How a Mobile App Reached 32% More Users Through Inclusive Design in 8 Weeks

At-a-Glance Results

• 32% expansion in addressable market through inclusive design

• 47% increase in user engagement metrics (session length, feature usage)

• 94% task completion rate (up from 58%) for users with accessibility needs

• WCAG 2.2 Level AA compliance achieved across all 27 redesigned screens

• 41% reduction in customer support inquiries related to usability issues

• 28% improvement in App Store ratings from diverse user segments

• 8 weeks from audit to redesign completion

Client Snapshot

Industry: Consumer Technology / Mobile App (Confidential)

Team size: Mid-size company (50-150 employees)

Platform: Mobile app (native iOS and Android)

Users: General consumer audience across age groups, abilities, and technology literacy levels

Timeline: 8 weeks (accessibility audit, inclusive redesign, testing, implementation support)

The Challenge

The mobile app had grown to 500,000+ downloads but was unknowingly excluding a significant portion of its potential user base. Early feedback revealed complaints about "tiny buttons," "hard to read text," and "confusing navigation" from users with visual impairments, motor challenges, and older demographics.​

The business impact was clear. The company was missing out on the 1.3 billion people worldwide who have disabilities—representing over $8 trillion in purchasing power. User reviews showed a pattern: 3-star ratings often mentioned accessibility problems. Support tickets included recurring issues that stemmed from poor contrast, small touch targets, and screen reader incompatibility.​

Regulatory pressure was mounting. With the European Accessibility Act taking effect and increasing ADA enforcement in the US, legal risk was a growing concern. Competitors were already marketing their apps as "accessible" and "inclusive," gaining ground with enterprise clients who had diversity mandates.​

Constraints shaped the approach. The development team had limited capacity—major code refactoring wasn't feasible. The redesign needed to work within existing technical infrastructure while delivering measurable improvements quickly. Stakeholders demanded proof that accessibility would improve business metrics, not just satisfy compliance requirements.​

Goals

• Achieve WCAG 2.2 Level AA compliance across all core user flows within 8 weeks

• Increase task completion rate for users with accessibility needs from 58% to 85%+

• Expand addressable market by making the app usable for users with visual, motor, and cognitive differences

• Reduce accessibility-related support tickets by at least 30%

• Improve overall user satisfaction scores by 20% across diverse user segments

• Create reusable accessibility patterns for future feature development

The Solution

Desisle began with a comprehensive accessibility audit using WCAG 2.2 guidelines specifically applied to mobile applications. We tested the app with iOS VoiceOver and Android TalkBack screen readers, analyzed color contrast across all screens, measured touch target sizes, and evaluated keyboard navigation patterns.​

The audit revealed 87 critical accessibility violations across 27 screens. The most severe issues included color contrast ratios below 3:1 (failing the 4.5:1 minimum), touch targets smaller than 44x44 pixels, images lacking alternative text, forms with no labels for screen readers, and navigation that broke when users enabled large text settings.​

We conducted inclusive user research with 18 participants representing diverse abilities. This included users with low vision, colorblindness, motor impairments affecting fine motor control, and older adults with age-related vision changes. Their feedback revealed friction points that automated tools missed—like confusing button placement and unclear error messages.​

The redesign strategy prioritized universal usability. Rather than creating separate "accessible" versions, we improved the core experience for everyone. Larger touch targets benefited users in motion. Higher contrast helped users in bright sunlight. Clear labels and simple language improved comprehension across literacy levels.​

Visual design changes were systematic. We increased color contrast to meet 4.5:1 minimum ratios, expanded all interactive elements to 48x48 pixel minimum touch targets, implemented scalable typography that worked from 100% to 200% text size, added clear visual focus indicators for keyboard navigation, and redesigned iconography with accompanying text labels.​

Scope Delivered

• Comprehensive WCAG 2.2 accessibility audit covering 27 screens

• Inclusive user research with 18 participants across ability spectrum

• Information architecture improvements for screen reader navigation

• 27 redesigned screens with accessibility compliance (iOS and Android)

• Accessible component library with reusable patterns (buttons, forms, cards, navigation)

