How do you make React Native apps accessible?

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IT Interview Practice · Accepted Answer

**Accessibility (a11y)** makes apps usable by everyone, including people with disabilities (using screen readers, etc.). React Native provides accessibility props and APIs. Building accessible apps is important for inclusivity, often legally required, and reflects quality engineering. ## Why accessibility matters ```text → INCLUSIVITY — people with disabilities (visual, motor, hearing) should be able to use the app (screen readers like VoiceOver/TalkBack, larger text, etc.) → Often LEGALLY required (accessibility regulations) and an app-store/quality consideration → Good a11y often improves UX for everyone (clear labels, good contrast, large targets) ``` ## Accessibility props in React Native ```jsx Submit ``` Props like `accessibilityLabel` (what screen readers announce), `accessibilityRole`, `accessibilityHint`, and `accessibilityState` make elements understandable to assistive technologies. ## Best practices ```text ✓ Provide LABELS for interactive elements and images (screen readers need them) ✓ Use proper ROLES; convey state (selected, disabled) to assistive tech ✓ Ensure good COLOR CONTRAST; support DYNAMIC/larger font sizes (don't hardcode tiny text) ✓ Adequate TOUCH TARGET sizes (≥44pt); logical focus order ✓ TEST with screen readers (VoiceOver on iOS, TalkBack on Android) and accessibility tools ✓ Don't rely on color alone to convey information ``` ## Why it matters Understanding how to make React Native apps accessible is important senior-level knowledge because **accessibility is essential for inclusivity, often legally required, and reflects quality engineering**, so it's a valuable and responsible competency. Accessibility ensures apps are usable by **everyone, including people with disabilities** (using screen readers like VoiceOver and TalkBack, larger text, etc.) — an important matter of inclusivity (not excluding users with disabilities), often a **legal requirement** (accessibility regulations), and an app-store/quality consideration, with good accessibility frequently improving UX for all users (clear labels, good contrast, large targets). Understanding the **accessibility props** React Native provides — `accessibilityLabel` (what screen readers announce, essential for interactive elements and images), `accessibilityRole` (the element's role), `accessibilityHint`, and `accessibilityState` (conveying state) — is the practical mechanism for making elements understandable to assistive technologies. Understanding the **best practices** — providing labels for interactive elements and images, using proper roles and conveying state, ensuring good color contrast, supporting dynamic/larger font sizes, adequate touch target sizes, not relying on color alone, and crucially **testing with actual screen readers** — reflects building genuinely accessible apps rather than just adding props. Accessibility is an important aspect of quality, responsible engineering that's frequently overlooked but matters significantly for users with disabilities and is often legally mandated. Since accessibility makes apps usable by everyone (an inclusivity and often legal imperative) and reflects quality engineering, and since understanding React Native's accessibility props and best practices (labels, roles, contrast, testing with screen readers) enables building accessible apps, understanding how to make React Native apps accessible is important senior-level knowledge — a valuable, responsible competency that ensures apps serve all users, meets legal requirements, and reflects the quality and inclusivity expected of professional engineering, an often-overlooked but genuinely important aspect of building apps well.

Why accessibility matters

Accessibility props in React Native

Best practices

Why it matters

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