Blog
Welcome to our blog, we share insights and tips to create accessible apps.
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Abra releases automated checks for accessibility language
When a screen reader encounters text in your app, it needs to know which language that text is in. With the language declared, the screen reader picks the right text-to-speech engine and applies the right pronunciation rules. Read more »
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Abra releases Abra SDK
Accessibility shouldn't be an afterthought. It should be part of every build, every test run, every pull request. That's why we're bringing the same test engine that powers Abra Desktop directly into your automated testing pipeline. The Abra SDK is a native SDK for Android and iOS that lets you run accessibility checks right from your existing tests. Read more »
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Abra releases automated checks for name, role, state and value
When users navigate an app with a screen reader, every element is announced using a combination of four properties: name, role, state, and value. Read more »
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The European Accessibility Act: what businesses and app developers need to know
What is the European accessibility act (EAA)?The European accessibility act (EAA) is European-wide legislation designed to ensure digital products and services are accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. Unlike earlier accessibility directives targeting public sector organisations, the EAA specifically addresses commercial organisations. The EAA applies to products and services. Read more »
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Key mobile app accessibility resources
Mobile app accessibility can feel overwhelming at first. There are guidelines, laws, platform-specific rules, testing methods, assistive technologies, and countless articles, tools, and opinions. The challenge is not only knowing what accessibility is, but also knowing which resources are truly worth your time. Read more »
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Practical guide to mobile accessibility testing
If you are a developer, designer, tester, auditor or any other professional already working on accessibility but unsure how to approach mobile accessibility testing by hand, this guide is for you. Read more »
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CPACC explained: what it is and how we prepared
Recently, all four of us passed the CPACC exam and obtained our certification. In this article, we share our experience for people who are preparing for CPACC or considering taking the exam. Read more »
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Why accessibility must shift left in mobile development
Accessibility in mobile apps is gradually moving from a niche consideration to a structural requirement. With legislation such as the European Accessibility Act, expectations placed on organisations are changing. Accessibility is no longer only about brand values or corporate responsibility. It is increasingly becoming a legal and organisational obligation. Read more »
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Beyond Success Criteria: interoperability, accessibility features and user preferences in EN 301 549 v4.1.0
Most discussions about EN 301 549 focus on the Success Criteria. That's understandable, but there are other requirements that matter just as much for mobile applications. Read more »
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PDF report generation in Abra Dashboard
Mobile accessibility audits take time. They require expertise, focus, and attention to detail. But finding accessibility issues is only part of the job. In practice, the most inefficient and time-consuming part of an audit is often something else: reporting. Read more »
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Abra Personal Account
At Abra, we work with large organisations every day. Banks, governments, enterprises with multiple teams and complex apps. But accessibility is not something that should live only inside big organisations. Read more »
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Mobile app accessibility under EN 301 549 v4.1.0
EN 301 549 v3.2.1 is the primary harmonised European standard in the European Union for accessibility of ICT products and services. It is aligned with WCAG 2.1 Level AA and applies to websites, mobile applications, non-web software, hardware, and electronic documents. Read more »
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Free Training Testing Accessibility of Apps
Testing mobile apps for accessibility requires a slightly different approach than testing websites.In this free live session, you’ll learn how to test mobile apps with assistive technologies such as screen readers, external keyboards, and text-scaling — the same tools real users rely on every day. Read more »
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Flutter 3.38.0: How an accessibility upgrade broke Android headings
During a recent re-audit of one of our client's Flutter applications, we discovered something alarming. Headings were no longer being announced as headings by TalkBack on Android. Read more »
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Your app has cavities: what toothbrushing can teach you about accessibility
What if I told you that brushing your teeth once a year is enough to keep them healthy? You’d laugh - because it’s ridiculous. Yet this is how many organisations treat accessibility. They run one audit, fix a few things, check the compliance box, and forget about it until the next deadline. But just like dental care, accessibility doesn’t work that way. Read more »
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What are Accessibility Design Annotations and why do they matter?