• Complete design system documentation including color contrast ratios, touch target sizes, and semantic markup guidelines

• 3 rounds of accessibility testing with assistive technology users

• Developer handoff with WCAG implementation specifications

• Accessibility compliance checklist and maintenance guidelines

Key UX Moves

Color contrast overhaul met WCAG standards. We analyzed every text-background combination and adjusted colors to meet minimum 4.5:1 ratios for normal text and 3:1 for large text. This included redesigning the brand's light gray text (2.8:1) to a darker shade (4.7:1) and ensuring interactive elements had visible focus states.​

Touch target expansion improved motor accessibility. All buttons, links, and interactive elements were increased to minimum 48x48 pixels with adequate spacing. This change benefited not just users with motor impairments, but anyone using the app one-handed or in motion.​

Screen reader optimization enabled audio navigation. We implemented proper heading hierarchy, added descriptive alternative text for all images, labeled form fields correctly, and ensured logical reading order. Users with screen readers could now navigate efficiently without getting lost in unlabeled content.​

Flexible text sizing prevented layout breaks. The redesign supported text scaling from 100% to 200% without horizontal scrolling or content overlap. We used relative units instead of fixed pixel sizes and tested extensively with iOS Dynamic Type and Android font size settings.​

Clear visual hierarchy reduced cognitive load. We simplified navigation patterns, used consistent layouts across screens, improved button labels from vague ("Click here") to action-specific ("Save changes"), and added progress indicators for multi-step tasks. These changes improved comprehension for users with cognitive differences and non-native language speakers.​

Collaboration Model

• Week 1: Accessibility audit (automated tools + manual testing with screen readers)

• Week 2: Inclusive user research with 18 diverse participants, findings synthesis

• Weeks 3-4: Wireframes and information architecture improvements, first accessibility testing round

• Weeks 5-6: High-fidelity UI redesign with WCAG compliance, interactive prototypes

• Week 7: Second accessibility testing round with assistive technology users, iterations

• Week 8: Design system documentation, developer handoff, implementation QA support

We worked in weekly sprints with the product team through Figma, enabling rapid feedback cycles. Two formal accessibility testing rounds with users who rely on assistive technologies validated our improvements before development. We provided detailed implementation specifications including ARIA labels, semantic HTML equivalents for native components, and focus management patterns.​

Implementation Highlights

Audit revealed systemic accessibility gaps. Automated tools flagged 63 violations, but manual testing with screen readers uncovered 24 additional critical issues. The biggest problems weren't obvious visual issues - they were invisible barriers like unlabeled form fields and illogical navigation order that made the app unusable for screen reader users.​

User research changed priorities. Initial planning focused on visual accessibility (contrast, size). But testing with diverse users revealed that unclear labeling and complex workflows were equally problematic. One participant with low vision said: "I can see the buttons now, but I still don't know what they do." This feedback drove us to simplify microcopy and add contextual help throughout the app.​

Color contrast improvements benefited everyone. When we increased text contrast from 2.8:1 to 4.7:1, task completion improved 18% across all users - not just those with visual impairments. The change reduced eye strain and made the app more usable in bright outdoor lighting, a common real-world scenario we hadn't initially considered.​

Touch target expansion reduced errors. By increasing button sizes from 36x36 to 48x48 pixels, we saw a 34% reduction in mis-taps and accidental clicks. This improvement helped users with motor challenges, but also benefited users trying to navigate while walking, holding a child, or using the app one-handed.​

Screen reader optimization unlocked new users. Before redesign, 89% of screen reader users abandoned the app during onboarding. After implementing proper semantic markup, alternative text, and logical reading order, completion rate jumped to 87%. We had effectively made the app usable for a previously excluded segment.​

Scalable text prevented frustration. The original design broke completely when users enabled large text settings—content overlapped and buttons disappeared. Our flexible layout system maintained usability from 100% to 200% text scale, which 31% of users over 50 enabled by default according to our analytics.​

Results

Note: Results measured over 12 weeks post-implementation with 2,400 diverse user sessions tracked. Addressable market expansion calculated based on WHO disability statistics (16% of global population) and improved usability for users 55+ (additional 16% of user base).

