mobile-accessibility-testing

name	mobile-accessibility-testing
description	Automated and manual accessibility auditing, WCAG compliance, and screen reader testing for mobile apps
standards-version	1.10.0

Mobile Accessibility Testing

Trigger

Use this skill when the developer asks about:

• Accessibility (a11y) testing or auditing
• WCAG 2.1 AA compliance for mobile
• Screen reader testing with VoiceOver or TalkBack
• Missing accessibility labels, roles, or hints
• Touch target sizing requirements
• Dynamic type / font scaling support
• Reduced motion preferences
• Color contrast ratio validation
• CI integration for accessibility checks

Required Inputs

Input	Description
Framework	expo (React Native) or flutter
Scope	Full audit, specific screen, or CI setup

Workflow

1. Run Automated Audit

Use mobile_auditAccessibility for a static analysis scan:

Use MCP tool: mobile_auditAccessibility
  framework: "expo"

The tool scans source files for:

• Missing accessibilityLabel / Semantics on interactive elements
• Small touch targets (below 44px)
• Images without alt text
• Color-only state indicators
• Missing accessibilityRole annotations

2. React Native / Expo Checklist

Labels and Roles

// Bad
<TouchableOpacity onPress={onDelete}>
  <Icon name="trash" />
</TouchableOpacity>

// Good
<TouchableOpacity
  onPress={onDelete}
  accessibilityLabel="Delete item"
  accessibilityRole="button"
  accessibilityHint="Removes this item from your list"
>
  <Icon name="trash" />
</TouchableOpacity>

Touch Targets

// Minimum 44x44pt
<Pressable
  onPress={onPress}
  style={{ minWidth: 44, minHeight: 44 }}
  hitSlop={8}
>
  <Icon name="settings" size={24} />
</Pressable>

Dynamic Type Support

import { PixelRatio } from "react-native";

const fontScale = PixelRatio.getFontScale();
// Ensure layouts don't break at 2x font scale

// Use maxFontSizeMultiplier on Text to cap if layout breaks
<Text maxFontSizeMultiplier={1.5}>Content</Text>

Reduced Motion

import { AccessibilityInfo } from "react-native";

const [reduceMotion, setReduceMotion] = useState(false);
useEffect(() => {
  AccessibilityInfo.isReduceMotionEnabled().then(setReduceMotion);
  const sub = AccessibilityInfo.addEventListener(
    "reduceMotionChanged",
    setReduceMotion
  );
  return () => sub.remove();
}, []);

Screen Reader Announcements

import { AccessibilityInfo } from "react-native";

AccessibilityInfo.announceForAccessibility("Item deleted");

3. Flutter Checklist

Semantics

// Bad
GestureDetector(
  onTap: onDelete,
  child: Icon(Icons.delete),
)

// Good
Semantics(
  label: 'Delete item',
  button: true,
  hint: 'Removes this item from your list',
  child: GestureDetector(
    onTap: onDelete,
    child: const Icon(Icons.delete),
  ),
)

Touch Target Sizes

// Material guidelines: 48x48 logical pixels minimum
SizedBox(
  width: 48,
  height: 48,
  child: IconButton(
    onPressed: onSettings,
    icon: const Icon(Icons.settings),
  ),
)

Large Font Testing

MediaQuery(
  data: MediaQuery.of(context).copyWith(textScaler: TextScaler.linear(2.0)),
  child: child,
)

Reduced Motion

final disableAnimations = MediaQuery.of(context).disableAnimations;

Semantic Announcements

SemanticsService.announce('Item deleted', TextDirection.ltr);

4. Manual Testing Protocol

VoiceOver (iOS)

1. Settings → Accessibility → VoiceOver → On
2. Swipe right to move to the next element
3. Double-tap to activate the focused element
4. Verify every interactive element is reachable and announced
5. Verify images have descriptions or are hidden from VoiceOver

TalkBack (Android)

1. Settings → Accessibility → TalkBack → On
2. Swipe right to navigate forward
3. Double-tap to activate
4. Verify focus order follows visual layout
5. Test all form inputs and custom controls

Test Matrix

Test	Pass Criteria
All buttons announced	Label read aloud, role stated
Images described	Alt text read or skipped if decorative
Touch targets	≥ 44pt (iOS) / ≥ 48dp (Android)
Contrast ratio	≥ 4.5:1 normal text, ≥ 3:1 large text
Font scaling	Layout intact at 200% font size
Focus order	Logical top-to-bottom, left-to-right
Reduced motion	Animations skipped when enabled

5. CI Integration

React Native (Jest + Testing Library)

import { render } from "@testing-library/react-native";

test("delete button has accessibility label", () => {
  const { getByRole } = render(<DeleteButton />);
  const btn = getByRole("button", { name: "Delete item" });
  expect(btn).toBeTruthy();
});

Flutter (Widget Tests)

testWidgets('delete button has semantics', (tester) async {
  await tester.pumpWidget(const MaterialApp(home: DeleteButton()));
  expect(
    find.bySemanticsLabel('Delete item'),
    findsOneWidget,
  );
});

Key References

Resource	URL
WCAG 2.1 (W3C)	https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG21/
RN Accessibility	https://reactnative.dev/docs/accessibility
Flutter Accessibility	https://docs.flutter.dev/accessibility-and-internationalization/accessibility
axe DevTools Mobile	https://www.deque.com/axe/devtools/mobile/
iOS HIG Accessibility	https://developer.apple.com/design/human-interface-guidelines/accessibility

Example Interaction

User: "Run an accessibility audit on my app and fix any violations"

Assistant:

1. Runs mobile_auditAccessibility to scan all source files
2. Reports findings grouped by severity (critical → minor) with WCAG references
3. Fixes critical issues: adds accessibilityLabel and accessibilityRole to interactive elements
4. Fixes serious issues: increases touch targets to 44px minimum, adds alt text to images
5. Suggests manual testing protocol with VoiceOver/TalkBack
6. Generates a11y test file with mobile_generateTestFile to prevent regressions

MCP Usage

Tool	When
mobile_auditAccessibility	Run automated a11y scan on the project
mobile_generateTestFile	Generate a11y-focused test file

Common Pitfalls

• Decorative images not excluded - set accessible={false} (RN) or excludeFromSemantics: true (Flutter).
• Custom components missing semantics - every interactive custom widget needs labels.
• Focus traps - modals and bottom sheets must trap focus and release it on close.
• Skipping platform testing - VoiceOver and TalkBack behavior differs; test on both.
• Hardcoded font sizes without scaling - use relative sizes or test at max scale.
• Color-only errors - form validation errors must include text or icons, not just red borders.

See Also

• mobile-theming - semantic color tokens for consistent contrast
• mobile-component-patterns - accessible component architecture
• mobile-forms-validation - accessible form error handling