Accessibility CS Thinking Example 3

Follow the full solution, then compare it with the other examples linked below.

Example 3

medium
Evaluate the accessibility of a mobile app that has small touch targets (tiny buttons), no support for text resizing, and time-limited forms that auto-submit after 30 seconds. Suggest improvements.

Solution

  1. 1
    Step 1: Small touch targets: users with motor impairments struggle to tap them. Fix: minimum 44×44 pixel touch targets (Apple/Google guideline). No text resizing: users with low vision cannot enlarge text. Fix: support system font size settings.
  2. 2
    Step 2: Time-limited forms: users with cognitive or motor disabilities may need more time. Fix: allow users to extend or disable time limits. Each issue creates a barrier for specific disability groups.

Answer

Issues: tiny buttons (motor impairment barrier), no text resize (vision barrier), time limits (cognitive/motor barrier). Fix: larger targets, scalable text, adjustable time limits.
Accessibility evaluation requires considering diverse disabilities: visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive. Each design decision can create or remove barriers for different groups of users.

About Accessibility

The design of products, devices, and environments so that people with disabilities can use them effectively. Accessibility (often abbreviated a11y) includes features like screen readers, captions, keyboard navigation, high-contrast modes, and alt-text for images.

Learn more about Accessibility →

More Accessibility Examples

Example 1 easy

What is digital accessibility and why is it important? Give three examples of accessibility features

Example 2 medium

A website uses images without alt text and relies entirely on colour to convey information (red = er

Example 4 hard

Explain the concept of 'universal design' and how it differs from 'designing for disability'. Give a

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