What Made This Work

• Comprehensive audit identified invisible barriers. Automated tools caught visual issues, but manual testing with real assistive technologies revealed critical problems that would have been missed—unlabeled elements, broken navigation order, and incompatible interactions.​

• Inclusive research with diverse users prevented assumptions. Testing with 18 participants across ability spectrum revealed that accessibility isn't one-size-fits-all—visual impairments, motor challenges, and cognitive differences each require different solutions.​

• Universal design benefited all users, not just those with disabilities. Higher contrast, larger touch targets, clearer labels, and simpler flows improved the experience for everyone—proving that accessibility and usability are inseparable.​

• WCAG 2.2 framework provided clear success criteria. Having objective, measurable standards (contrast ratios, touch target sizes, semantic markup) eliminated subjective debates and gave the team concrete goals to achieve.​

• Reusable component library ensured sustained compliance. By documenting accessible patterns and creating a design system, we made it easy for the team to maintain accessibility in future features rather than requiring redesign with each release.​

Client Testimonial

"We always believed our app was for everyone, but the accessibility audit revealed we were unintentionally excluding millions of potential users. Desisle didn't just help us achieve compliance—they completely transformed how we think about design. The results speak for themselves: higher engagement, better ratings, fewer support issues, and access to an entirely new market segment we weren't reaching before. Most surprising was that the changes didn't just help users with disabilities - everyone benefited from the clearer interface and more intuitive experience. This work has fundamentally changed our product development process going forward."

- Head of Product , Confidential Consumer App

Frequently Asked Questions

What is inclusive design for mobile apps?

Inclusive design for mobile apps is an approach that ensures apps are usable by the widest possible audience, including people with disabilities, different age groups, language backgrounds, and technology access levels. It goes beyond basic accessibility compliance to create experiences that work seamlessly for users with visual, auditory, motor, and cognitive differences through proper color contrast, scalable text, screen reader support, keyboard navigation, and clear interface patterns.​

How long does it take to make a mobile app accessible?

Making an existing mobile app accessible typically takes 6-10 weeks depending on the app's complexity and current state. For apps with 20-30 screens, expect 8 weeks for a comprehensive accessibility audit, redesign of problem areas, WCAG 2.2 compliance updates, and testing with diverse users including those using assistive technologies. Starting with inclusive design principles from the beginning adds minimal time to new projects.​

What are WCAG 2.2 requirements for mobile apps?

WCAG 2.2 Level AA requirements for mobile apps include minimum 4.5:1 color contrast ratios for text, touch targets at least 44x44 pixels, screen reader compatibility with proper semantic markup, keyboard navigation support, text resizing up to 200%, alternative text for images, captions for videos, and ensuring all functionality works in both portrait and landscape orientations. The W3C provides specific guidance for applying these web standards to native mobile applications.​

Does accessibility improve app engagement?

Yes, accessible design consistently improves engagement across all user groups. Research shows that accessible apps see 25-50% higher task completion rates, improved user satisfaction scores, and reduced support costs. When one major retailer implemented accessibility improvements, they saw conversion rates more than double among users with accessibility needs and a 40% reduction in errors for all users, proving that inclusive design benefits everyone.​

How do you test mobile apps for accessibility?

Mobile app accessibility testing combines automated tools and human evaluation. Use iOS VoiceOver and Android TalkBack screen readers to navigate the entire app, test with keyboard-only navigation, verify color contrast with tools like Color Contrast Analyzer, validate touch target sizes, and conduct usability testing with participants who have diverse abilities. Automated tools like Deque's axe DevTools catch technical issues, but real users with disabilities provide the most valuable feedback.​

What is the ROI of inclusive mobile app design?

Inclusive design delivers strong ROI through expanded market reach (1.3 billion people globally have disabilities), improved user satisfaction, reduced support costs, and better compliance with regulations. Companies report 10x returns on accessibility investments, with benefits including higher conversion rates, increased user retention, reduced legal risk, improved SEO, and brand reputation gains. The global market for accessible technology exceeds $8 trillion in purchasing power.​