings with Maria’ panel offers their reactions to the December jobs…

5 Min Read
Workforce of rat-hunting terriers helps remedy Bay Space metropolis’s infestation drawback
Workforce of rat-hunting terriers helps remedy Bay Space metropolis’s infestation drawback

Recognized for his or her innate looking talents, these small furry pals…

3 Min Read

Oponion

Ali Wong’s Divorce Why She Calls It An ‘Unconventional’ Cut up

Ali Wong’s Divorce Why She Calls It An ‘Unconventional’ Cut up

Ali Wong finalized her divorce from Justin Hakuta earlier this…

October 8, 2024

Solely 2 GOP senators have an issue with Hegseth’s heinous historical past

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska,…

January 24, 2025

Microsoft Goes on Offensive in Europe to Combat Cloud Concerns

This copy is for your personal,…

July 12, 2022

30 Greatest Streetwear Manufacturers: Our High Picks In 2025 | Fashion

We independently consider all really useful…

March 18, 2025

The Wellness Tendencies You are About to See In every single place, Based on a Nutritionist

Welcome to 2025, the place wellness…

January 10, 2025

You Might Also Like

The Nintendo Change 2’s Largest Downside Is Already Storage
Tech

The Nintendo Change 2’s Largest Downside Is Already Storage

The Nintendo Change 2 is unbelievable—already a contender for the most important gaming {hardware} launch of 2025. I am nonetheless…

4 Min Read
Clear Your Mattress No Matter How Gross It Will get
Tech

Clear Your Mattress No Matter How Gross It Will get

It’s essential to know easy methods to clear your mattress. Not only for day-to-day cleanliness and hygiene, however let’s say…

4 Min Read
Preserve an Eye on Your Residence With Our Favourite Out of doors Safety Cameras
Tech

Preserve an Eye on Your Residence With Our Favourite Out of doors Safety Cameras

Evaluate These Safety CamerasBest MicroSD Playing cards{Photograph}: AmazonSome safety cameras help native storage, enabling you to file movies on the…

41 Min Read
Hold Tabs on Your Pets and Youngsters With the Finest Indoor Safety Cameras
Tech

Hold Tabs on Your Pets and Youngsters With the Finest Indoor Safety Cameras

Examine Indoor CamerasBest MicroSD Playing cards{Photograph}: AmazonMany safety cameras assist native storage, enabling you to document movies on the digicam…

21 Min Read
The Wall Street Publication

About Us

The Wall Street Publication, a distinguished part of the Enspirers News Group, stands as a beacon of excellence in journalism. Committed to delivering unfiltered global news, we pride ourselves on our trusted coverage of Politics, Business, Technology, and more.

Company

  • About Us
  • Newsroom Policies & Standards
  • Diversity & Inclusion
  • Careers
  • Media & Community Relations
  • WP Creative Group
  • Accessibility Statement

Contact

  • Contact Us
  • Contact Customer Care
  • Advertise
  • Licensing & Syndication
  • Request a Correction
  • Contact the Newsroom
  • Send a News Tip
  • Report a Vulnerability

Term of Use

  • Digital Products Terms of Sale
  • Terms of Service
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Settings
  • Submissions & Discussion Policy
  • RSS Terms of Service
  • Ad Choices

© 2024 The Wall Street Publication. All Rights Reserved.

Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Lost your password?