Over 1.3 billion people worldwide live with some form of disability—that's roughly 16% of the global population. Yet when I look at most mobile apps today, you'd think disabled users simply don't exist. It's a massive oversight that's costing businesses millions in lost revenue and, more importantly, excluding people who deserve equal access to digital experiences.
When clients come to me asking about app development costs, they almost always focus on the flashy features first. The animations, the social sharing, the premium subscriptions. Accessibility? That usually gets pushed to the "nice to have" pile or mentioned as an afterthought. But here's what many don't realise—building accessibility into your mobile app from the start isn't just the right thing to do; it's smart business.
Accessible design benefits everyone, not just people with disabilities. When you make your app easier to use for someone with limited vision, you're also making it better for someone using it in bright sunlight.
The question isn't really whether you should make your app accessible—it's how much it'll cost and when's the best time to do it. Some accessibility features add barely anything to your budget, whilst others require more planning and investment. The real challenge is understanding what factors influence mobile app development costs for your specific app and budget. That's exactly what this guide will help you figure out, breaking down the real costs without the jargon or unrealistic estimates you'll find elsewhere.
Understanding What Mobile App Accessibility Really Means
When most people hear "mobile app accessibility," they think it's just about helping blind users navigate their phones. That's part of it, sure, but it's actually much bigger than that. Accessibility means making your app usable by everyone—people with visual impairments, hearing difficulties, motor challenges, cognitive differences, and temporary disabilities too.
Think about it this way: if someone breaks their arm and can only use one hand for a few weeks, your app should still work for them. Or if someone's wearing sunglasses on a bright day and can't see their screen clearly, they shouldn't be completely stuck. These aren't edge cases—they're real situations that affect millions of users every day.
What Counts as an Accessibility Feature
The scope is broader than you might expect. Screen reader support is the obvious one, where your app works with tools that read text aloud. But there's also proper colour contrast so text is readable, large touch targets that are easy to tap, captions for videos, and simple navigation that doesn't confuse people.
Voice control support matters too—not just for people who can't use their hands, but for anyone driving or multitasking. Text that can be resized, animations that can be turned off, and clear error messages all fall under the accessibility umbrella.
The Real Numbers Behind This
Here's what really opened my eyes: accessibility affects far more people than most developers realise. The statistics paint a clear picture:
- Around 15% of the world's population lives with some form of disability
- Over 285 million people worldwide have visual impairments
- About 466 million people have hearing loss
- Millions more have temporary disabilities at any given time
When you ignore accessibility, you're potentially excluding a massive chunk of your potential user base. That's not just bad ethics—it's bad business sense too.
The Basic Costs of Making Your App Accessible
When clients ask me about accessibility costs, I can see the worry in their eyes—they're expecting some massive budget bombshell. The reality? Making your mobile app accessible doesn't have to break the bank, but it's not free either. Let me break down what you're actually looking at.
The biggest factor affecting your costs is when you decide to add accessibility features. Build them in from day one, and you're looking at roughly 10-15% extra on your development budget. That might sound steep, but wait until you hear the alternative. Retrofitting accessibility into an existing app? You could be looking at 30-50% of your original development cost. Sometimes more if your app's architecture wasn't built with cost-effective development strategies in mind.
Start accessibility planning during your app's design phase—not after launch. This single decision can save you thousands.
What Drives These Costs?
The main expenses come from three areas: extra development time, accessibility testing, and potential design changes. Your developers need time to implement screen reader compatibility, proper colour contrast, and navigation features for users with disabilities. Testing takes longer too because you need to check how your app works with assistive technologies.
Typical Budget Breakdown
- Development time for basic accessibility features: 20-40 hours
- Accessibility-focused testing and quality assurance: 15-25 hours
- Design adjustments for better contrast and readability: 10-20 hours
- Documentation and compliance checking: 5-10 hours
These numbers will vary based on your app's complexity, but they give you a realistic starting point. The good news? Once you build accessibility into your development process, future updates become much cheaper to implement.
Different Types of Accessibility Features and Their Price Tags
Right, let's talk money. When it comes to accessibility features, not all are created equal—some will barely dent your budget whilst others might make your accountant wince. Understanding these differences upfront helps you plan properly and avoid any nasty surprises down the line.
The Budget-Friendly Options
Screen reader compatibility sits at the cheaper end of the spectrum. Most development platforms already have built-in support for this, so you're mainly paying for proper implementation and testing. We're talking somewhere between £500-£1,500 for basic screen reader support. Colour contrast improvements are another cost-effective win—adjusting your colour palette to meet accessibility standards usually costs between £300-£800.
Text size adjustments are relatively straightforward too; your developers can implement scalable fonts for around £400-£1,000. These features pack a real punch for their price point.
The Pricier Features
Voice control integration gets expensive quickly. You're looking at £2,000-£8,000 depending on how sophisticated you want it. Custom gesture controls for motor impairments can range from £1,500-£5,000—the complexity here varies massively based on your app's functionality.
Audio descriptions for video content require professional voice talent and additional development work; budget £1,000-£4,000 per hour of content. Haptic feedback systems fall somewhere in the middle at £800-£2,500, though they can transform the user experience for visually impaired users.
The key thing to remember is that these prices aren't set in stone. Your app's complexity, the platforms you're targeting, and your existing codebase all influence the final cost. Some features work beautifully together too, so bundling can actually save you money.
