When designing your app for your target audience, make sure everyone who could possibly use it can. Failing to do so was a mistake that Domino’s made when creating its pizza ordering app.
The issue was brought up after a blind customer said he first struggled to change toppings and then was unable to complete a pizza purchase using the company's iPhone app. After hearing his complaint, a court in the US ruled that Domino’s must now make their app accessible to visually impaired people.
This judgement against Domino’s has come after initial disappointment for the customer, when in 2017 a Pasadena federal court judge dismissed Mr Robles's claim on the grounds that the government had yet to issue regulations about what apps and websites had to do to be compliant with the law.
But a three-judge appeals panel reversed that decision on Monday, saying that the lack of specific rules did not mean that the food chain escaped its responsibility to provide "full and equal enjoyment" of its services, to blind people.
This move in the USA is indicative of the increasing emphasis being made internationally for access to online goods, services and information being achievable to people with impairments of various kinds and levels of seriousness.
Creating an app
Creating apps involves designing, scoping and building an online system which allows the user to interact with the app, and can be a major benefit for a brand, its stakeholders, clients, prospects and staff.
During this process it is vital that thorough testing is undertaken to make sure your app does what it is meant to do, and is easily accessible. If you need to revise any of the layouts or navigation paths, do so. Keep your users in mind, and try to follow their thinking, not your own.
Allowing time for this will benefit you in the long term, as solving any user issues before launching can help prevent difficult situations as seen with the Domino’s app.
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Conclusion
While a ruling like this has only just happened in America, organisations in the UK already have a responsibility under the Equality Act 2010 to ensure that their websites and apps can be used by blind and partially sighted people, including those who use screen readers. Therefore, it is essential to follow the regulations when designing an app.