docs/html/guide/topics/ui/accessibility/checklist.jd

page.title=Accessibility Developer Checklist
parent.title=Accessibility
parent.link=index.html
@jd:body

<div id="qv-wrapper">
<div id="qv">

  <h2>In this document</h2>
  <ol>
    <li><a href="#requirements">Accessibility Requirements</a></li>
    <li><a href="#recommendations">Accessibility Recommendations</a></li>
    <li><a href="#special-cases">Special Cases and Considerations</a></li>
  </ol>

  <h2>See also</h2>
  <ol>
    <li><a href="{@docRoot}design/patterns/accessibility.html">Android Design: Accessibility</a></li>
    <li><a href="{@docRoot}tools/testing/testing_accessibility.html">Accessibility Testing Checklist</a></li>
    <li><a href="{@docRoot}training/accessibility/index.html">Training: Implementing Accessibility</a></li>
    <li><a href="{@docRoot}training/design-navigation/index.html">Designing Effective Navigation</a></li>
  </ol>

</div>
</div>

<p>Making an application accessible is about a deep commitment to usability, getting the
details right and delighting your users. This document provides a checklist of accessibility
requirements, recommendations and considerations to help you make sure your application is
accessible. Following this checklist does not guarantee your application is accessible, but it's a
good place to start.</p>

<p>Creating an accessible application is not just the responsibility of developers. Involve your
design and testing folks as well, and make them are aware of the guidelines for these other stages
of development:</p>

<ul>
  <li><a href="{@docRoot}design/patterns/accessibility.html">Android Design: Accessibility</a></li>
  <li><a href="{@docRoot}tools/testing/testing_accessibility.html">Accessibility Testing
    Checklist</a></li>
</ul>

<p>In most cases, creating an accessible Android application does not require extensive code
restructuring. Rather, it means working through the subtle details of how users interact with your
application, so you can provide them with feedback they can sense and understand. This checklist
helps you focus on the key development issues to get the details of accessibility right.</p>


<h2 id="requirements">Accessibility Requirements</h2>

<p>The following steps must be completed in order to ensure a minimum level of application
  accessibility.</p>

<ol>
  <li><strong>Describe user interface controls:</strong> Provide content
    <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/ui/accessibility/apps.html#label-ui">descriptions</a> for user
    interface components that do not have visible text, particularly
    {@link android.widget.ImageButton}, {@link android.widget.ImageView}
    and {@link android.widget.CheckBox} components. Use the
    <a href="{@docRoot}reference/android/view/View.html#attr_android:contentDescription">
    {@code android:contentDescription}</a> XML layout attribute or the {@link
    android.view.View#setContentDescription} method to provide this information for accessibility
    services. (Exception: <a href="#decorative">decorative graphics</a>)</li>
  <li><strong>Enable focus-based navigation:</strong> Make sure
    <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/ui/accessibility/apps.html#focus-nav">users can navigate</a>
    your screen layouts using hardware-based or software directional controls (D-pads, trackballs,
    keyboards and navigation gestures). In a few cases, you may need to make user interface components
    <a href="{@docRoot}reference/android/view/View.html#attr_android:focusable">focusable</a>
    or change the <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/ui/accessibility/apps.html#focus-order">focus
    order</a> to be more logical for user actions.</li>
  <li><strong>Custom view controls:</strong> If you build
    <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/ui/custom-components.html">custom interface controls</a> for
    your application, <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/ui/accessibility/apps.html#custom-views">
    implement accessibility interfaces</a> for your custom views and provide content descriptions.
    For custom controls that are intended to be compatible with versions of Android back to 1.6,
    use the <a href="{@docRoot}tools/support-library/index.html">Support Library</a> to implement
    the latest accessibility features.</li>
  <li><strong>No audio-only feedback:</strong> Audio feedback must always have a secondary
    feedback mechanism to support users who are deaf or hard of hearing. For example, a sound alert
    for the arrival of a message must be accompanied by a system
    {@link android.app.Notification}, haptic feedback (if available) or other visual alert.</li>
  <li><strong>Test:</strong> Test accessibility by navigating your application
    using directional controls, and using eyes-free navigation with TalkBack enabled.
    For more accessibility testing information, see the
    <a href="{@docRoot}tools/testing/testing_accessibility.html">Accessibility Testing
    Checklist</a>.</li>
</ol>


<h2 id="recommendations">Accessibility Recommendations</h2>

<p>The following steps are recommended for ensuring the accessibility of your application. If you
  do not take these actions, it may impact the overall accessibility and quality of your
  application.</p>

