Video examples

iOS Voiceover

Android Talkback

iOS

Developer Notes

• Actionable link that navigates the user outside of the app to a web page. (ex: opens a web browser)
• When accessing an in-line link that is inside a paragraph with a screen reader, the focus is usually around the paragraph container.
• To activate a link, screen reader users can double tap both inline links and links outside of paragraphs.
• There should only be a single inline link inside of a paragraph. Screen readers can only access the first link in the paragraph.
• The correct execution of native controls informs assistive technologies, such as voice control, screen readers, and switch access, that the element is interactive.

Name

• Interactive text that describes the destination or purpose of the link
• Programmatic name matches the visible text label
  • Note: Setting a programmatic name while a visible text label exists may cause VoiceOver to duplicate the announcement of the name. If this happens, hide the visible text label from VoiceOver recognization.
  • Note: If adding context to a generic link, ensure the visible text for the link is the first part of the label and it matches the visible text. For example, a link the has a visual label of “Learn more” that is not part of a paragraph may need a label with greater context in the code so it is announced by a screen reader as “Learn more about accessible controls”.
  • Note: If adding context to a generic link, ensure the visible text for the link is the first part of the label and it matches the visible text. For example, a link the has a visual label of “Learn more” that is not part of a paragraph may need a label with greater context in the code so it is announced by a screen reader as “Learn more about accessible controls”.
• UIKit
  • The link’s visible text will overwrite the link’s accessibilityLabel.
  • If necessary, change the element’s accessibilityLabel property.
• SwiftUI
  • The link’s visible text will overwrite the link’s accessibilityLabel.
  • If necessary, use view modifier accessibilityLabel(_:) to change the accessibilityLabel.

Role

• When using non-native controls (custom controls), roles will need to be manually coded.

• UIKit
  • Since UIKit does not have a native link, develop using UIButton
    • If using a UIButton is not suitable for your use case, you may try the following strategies:
      • Use a UITextView with a NSAttributedString with a .link attribute, OR
      • Use a UILabel or related view and apply a UITapGestureRecognizer
      • Note: The more complex your custom control is, the more complex the accessibility implementation can be
  • Set accessibilityTraits to .link.
  • Stylize the text to appear as a link
• SwiftUI
  • Use native Link view
  • If necessary, use view modifier accessibilityAddTraits(.isLink) to assign the role as Link.
  • If applicable, use view modifier accessibilityRemoveTraits(:) to remove unwanted traits.

Groupings

• Link text can be grouped with paragraph text to make a larger touch target, provided there is only one interactive link in view.

• UIKit
  1. Ensure that the child elements, such as the in-line link, of the overarching view you want to group in has their isAccessibilityElement properties set to false.
  2. Set isAccessibilityElement to true for the parent view. Then, adjust accessibilityLabel and accessibilityTraits accordingly.
     • If frame does not exist due to custom development, use accessibilityFrameInContainer to set the custom control’s frame to the parent view’s container or view of your choice.
       • You can also unionize two frames with frame.union (i.e. titleLabel.frame.union(subtitleLabel.frame)).
     • Use shouldGroupAccessibilityElement for a precise order if the native order should be disrupted.
     • Use shouldGroupAccessibilityChildren to indicate whether VoiceOver must group its children views. This allows making unique vocalizations or define a particular reading order for a part of the page.
• SwiftUI
  • Use view modifier accessibilityElement(children: .combine) to merge the child accessibility element’s properties into the new accessibilityElement.
  • After grouping the paragraph and the in-line link to form a single accessibility element, bind the link action to it.
    • For the screen reader experience, focus will surround the paragraph container. Double-tapping the paragraph will activate the link.
    • For the non-screen reader experience, do not bind the link action to the paragraph container. Non-screen readers must tap on the link itself to activate the link.

State

• UIKit
  • For enabled: Set isEnabled to true.
  • For disabled: Set isEnabled to false. Announcement for disabled is “Dimmed”.
    • If necessary, you may change the accessibility trait of the link to notEnabled, but this may overwrite the current accessibility role of the link.
• SwiftUI
  • For disabled, use view modifier disabled().

Focus

• Use the device’s default focus functionality.
• External keyboard tab order often follows the screen reader focus, but sometimes this functionality requires additional development to manage focus.
• Initial focus on a screen should land in a logical place, such as back button, screen title, first text field, or first heading.

• When a link is closed, the focus should return to the triggering element.

• UIKit
  • Implement focus ring to be around the paragraph container, so that double-tapping the container will activate the in-line link, given that there is only one link inside the container.
  • If VoiceOver is not reaching a particular element, set the element’s isAccessibilityElement to true
    • Note: You may need to adjust the programmatic name, role, state, and/or value after doing this, as this action may overwrite previously configured accessibility.
  • To move screen reader focus to newly revealed content, use UIAccessibility.post(notification:argument:) that takes in .screenChanged and the newly revealed content as the parameter arguments.
  • To NOT move focus, but dynamically announce new content: use UIAccessibility.post(notification:argument:) that takes in .announcement and the announcement text as the parameter arguments.

  • UIAccessibilityContainer protocol: Have a table of elements that defines the reading order of the elements.

  • UIAccessibilityContainer protocol: Have a table of elements that defines the reading order of the elements.
• SwiftUI
  • Implement focus ring to be around the paragraph container, so that double-tapping the container will activate the in-line link, given that there is only one link inside the container.
  • For general focus management that impacts both screen readers and non-screen readers, use the property wrapper @FocusState to assign an identity of a focus state.
    • Use the property wrapper @FocusState in conjunction with the view modifier focused(_:) to assign focus on a view with @FocusState as the source of truth.
    • Use the property wrapper @FocusStatein conjunction with the view modifier focused(_:equals:) to assign focus on a view, when the view is equal to a specific value.
  • If necessary, use property wrapper @AccessibilityFocusState to assign identifiers to specific views to manually shift focus from one view to another as the user interacts with the screen with VoiceOver on.

