Breaking Barriers: The Challenges of Accessibility in Mobile Application Development

Ensuring accessibility in today's digital landscape is crucial for including individuals with disabilities. Upcoming regulations, such as Sweden's 2025 law mandating WCAG 2.1 compliance, will require the tech industry to make significant adjustments, increasing the demand for effective accessibility tools and resources. This thesis examines the usability and effectiveness of current accessibility tools in mobile application development, focusing on the needs of users with disabilities. The thesis evaluates the digital development company App Shack's practices in integrating accessibility with the use of manual and automated testing. Furthermore, the thesis identifies gaps and provides recommendations for improvement. The lack of sufficient tools and resources presents a major obstacle for the tech industry in meeting accessibility standards. Without comprehensive automated solutions covering all WCAG 2.1 guidelines, companies face a challenging situation. They must either invest in manual testing or rely on incomplete automated assessments, each with its own limitations. As the demands and requirements for accessibility compliance grow stricter, the lack of effective tools increases the challenge. Companies are left with limited choices: either invest in expensive external expertise or use internal resources to bridge the gap. App Shack's approach to accessibility highlights the need for standardized processes and better resource utilization. With new legal requirements, App Shack can adopt a systematic approach to enhance their accessibility efforts, benefiting projects and clients. By improving processes and leveraging existing awareness, App Shack can better navigate accessibility challenges and demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity.