Explore, record, and share -- through videos, photos, and live streams, the
online world presents a vibrant and diverse tapestry that draws innumerable
visitors daily. Yet, an often-overlooked truth looms large: "innumerable
visitors" does not equate to "all-inclusive participation." Particularly for
individuals with visual impairments, the vivid and dynamic realm of multimedia
remains largely inaccessible.

[The World Health Organization](https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment)
reports that only a fraction of people with vision impairments receive adequate
treatment: 36% of those with refractive errors and 17% with cataracts. This
leaves the vast majority without necessary medical care. In China alone, over 17
million individuals suffer from visual impairments due to various causes such as
refractive errors, cataracts, diabetes, and aging.

Furthermore, there are numerous situations in daily life where people
temporarily experience visual impairment. Examples include the recovery phase
following eye surgery or environments where screen viewing is impractical. These
scenarios add to the challenges faced by individuals in accessing screen-based
information.

One certainty prevails: life persists even in the absence of light. For the team
at Xiaohongshu, dedicated to the mission of "Inspiring Lives, sharing and
discovering the wonders of the world," every life holds equal wonder, and every
user is equally significant. Understanding the unique needs of these users, the
team's response is clear and comprehensive: full support for the Android
TalkBack screen reading service.

![TalkBack launch announcement](https://developer.android.com/static/images/distribute/stories/xiaohongshu-talkback-launch-poster.png)
△ Coinciding with White Cane Safety Day, Xiaohongshu officially implemented
support for the TalkBack feature on October 15

## Platform-level Accessibility support

For product teams aiming to offer accessibility features, addressing
"standardization" is vital: while adapting to different interaction paradigms in
each app may be a "hassle" for those with normal vision, for visually impaired
users, it can be an insurmountable barrier.

Android's screen reader, [TalkBack](https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/answer/6283677),
plays a critical role here: offering standardized, system-level, and intuitive
gestures. These features enable users to learn the most universal screen reading
interactions with minimal effort.

Additionally, many of these gestures are as straightforward as using an extra
finger compared to regular interactions, substantially reducing the learning
curve for users who temporarily need to use TalkBack.

![An example of Talkback support in the Xiaohongshu app](https://developer.android.com/static/images/distribute/stories/xiaohongshu-talkback-screen-login.png)
△ From the outset, including the sign-up process and EULA, Xiaohongshu offers
support for TalkBack.  


![From sharing button to input textbox, Xiaohongshu app is announcing every finger touch](https://developer.android.com/static/images/distribute/stories/xiaohongshu-talkback-screen-controls.png)
△ By dragging a finger across the screen, TalkBack will vocalize the contents
and available interactions  


![An example of the activated Talkback menu](https://developer.android.com/static/images/distribute/stories/xiaohongshu-talkback-screen-system-menu.png)
△ A three-finger tap activates the TalkBack menu

## Guided by the accessibility framework

The Xiaohongshu team has been familiar with accessibility features for some
time. Standard options such as "change font size" in contemporary apps and
"color contrast" during design have been catering to the needs of users with
visual impairments. Nevertheless, the transition to a fully "eyes-free"
interaction model requires extensive industry insights. Having diligently
studied Google's "[Building accessible apps](https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/accessibility),"
the team resolved to incorporate all aspects of accessibility --- design,
development, and testing --- into a holistic approach.

### Identifying issues through automated testing

The eyes-free interaction enabled by TalkBack relies on "touch." If a control is
too small, it may be untouchable for users, rendering it unannounced by the
system. To address this, the team initially utilizes Google's
[Accessibility Scanner](https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.google.android.apps.accessibility.auditor)
for a preliminary assessment. They then adjust the sizes of interface elements
according to the touch target size recommendations provided in the scan results.

![Google\'s Accessibility Scanner Play Store entry](https://developer.android.com/static/images/distribute/stories/xiaohongshu-play-store-scanner-app.png)
△ The Accessibility Scanner examines interface elements, providing
recommendations on aspects like size and contrast

### Creating a standard for accessibility in design

The objective in design is to distill complex operations into a succinct and
user-friendly paradigm. Xiaohongshu's design team, after thoroughly studying
Material Design's accessibility guidelines, crafted a comprehensive set of
guidelines tailored for their app. This includes specifications for touch
targets, gestures, and label strings specifically for TalkBack integration.