Announcement examples

• Announcement order can vary
• “Label, link”
• “All text in paragraph including url, link” (link in paragraph)
• “Label, dimmed, link” (disabled)

Further reading

• UIAccessibilityTraits

Android

Developer Notes

• Actionable text that navigates the user outside of the app to a web page. (ex: opens an web browser)
• When accessing an in-line link that is inside a paragraph with a screen reader, the focus can be around the paragraph container.
• To activate a link, screen reader users must double tap both inline links and links outside of paragraphs.
• There should only be a single inline link inside of a paragraph. Screen readers can only access the first link in the paragraph.
• The correct execution of native controls informs assistive technologies, such as voice control, screen readers, and switch access, that the element is interactive.

Name

• Interactive text that describes the destination or purpose of the link
• Programmatic name matches the visible text label
  • Note: If adding context to a generic link, ensure the visible text for the link is the first part of the label and it matches the visible text. For example, a link the has a visual label of “Learn more” that is not part of a paragraph may need a label with greater context in the code so it is announced by a screen reader as “Learn more about accessible controls”.

Role

• Ensure screen reader users can navigate to links from the TalkBack menu
• Role is automatically announced if a native component is used

• When using non-native controls (custom controls), roles will need to be manually coded.

• Android Views
  • TextView - Announces as “link”
  • URLSpan / ClickableSpan
  • Linkify Class
• Android Compose
  • Compose does not have native support on Link in Text, a customized linkable text need to be added into Text composable or use a AndroidView to bring the Android View with Linkify to build Compose composable

Groupings

• Link text can be grouped with paragraph text automatically to make a larger touch target, provided there is only one interactive link in view.

• Android Views
  • ViewGroup
  • Set the container object’s android:screenReaderFocusable attribute to true, and each inner object’s android:focusable attribute to false. In doing so, accessibility services can present the inner elements’ contentDescription or names, one after the other, in a single announcement.
• Android Compose
  • Modifier.semantics(mergeDescendants = true) {} for the child elements grouping/merging
  • FocusRequester.createRefs() helps to request focus to inner elements with in the group

State

• Android Views
  • Active: android:enabled=true
  • Disabled: android:enabled=false
  • Announcement: disabled
• Android Compose
  • Active: default state is active and enabled. Use RadioButton(enabled = true) to specify explicitly
  • Disabled: RadioButton(enabled = false) announces as disabled
  • Alternatively can use modifier = Modifier.semantics { disabled() } to announce as disabled
  • Use modifier = Modifier.semantics { stateDescription = "" } to have a customized state announcement

Focus

• Only manage focus when needed. Primarily, let the device manage default focus order
• Consider how focus should be managed between child elements and their parent views or containers
• External keyboard tab order often follows the screen reader focus, but sometimes needs focus management
• Initial focus on a screen should land in a logical place, such as back button, screen title, first text field, or first heading

• When a link is closed, the focus should return to the triggering element

• Android Views
  • importantForAccessibility makes the element visible to the Accessibility API
  • android:focusable
  • android=clickable
  • Implement an onClick( ) event handler for keyboard, as well as onTouch( )
  • nextFocusDown
  • nextFocusUp
  • nextFocusRight
  • nextFocusLeft
  • accessibilityTraversalBefore (or after)
  • To move screen reader focus to newly revealed content: Type_View_Focused
  • To NOT move focus, but dynamically announce new content: accessibilityLiveRegion(set to polite or assertive)
  • To hide controls: Important_For_Accessibility_false
  • For a ViewGroup, set screenReaderFocusable=true and each inner object’s attribute to keyboard focus (focusable=false)
• Android Compose
  • Modifier.focusTarget() makes the component focusable
  • Modifier.focusOrder() needs to be used in combination with FocusRequesters to define focus order
  • Modifier.onFocusEvent(), Modifier.onFocusChanged() can be used to observe the changes to focus state
  • FocusRequester allows to request focus to individual elements with in a group of merged descendant views
  • Example: To customize the focus events behaviour or the sequence of focus,
    • step 1: define the focus requester prior. val (first, second) = FocusRequester.createRefs()
    • step 2: update the modifier to set the order. modifier = Modifier.focusOrder(first) { this.down = second }
    • focus order accepts following values: up, down, left, right, previous, next, start, end
    • step 3: use second.requestFocus() to gain focus

Code Example

• Jetpack Compose

/**
 * Custom Composable with AndroidView to support link in textView and the links accessibility features from talkback menu
 */
@Composable
fun LinkText(
    modifier: Modifier = Modifier,
    textBody: String
) {
    AndroidView(
        modifier = modifier,
        factory = { context ->
            TextView(context).apply {
                text = SpannableString(textBody)
                LinkifyCompat.addLinks(this, Linkify.WEB_URLS)
                movementMethod = LinkMovementMethod.getInstance()
            }
        }
    )
}

Further reading

• App Links

Announcement examples

Options for announcements below depend on device framework and versions. Announcement order can vary. “Double tap to activate” hint announcement varies with implementation.

• “Label, link”
• “Label, link, double tap to activate”
• “Label, double tap to activate, links available, tap with three fingers to view” (TalkBack menu appears)
• “All text in paragraph including link name, links available, tap with three fingers to view” (link in paragraph)
• “Text in sentence, link name, link, remainder of sentence, double tap to activate, links available, tap with three fingers to view” (link in sentence with separate link focus)
• “Label, disabled” (disabled)