A designer creates a beautiful interface with accessibility in mind. The designer considered different important aspects like: color contrast, touch target size and a logical focus order. The design gets handed off to development, and weeks later, the finished product launches... only to fail basic accessibility tests. What went wrong? Read more »
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Abra automated rules for accessible name, role, value and state
We have added 4 new automated rules to Abra Desktop and the Abra SDK: Read more »
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Capture Android and iOS accessibility hierarchy using Abra snapshots
Browser DevTools make web accessibility inspection easy. Chrome, Firefox, and Safari all let you inspect the accessibility tree of any website. With mobile apps, we don't have that luxury. Read more »
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Free training Testing Accessibility of Apps - 4th December 9:00 CET
Testing mobile apps for accessibility requires a slightly different approach than testing websites.In this free live session, you’ll learn how to test mobile apps with assistive technologies such as screen readers, external keyboards, and text-scaling — the same tools real users rely on every day. Read more »
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Who gets left behind when apps ignore accessibility?
We often think of disability as something fixed and distant. But the truth is: we all face limitations, sometimes lifelong, sometimes for a short period, sometimes simply because of the situation we are in. If your mobile app works only for “ideal” users in “ideal” conditions, you will leave many people behind. Read more »
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EAA compliance: how to write an Accessibility Statement for your app
The European Accessibility Act (EAA) is EU-wide legislation designed to make digital products and services accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. If you provide digital products or services through a mobile app, you need processes and documentation that demonstrate how accessibility is managed and maintained. You can do this with an Accessibility Statement. Read more »
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Strengthening the Abra® brand across Europe
Since Abra® was founded our team of experts have earned a reputation for delivering high quality and driving meaningful impact in the app accessibility space. Now, with our trademark protection extended EU‑wide, Abra® has secured exclusive rights to its name through the EU Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Read more »
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WCAG2Mobile explained: what the new W3C draft means for mobile accessibility
The Mobile Accessibility Task Force (MATF) of the W3C has published a First Draft Note titled “Guidance on Applying WCAG 2.2 to Mobile Applications (WCAG2Mobile)” on 6 May 2025. This draft provides practical, mobile-specific guidance for interpreting WCAG 2.2 in the context of mobile applications, including native mobile apps, mobile web apps and hybrid apps using web components inside native mobile apps. Read more »
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Automated Abra rules to detect target size have been released
We’ve added two new automated Abra rules to Abra Desktop: Read more »
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Introducing semi-automated testing in Abra: combine smart automation with expert knowledge
At Abra, we believe real progress comes from combining smart automation with in-depth knowledge. That’s why we’ve introduced a powerful new feature in our desktop tool and dashboard: semi-automated testing. Read more »
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GAAD Meetup recap: how we shape accessibility together
On 14 May 2025, over 100 professionals gathered in our office in Utrecht for the GAAD Meetup 2025. The event, organised by Abra together with Accessibility Foundation, AccessibleEU, CharissaCheckt, Polteq, Q42 and Swink, marked Global Accessibility Awareness Day with one goal: to share knowledge, inspire action, and prepare for the upcoming European Accessibility Act (EAA). Read more »
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Announcing Abra software version 2.0.0
We're thrilled to announce the biggest update to our products yet! Available starting April 1, 2025 and no, this is not an April Fool's joke! 😉 Read more »
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GAAD Meetup – Putting the European Accessibility Act into Action
On May 14th, we’re hosting an inspiring and hands-on event to celebrate Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). With leading accessibility companies, including Abra, Accessibility Foundation, AccessibleEU, Polteq, Q42 and Swink we invite you to join us for an afternoon full of insights, action, and connection. Read more »
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Abra is now a W3C Member
Abra has joined the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) as a Member, advancing from our role as Invited Expert. The membership grants us a stronger voice in shaping standards to improve the accessibility of apps. Read more »
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Deafblind unmasking of The Mole with AI
The Mole is a popular TV program where candidates perform tasks together to earn money. However, one of them is the Mole, a saboteur who inconspicuously tries to prevent tasks from succeeding. The others must unmask the saboteur to win the game. Read more »
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Introducing new Abra Academy learning videos
Two years ago, we launched the Abra Kick-off training, and the response was incredible! Today, we're excited to take the next step by launching more app accessibility courses. Read more »
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Flutter technique available to change focus
From now on it is possible to change the focus in Flutter. Something that was limiting quite some apps to become accessible. Read more »
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Automatically test the accessibility of apps using Abra rules
We are proud to announce that Abra rules are now available in all our products! Read more »
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Interview: "Native apps will become more popular"
Jan Jaap de Groot was in Luxembourg last week. He gave a presentation at the GovTech Lab about mobile accessibility. And he was interviewed by his views on mobile accessibility by Dominique Nauroy. Read more »
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How to test the accessibility of your app?