△ A dedicated TalkBack guideline for the Xiaohongshu app.

Certain specifications challenge typical development norms. For instance,
interface elements with multiple nested layers conventionally require labels and
descriptions for each component. But, having TalkBack read each label
sequentially could be time-consuming. To address this, the team collaborates to
determine the most effective division of touch targets and identifies which
labels can be consolidated for a more streamlined user experience.

Take, for instance, the social feed displayed in a two-column layout on the
homepage, which includes numerous child elements. Logically, this can be
considered as a single TalkBack element. The team amalgamates the essential
information on each card, enabling TalkBack to announce only the most meaningful
aspects to users. This approach not only simplifies the interface but also
lessens the cognitive load for the user, making the experience more efficient
and user-friendly.

![An example of message merge](https://developer.android.com/static/images/distribute/stories/xiaohongshu-announcement-merge.png)
△ Consolidating significant labels into a single TalkBack announcement, for
example: "Meow's little home" posts, "if it weren't for personally decorating, I
wouldn't believe this is the same bedroom," receiving "344 likes".

### A straightforward development task yielding unforeseen advantages

Initially, the development team required an additional two workdays to revise
the existing code, as they had to accommodate two different interaction
paradigms: the regular one and the one for TalkBack.

Fortunately, Google's accessibility API is impressively designed and capable of
addressing more than 80% of interaction scenarios. For the remaining scenarios,
typically, only adjustments to the sequence of screen reader announcements are
necessary, eliminating the need to develop custom accessibility services.

As the team gained deeper understanding of the Android Accessibility framework,
they developed more generic utility classes, which effectively reduced the
adaptation costs for various business modules. Consequently, in the later stages
of implementing accessibility features, the team required only one additional
workday for each new feature, streamlining the process significantly.


△ The team customizes the Android Accessibility framework to align with their
specific business logic

An unforeseen advantage arose from the necessity for TalkBack's announcements to
depend on the labeling of elements, prompting the team to meticulously reassess
the ordering and naming of interface elements. This rigorous review led to the
serendipitous resolution of some previously overlooked issues: the
standardization of naming for graphics with similar meanings, and the
rectification of certain pop-ups that were missing exit buttons.

![An Android Studio code sample](https://developer.android.com/static/images/distribute/stories/xiaohongshu-code-check-UI.png)
△ A review of interface elements within Android Studio

### Dedicated to preparing for the "Comprehensive Evaluation"

Inviting actual visually impaired users from the real world to test the app
constitutes the widely recognized "Grand Test" for the entire team. However, for
an app with a multitude of features, conducting such an extensive "Grand Test"
for every minor adjustment is not feasible.

In response, the team immersed themselves in understanding user gestures in
accessibility mode and actively integrated insights from accessibility practices
observed in other apps. They segmented the testing tasks according to different
business modules. Following a cycle of iterations within these modules, an
integration test is conducted, drawing participation from all roles in the
product development process, including product management, design, development,
and testing. This collaborative effort focuses on exploratory testing (ET) of
the features. Only after gathering and addressing feedback from this round of
testing do they invite external visually impaired users, referred to as "Grand
Testers," to perform the comprehensive "Grand Test" for the app.

## Accessibility: A collaborative endeavor by the team

At Xiaohongshu, the accessibility team operates as a cross-functional project
group, spearheaded by dedicated coordinators and backed by various business
divisions. These coordinators play a pivotal role in centralizing accessibility
knowledge, crafting guidelines, and overseeing the project to guarantee both
standardization and excellence in accessibility practices. The team initiated
their efforts with comprehensive user interviews and market research. This
foundational work was crucial for conveying the significance of accessibility
experiences, like TalkBack, to the company's executive leadership, ensuring
understanding at the C-level, and securing necessary resources from the
organization.

Within Xiaohongshu, each business department bears the responsibility of
incorporating accessibility considerations into their product design,
development, and testing workflows. In the actual development process, before
beginning accessibility adaptation work, a representative from the accessibility
team provides presentations to developers. This team member also assists in
gathering and preparing essential development documentation, including common
accessibility use cases and frequently asked questions. This approach ensures
that all team members are well-informed and equipped with the necessary
resources to integrate accessibility seamlessly into their work.