When to Add Accessibility Features During Development
Here's the truth about timing—adding accessibility features to your mobile app works best when you plan for them right from the start. I know that sounds like something every developer says, but there's solid reasoning behind it. Building accessibility into your app from day one costs far less than trying to bolt it on afterwards.
Think about it this way: if you're designing your app's navigation and you know from the beginning that some users will rely on screen readers, you'll structure everything properly. Your buttons will have proper labels, your headings will follow a logical order, and your colour contrasts will meet the right standards. That's just good planning.
The Early Bird Approach
Most successful apps I've worked on tackle accessibility during the wireframing stage. This means before any code gets written, the team already knows which features need to work with assistive technology. Your designers can choose colour palettes that work for everyone, and your developers can write clean, semantic code that screen readers love.
Starting with inclusive design principles saves both time and money—retrofitting accessibility features can cost three to five times more than building them in from the beginning
The Retrofit Reality
Now, what happens if you're reading this and your app already exists? Don't panic. You can still add accessibility features, but expect it to take longer and cost more. You might need to rebuild certain screens, restructure your navigation, or completely rework how users interact with key features. The good news is that each update makes your app better for everyone—not just users who need accessibility support.
Platform Differences That Affect Your Budget
Here's the thing about iOS and Android—they handle accessibility completely differently, and this will absolutely impact your budget. Apple's approach is quite structured with their VoiceOver screen reader and built-in accessibility APIs, whilst Android offers more flexibility but requires more custom work to get things right.
iOS development tends to be more straightforward for accessibility because Apple provides clearer guidelines and better documentation. Their accessibility framework is mature and well-integrated, which means less time debugging and fewer surprises during development. Android, on the other hand, has TalkBack as its main screen reader, but you'll often need to do more manual testing across different device manufacturers—Samsung handles things differently to Google Pixel phones, for example.
Cross-Platform Development Considerations
If you're building with React Native or Flutter, you might think you'll save money by writing code once for both platforms. That's partly true, but accessibility features often need platform-specific adjustments anyway. You can't just assume what works on iOS will work perfectly on Android.
Testing Requirements by Platform
Testing costs vary significantly between platforms too. Here's what you'll typically need to budget for:
- iOS testing: Fewer device variations but thorough VoiceOver testing required
- Android testing: Multiple screen readers (TalkBack, Voice Assistant) across various manufacturers
- Cross-platform apps: Full testing on both platforms plus framework-specific accessibility checks
- Web-based apps: Browser compatibility testing for screen readers like NVDA and JAWS
The reality is that Android accessibility implementation usually takes 20-30% longer than iOS, mainly due to the fragmented ecosystem. Factor this into your timeline and budget from the start—understanding platform differences will cost you significantly more than building them in from day one.
Getting Help from Accessibility Experts
Right, let's talk about bringing in the professionals. While you can handle some basic accessibility features yourself, there comes a point where you'll need expert guidance—and that's perfectly normal. Most development teams don't have deep accessibility knowledge, which is why specialist consultants exist.
Accessibility experts typically charge between £500-£1,500 per day for consultancy work. For a comprehensive audit of your mobile app, you're looking at around £3,000-£8,000 depending on complexity. That might sound steep, but catching problems early saves money later—investing in quality development rather than cutting corners pays off in the long run.
What Accessibility Experts Actually Do
These specialists don't just point out problems; they provide actionable solutions. They'll test your app with actual assistive technologies, review your code for WCAG compliance, and create detailed reports with prioritised fixes. Some even offer training sessions for your development team, which pays dividends long-term.
Book accessibility experts during the design phase, not after development. It's much cheaper to fix wireframes than rebuild finished features.
Finding the Right Expert
Look for consultants with mobile app experience specifically—web accessibility knowledge doesn't always translate directly. Check their credentials and ask for case studies from similar projects. Many offer fixed-price packages for standard audits, which can be more budget-friendly than daily rates.
| Service Type | Typical Cost | Best For |
|---|
| Basic Audit | £2,000-£4,000 | Simple apps |
| Comprehensive Review | £5,000-£10,000 | Complex apps |
| Ongoing Support | £1,000-£3,000/month | Regular updates |
The investment in professional help often pays for itself through reduced development time and fewer post-launch accessibility complaints. Plus, having that expert stamp of approval gives you confidence your inclusive design actually works for everyone.
Conclusion
After working with countless apps over the years, I can tell you that accessibility isn't just a nice-to-have feature—it's something that makes your app better for everyone. The costs we've covered range from a few hundred pounds for basic features to several thousand for comprehensive accessibility overhauls, but these numbers shouldn't scare you off.
What I've learned is that the earlier you plan for accessibility, the less it costs. Building it in from day one is always cheaper than retrofitting later; that's just the reality of development. Whether you're looking at screen reader support, colour contrast adjustments, or voice controls, each feature serves a real purpose for real people who want to use your app.
The platform differences between iOS and Android will affect your budget, but they shouldn't dictate whether you include accessibility features. Both platforms offer excellent tools and guidelines—you just need to plan for the extra development time. Working with accessibility experts might seem like an added expense, but they can save you money by getting things right the first time rather than fixing problems later.
Here's what I want you to take away from this guide: accessibility features aren't just about compliance or ticking boxes. They're about making your app usable by millions more people who might otherwise struggle with it. The investment you make today opens doors for users with disabilities, older users, and people using your app in challenging situations like bright sunlight or noisy environments. That's not just good business—it's the right thing to do.