There are several ways to test the accessibility of your app, we divide them in three main categories: automated, manual and user testing. Each of these types of tests has thier benefits and limitations. Read more »
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What if you had a limited budget for accessibility?
Imagine you're in charge of making an app accessible, but you have limited time and money. You want to make sure your approach is both smart and efficient. Read more »
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Wat are the differences between apps?
At Abra we often get the question: "What is the definition of an app?" or "Is a web app also considered an app?". In this blog we dive into that question. Read more »
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Abra software has launched!
We are proud to announce that Abra Desktop, Abra Dashboard and Abra Academy are now available! Read more »
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Abra wins Best in Tech award
The Dutch Interactive Awards (DIA) are the prizes for the very best interactive work by Dutch makers. The best professionals in the field have a chance to win a DIA PRO. Read more »
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Abra celebrates new Appt website and handbook
In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), we are excited to share the new Appt website and the new Appt accessibility handbook. These resources make it easier to make apps accessible. Abra is proud to have sponsored and contributed to these projects. Read more »
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New co-owner Mike Slinkman strengthens Abra
Building accessible websites. That's the passion of developer Mike Slinkman (31). As the new co-owner of Abra B.V., he complements co-founders Jan Jaap de Groot and Paul van Workum. Get to know Mike and be the first to peek into his future plans. Read more »
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Abra releases Abra Desktop Beta
Abra proudly announces the beta launch of Abra Desktop. This innovative product empowers teams to automatically check the accessibility of their apps. It's a significant step towards Abra's mission of ensuring apps are accessible for everyone. Read more »
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New co-owner Tanya van Workum strengthens Abra
Tanya van Workum had been involved with Abra since the start of Abra. As Paul’s partner she has been a sparring partner since the beginning and works for Abra on a project basis. Until recently, this was always in the background. Read more »
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Prioritizing accessibility in "The Smartest at Home" app
On July 31st, it's happening. Loyal viewers of De Slimste Mens ("The Smartest Person") already have the start of the new season marked in their calendars. The app of this popular quiz has been a big success among avid players for years. Up until now, the game in this app could only be played individually against each other or the computer. Read more »
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DICTU: "We now look at accessibility through a different lens"
DICTU is one of the major service providers in the field of ICT within the Dutch government. Other organizations within the government enlist the services of DICTU for various ICT matters. DICTU consists of different departments, including Web & App Services. This department develops and manages websites and apps for the Dutch government. Gerbrant van den Hengel, as a product owner, shares responsibility for the development of various apps at DICTU. The connection with Abra was established a few years ago. Read more »
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Measuring app accessibility maturity
To meet the legal requirements of digital accessibility, apps need to be accessible for everyone, including people with disabilities. In Europe these are the EAA requirements. What this means, and how to achieve this as an organization, is often less clear. Read more »
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DigiHandig app made fully accessible with the help of Abra
Kristel Thieme of New Future Lab is one of the founders of DigiHandig. "In the Netherlands, almost 4 million people are not fully participating in the digital society. That is a huge challenge. Together with Game Tailors and the Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations, we developed a tool to train digital skills in a fun and efficient way." Read more »