Understanding Screen Readers on Mobile: How And Why to Learn from Native Users
Summary
As we shift into a mobile first world, are you struggling to conceptualize and design accessible mobile experiences? While screen readers are included on both IOS and Android, it can be difficult and overwhelming for designers to learn about them. This session will help you get started! Samuel Proulx, Fable’s accessibility evangelist and a life-long screen reader user, will guide you through the ins and outs of screen readers on mobile. This interactive live demo will show you what an excellent mobile experience can sound like, give you some ideas of things to keep in mind during design, and help you make the case for bringing the voices of assistive technology users into the training and testing at your organization.
Key Insights
-
•
Both iOS and Android have strong accessibility features, but their screen readers differ: Android offers multiple options and high customizability, while iOS provides one consistent but configurable screen reader.
-
•
Customization is critical in accessibility because users have unique needs and preferences; one size does not fit all.
-
•
Using a screen reader effectively requires skill and muscle memory developed over years, making it difficult for novices to accurately test accessibility by themselves.
-
•
Developers and designers testing screen readers on their own often misunderstand user experiences, sometimes seeing accessibility as harder than it actually is for experienced users.
-
•
Testing with real users who rely on assistive tech provides rich, actionable insights that cannot be replaced by simulated testing or personas.
-
•
Fable facilitates accessibility by providing training (Fable Upskill) and connecting teams with real users remotely (Fable Engage) for practical research and testing.
-
•
VoiceOver on iOS relies heavily on gestures like swipe to navigate elements and double tap to activate, which can be customized extensively including speech rate and voice.
-
•
Apple’s screen curtain is a privacy and battery-saving feature that blanks the screen while still providing audio feedback.
-
•
Conducting virtual accessibility research is feasible and effective, especially supported by platforms like Fable that allow video, audio, and screen sharing with assistive tech users.
-
•
Accessibility advocacy should focus on integrating real user feedback into all stages of a product lifecycle, not just technical compliance checks.
Notable Quotes
"With great customizability comes great complication."
"Accessibility isn’t one size fits all; it’s about customizability because people need to access information when, where, and how they need."
"Using assistive technology is a skill and muscle memory built over years."
"Designers and developers can turn on a screen reader to do a technical test, but they can’t understand the real user experience without actual users."
"The secret is that accessibility isn’t hard if everyone takes their small piece of the pie."
"VoiceOver gestures like swipe right move the focus through elements; double tap activates them."
"Screen curtain blanks the screen for privacy and battery life, so no one can look over my shoulder."
"Testing with real users humanizes the problems and reveals simple fixes like changing one label or color."
"At Fable, our platform lets you do generative and exploratory research with real assistive tech users remotely."
"Apple has thought hard about letting people unbox and set up their phone entirely without help, including turning on VoiceOver."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"The design mindset was way more important than the bureaucratic mindset."
Sofía Delsordo Kassim VeraPublic Policy for Jalisco's Designers to Make Design Matter
December 8, 2021
"UX success equals team success."
Product and Design at Bloomberg: A 15-year Evolution
December 6, 2022
"Unmoderated research is exciting because it lets us gather insights while freeing people up to be in two places at once."
Liza Pemstein Jane DavisScaling Research Via an Ops First Model at Clever
March 27, 2023
"High-level leadership changes in government often result in shifts in organizational moods and priorities."
Kara KaneTheme One Intro
November 16, 2022
"Think of AI not as a magic eight ball, but as a highly educated intern that can help with routine tasks."
Mark Interrante Harry MaxAI for Prioritization (3rd of 3 seminars)
July 11, 2024
"Involving people with disabilities from the start reveals impact and usability issues that automated testing simply cannot catch."
Sam ProulxOnline Shopping: Designing an Accessible Experience
October 3, 2023
"Roadmap amnesia is real — every new thing wipes out weeks of priorities from stakeholders’ minds."
Rich MironovHow Can Product Managers and UXers Help Each Other (and Why are Product Folks so Annoying Sometimes)?
December 6, 2022
"Why the hell would you wanna move the furniture?—Gropius on design arrogance."
Juhan SoninDesign Now! The Agenda for Action
September 4, 2025
"Men and boys are part of the problem, therefore they must be part of the solution."
Mansi GuptaDrawing from Feminist Practice to Make Inclusive Design Operational
September 9, 2022