△ Accessibility is advocated for at both the executive (C-level) and code
levels

Following the official rollout of the accessibility features, various
departments including business, PR, editorial, and others will actively engage
in collaborative efforts. This entails internal and external promotional
activities as well as event planning to raise awareness and celebrate the
inclusion of these accessibility features.

Through the combined dedication of the entire company, Xiaohongshu successfully
implemented the TalkBack feature adaptation in a remarkably swift three-month
timeframe. The project was initiated in July 2023 and culminated with the
release in late September, corresponding to app version 8.9. This adaptation
comprehensively addresses core user interactions, encompassing key areas such as
login/sign-up, the homepage, navigating social posts, search functionality, user
profiles, live streaming, and content publishing, among others.

![Positive feedback from a Xiaohongshu user: It's not just a minor tweak; it's a substantial and comprehensive upgrade. Everything now operates much more seamlessly. Prior to this update, there was always a sense of... bumpiness.](https://developer.android.com/static/images/distribute/stories/xiaohongshu-user-feedback.png)
△ Users gave positive feedbacks on TalkBack adaptation.  


![#AccessibleLives UGC social event went viral in the accessibility community!](https://developer.android.com/static/images/distribute/stories/xiaohongshu-UGC-event.png)
△ Xiaohongshu has organized the "Love and Share Your Accessible Lives" social
event scheduled for October 15th, coinciding with White Cane Safety Day

## Occasionally, well-intentioned actions have unintended consequences

Prior to a specific "Grand Test," the team made the decision to temporarily
disable certain features that had not yet been fully adapted. This was done to
ensure that users could have the "proper" TalkBack experience during the testing
phase.

However, the "Grand Testers" expressed strong opposition to this version. They
conveyed to the team that although some features might pose challenges in their
current state, users believed they could still navigate and offer valuable
feedback for further optimization. Blocking these features was perceived as a
form of differential treatment for visually impaired users, inadvertently
creating a divide within the community.
> *"We should treat all users equally. The incomplete adaptation of
> accessibility features is not the users' problem; it's our problem."*
>
> *--- Xiaohongshu accessibility team*

The team quickly realized the value of this lesson. When a user expressed her
desire to attend an exhibition but was informed by the organizers that guide
dogs were not permitted, she shared this incident on Xiaohongshu. In response,
numerous users offered her advice on advocating for her rights. Ultimately, the
organizers reconsidered their policy and allowed guide dogs, showcasing the
positive impact of inclusive and supportive user engagement.

Whether receiving assistance or offering a helping hand, accessibility features
enable everyone to transcend physical differences and live diverse yet
interconnected lives.
> *"Improving the lives of everyone is the core value of the Xiaohongshu
> community."*
>
> *--- Product lead, Xiaohongshu app*

## Welcoming a diverse range of lives

Xiaohongshu continues to strongly emphasize its commitment to accessibility.

The accessibility project at Xiaohongshu received recognition and an award
during the company's quarterly evaluations. Additionally, the team is actively
working on extending the adaptations to cover additional app versions and
platforms. Their overarching goal is to broaden accessibility support, making it
accessible to an even wider user base and addressing diverse needs within the
accessibility community. Furthermore, they have plans to organize more online
and offline events, campaigns, editorial content, and services aimed at
increasing awareness and visibility of accessibility features within the
community.

Recognizing that the elderly population often encounters more accessibility
challenges, Xiaohongshu is planning to introduce campaigns like the "Elderly
Home-Friendly Guide." These initiatives are designed to encourage elderly users
to actively engage with the user community and contribute to app improvements
through feedback and iteration.

![Xiaohongshu's call to embrace the elderly population into the community](https://developer.android.com/static/images/distribute/stories/xiaohongshu-elderly-friendly.png)
△ The "Elderly Home-Friendly" campaign.

The accessibility experience will not only lead to more considerate designs but
also present [tangible growth](https://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/accessibility) opportunities for
developers.

Xiaohongshu is in an ongoing pursuit of the answer to the "Grand Test." This
response is a work in progress and may never reach completion, as the app will
continually evolve, presenting new accessibility scenarios to address. However,
the "Grand Testers" remain content as long as the team persists in responding to
their needs and striving for improvement.

We anticipate that more developers within the Android community will follow suit
in creating thoughtful and inclusive accessible apps, thereby expanding their
user base and welcoming additional users to their communities!