Optimizing accessibility for limited mobility
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Challenges affecting strength, dexterity, or fine motor control impact a wide range of people, with data showing significant prevalence among certain groups —for example, approximately 35% of adults experience mobility limitations by age 701. However, designing for accessibility isn’t just for people with permanent conditions. It also benefits anyone dealing with temporary or situational conditions that affect everyday life, like having a sprained wrist, using a device one-handed while carrying groceries, or trying to input information on a mobile device while riding on a bumpy road.
Design for Accessibility is design for everyone
When we design with accessibility in mind, we’re not just checking a box, we’re creating digital experiences that are easier to use for everyone. Making interaction easier and tasks more achievable doesn’t just help some users; it improves product quality across the board.
5 tips to optimize Accessibility for those with limited mobility
Supporting users with limited mobility means designing for a broad range of abilities, from permanent conditions to temporary or situational mobility challenges. The guidance in SAP’s Accessibility Design Tools, Second Edition, and the Inclusive Research Handbook helps turn this awareness into practical steps. With these resources in mind, here are five tips to help you get started:
Ensure all functionality is accessible via keyboard, such as Tab to navigate and Enter/Space to interact. Maintain a logical tab order and ensure that users can navigate out of elements like pop-ups or forms with their keyboard.
Why? Limited mobility can make using a mouse difficult, especially when targeting small buttons or moving the cursor quickly across the screen, often causing strain and frequent errors.
Design buttons and interactive elements with a minimum touch target of 44×44 px. Increase spacing between adjacent clickable items to reduce accidental activation.
Why? Small clickable areas can be difficult to activate accurately. This can result in missed or accidental clicks, especially for people using a touchscreen or anyone who has difficulty with precise mouse control.
For any action that requires a complex touch gesture, such as swiping or pinching, always provide a simple on-screen button that performs the same function.
Why? Multi-step gestures like pinch-to-zoom, swipe, long-press, and complex keyboard shortcuts such as Ctrl + Alt + Shift can be physically difficult or impossible for some users.
Prioritize task efficiency by minimizing the number of steps required to complete tasks. To reduce user effort, provide shortcuts and customizable settings, such as skip links or collapsible sections.
Why? Requiring long navigation paths or excessive interactions increases physical effort and can cause fatigue, particularly during repetitive or extended use.
Always provide clear, high-contrast focus indicators for all interactive elements. Ensure the focus order is logical and predictable.
Why? Without a visible focus, keyboard users often cannot easily track their position on the page. This makes navigation difficult and increases the risk of activating the wrong element.
How SAP Designs with Accessibility in Mind
Technology keeps changing, but our commitment to Accessibility remains constant. We're focused on ensuring innovation moves forward without leaving anyone behind. To achieve that goal, we are actively innovating how accessibility considerations can be integrated in all parts of the Product Development Lifecycle, especially in early phases like design.
Want to dig deeper? Explore SAP's Accessibility Design Tools, Second Edition
References:
1Frontiers in Physiology. (2020). Mobility in older community-dwelling persons: A narrative review. Frontiers in Physiology, 11, 881.