An accessible app can be used by everyone, including people with poor eyesight or hearing, people who struggle with fine movements and people who find reading hard. Think of enough contrast, text that scales up, buttons that are big enough and an app that works well with the screen reader on iPhone and Android.
The European Accessibility Act has applied since 28 June 2025. Because of it, many digital products and services, including apps, must be accessible. But even apart from the rules, it pays off: more people can use your app, and a clear app is nicer for everyone. In this article you will learn what to look out for.
What is an accessible app?
Accessibility is about whether people can use your app, regardless of a disability or situation. That is a bigger group than you might think. It includes people who are blind or partially sighted, colour-blind, deaf or hard of hearing, but also older users, people with shaky hands, or someone using their phone with one hand while carrying a child.
The best-known guidelines are the WCAG, the international rules for digital accessibility. They were written for the web, but are also used for apps. They are based on four principles: your app must be perceivable, operable, understandable and robust. You can read more about the WCAG in our article on an accessible website.
The good news is that many changes help everyone. Good contrast is nice in bright sunlight. Big buttons are handy when you are in a hurry. Clear language means fewer questions for your customer service. So an accessible app is often simply a better app, with fewer drop-offs and less frustration.
European Accessibility Act: does it apply to your app?
The European Accessibility Act, often called the accessibility law in the Netherlands, has applied since 28 June 2025. It covers things like online shops, online services for consumers, banking services, transport and e-books. If you sell products or services to consumers through your app, your app is often covered.
There is an exemption for micro-enterprises that provide services: businesses with fewer than ten employees and a limited annual turnover or balance sheet total. Whether your business and app are covered depends on your situation. This is not legal advice. If in doubt, get advice from a lawyer. Even if the law does not apply to you, accessibility is a good idea: a large share of your customers benefit from it directly.
Checklist: is your app accessible?
Go through these points. You can check a lot of them yourself with your own phone.
- Contrast: text must be easy to read against the background. For normal text, the WCAG asks for a contrast ratio of at least 4.5 to 1.
- Text size: set the text to the largest size in your phone's settings. Does the text in your app scale up, and does everything stay readable without text getting cut off?
- Button size: buttons and links must be big enough to hit with a finger. Apple recommends at least 44 by 44 points, Android at least 48 by 48 dp.
- Screen reader: turn on VoiceOver (iPhone) or TalkBack (Android). Does the app read out every button with a clear name, in a logical order?
- Images and icons: do they have a description, so a screen reader knows what they mean?
- Colour: never convey information with colour alone. A red field for an error also needs text.
- Forms: does every field have a visible label, and are error messages clear and close to the field?
- Motion: can you turn off animations, and does the app follow the phone's 'reduce motion' setting?
- Time: do users get enough time to finish a task, without being suddenly logged out?
- Rotation: does the app also work when the phone is on its side, unless that is truly impossible?
Screen readers, gestures and other assistive tools
People with a disability often use their phone differently. A blind user navigates with swipe gestures and has the screen reader read everything out. Someone with a motor impairment sometimes uses an external switch or voice control. A partially sighted user zooms in or uses a high-contrast mode.
An app built with the standard components of iOS and Android gets a lot of this support for free. Problems often arise with custom buttons, sliders or menus that the screen reader does not recognise. So use standard components where you can, and test custom ones extra carefully. In a web app or PWA you can also handle accessibility well, with the right page structure.
Plain language and clear steps
Accessibility is not only about technology. The text in your app counts too. Many people find reading difficult or do not have Dutch as their first language. So write:
- Short sentences and everyday words.
- Buttons that say what they do, such as 'Confirm appointment' instead of 'OK'.
- Error messages that explain how to fix the problem, not just that something went wrong.
- One task per screen, with a clear next step.
Multiple languages can help too. Rijschool Benz in Den Helder, for example, has a website in Dutch, English and Arabic, so more students understand everything properly. See more projects in our work.
Build accessibility in instead of fixing it afterwards
Making an app accessible afterwards costs more than getting it right from the start. Often the design, colours and components then have to be redone. So include it in every phase:
- Design: choose colours with enough contrast and design for large text.
- Build: use standard components and give every button and image a description.
- Testing: test with VoiceOver and TalkBack, with large text and with one hand. Also read our article on app testing.
- After launch: give users a way to report accessibility problems.
Having an accessible app built by Violexa
At Violexa we include accessibility from the very first design: contrast, text size, screen readers and plain language. So you do not have to fix anything afterwards. Read more about having websites and apps built. A custom app or web application starts from €1,799 excl. VAT (€2,177 incl. VAT) per project. Larger projects get a fixed price in writing up front.
Want to know how accessible your current app or website is? Book a free quickscan. In 30 minutes, online or on site, we go through the main points. Afterwards you get short written advice with a price estimate, with no obligation.
Frequently asked questions
What makes an app accessible?
An accessible app has enough contrast, text that scales up, buttons that are big enough, and works well with screen readers such as VoiceOver and TalkBack. The language is also simple and the app never conveys information with colour alone. The WCAG guidelines are the starting point.
Does my app have to comply with the European Accessibility Act?
That depends on what your app does and how big your business is. Since 28 June 2025 the law applies to things like online shops and online services for consumers. There is an exemption for micro-enterprises that provide services. If in doubt, get advice from a lawyer.
How do I test whether my app is accessible?
Turn on VoiceOver or TalkBack on your phone and try to complete a task. Then set the text to the largest size and see whether everything stays readable. Also check the contrast of your colours and whether buttons are big enough.
Is an accessible app more expensive to build?
If you include it from the start, the extra time is usually modest. Fixing it afterwards is often more expensive, because design and components have to be redone. On top of that, more people can use your app.