<ol>
  <li><strong>Android Design Accessibility Guidelines:</strong> Before building your layouts,
    review and follow the accessibility guidelines provided in the
    <a href="{@docRoot}design/patterns/accessibility.html">Design guidelines</a>.</li>
  <li><strong>Framework-provided controls:</strong> Use Android's built-in user interface
    controls whenever possible, as these components provide accessibility support by default.</li>
  <li><strong>Temporary or self-hiding controls and notifications:</strong> Avoid having user
    interface controls that fade out or disappear after a certain amount of time. If this behavior
    is important to your application, provide an alternative interface for these functions.</li>
</ol>


<h2 id="special-cases">Special Cases and Considerations</h2>

<p>The following list describes specific situations where action should be taken to ensure an
  accessible app. Review this list to see if any of these special cases and considerations apply to
  your application, and take the appropriate action.</p>

<ol>
  <li><strong>Text field hints:</strong> For {@link android.widget.EditText} fields, provide an
    <a href="{@docRoot}reference/android/widget/TextView.html#attr_android:hint">android:hint</a>
    attribute <em>instead</em> of a content description, to help users understand what content is
    expected when the text field is empty and allow the contents of the field to be spoken when
    it is filled.</li>
  <li><strong>Custom controls with high visual context:</strong> If your application contains a
    <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/ui/custom-components.html">custom control</a> with a high degree
    of visual context (such as a calendar control), default accessibility services processing may
    not provide adequate descriptions for users, and you should consider providing a
    <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/ui/accessibility/apps.html#virtual-hierarchy">virtual
    view hierarchy</a> for your control using
    {@link android.view.accessibility.AccessibilityNodeProvider}.</li>
  <li><strong>Custom controls and click handling:</strong> If a custom control in your
    application performs specific handling of user touch interaction, such as listening with
    {@link android.view.View#onTouchEvent} for {@link android.view.MotionEvent#ACTION_DOWN
    MotionEvent.ACTION_DOWN} and {@link android.view.MotionEvent#ACTION_UP MotionEvent.ACTION_UP}
    and treating it as a click event, you must trigger an {@link
    android.view.accessibility.AccessibilityEvent} equivalent to a click and provide a way for
    accessibility services to perform this action for users. For more information, see
    <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/ui/accessibility/apps.html#custom-touch-events">Handling custom
    touch events</a>.</li>
  <li><strong>Controls that change function:</strong> If you have buttons or other controls
    that change function during the normal activity of a user in your application (for example, a
    button that changes from <strong>Play</strong> to <strong>Pause</strong>), make sure you also
    change the <a href="{@docRoot}reference/android/view/View.html#attr_android:contentDescription">
    {@code android:contentDescription}</a> of the button appropriately.</li>
  <li><strong>Prompts for related controls:</strong> Make sure sets of controls which provide a
    single function, such as the {@link android.widget.DatePicker}, provide useful audio feedback
    when an user interacts with the individual controls.</li>
  <li><strong>Video playback and captioning:</strong> If your application provides video
    playback, it must support captioning and subtitles to assist users who are deaf or hard of
    hearing. Your video playback controls must also clearly indicate if captioning is available for
    a video and provide a clear way of enabling captions.</li>
  <li><strong>Supplemental accessibility audio feedback:</strong> Use only the Android accessibility
    framework to provide accessibility audio feedback for your app. Accessibility services such as
    <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.marvin.talkback"
    >TalkBack</a> should be the only way your application provides accessibility audio prompts to
    users. Provide the prompting information with a
    <a href="{@docRoot}reference/android/view/View.html#attr_android:contentDescription">{@code
    android:contentDescription}</a> XML layout attribute or dynamically add it using accessibility
    framework APIs. For example, if your application takes action that you want to announce to a
    user, such as automatically turning the page of a book, use the {@link
    android.view.View#announceForAccessibility} method to have accessibility services speak this
    information to the user.</li>
  <li><strong>Custom controls with complex visual interactions:</strong> For custom controls that
    provide complex or non-standard visual interactions, provide a
    <a href="{@docRoot}guide/topics/ui/accessibility/apps.html#virtual-hierarchy">virtual view
    hierarchy</a> for your control using {@link android.view.accessibility.AccessibilityNodeProvider}
    that allows accessibility services to provide a simplified interaction model for the user. If
    this approach is not feasible, consider providing an alternate view that is accessible.</li>
  <li><strong>Sets of small controls:</strong> If you have controls that are smaller than
    the minimum recommended touch size in your application screens, consider grouping these controls
    together using a {@link android.view.ViewGroup} and providing a
    <a href="{@docRoot}reference/android/view/View.html#attr_android:contentDescription">{@code
    android:contentDescription}</a> for the group.</li>
  <li id="decorative"><strong>Decorative images and graphics:</strong> Elements in application
    screens that are purely decorative and do not provide any content or enable a user action should
    not have accessibility content descriptions.</li>
</ol>