WEB DEV ACCESSIBILITY TIP: Don’t Lock the Screen Orientation on Mobile Devices

Wheelchair on tablet,isolated on white background

WCAG 2.1 – 1.3.4 Orientation AA:
“Content does not restrict its view and operation to a single display orientation, such as portrait or landscape, unless a specific display orientation is essential.”

When it comes to accessibility, locking a mobile phone or tablet screen orientation doesn’t help folks who need to use a device with a fixed orientation.

EXAMPLE 1: Users with dexterity impairments. An individual who has a mounted device bolted to the arm of a wheelchair needs to be able to use the website page content in their fixed orientation.

EXAMPLE 2: Users with low-vision. These individuals need to be able to view content in the orientation that works best for them. Example: a person who needs to increase the text size by viewing content in landscape orientation.

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WEBSITE ACCESSIBILITY TESTING & REMEDIATION SERVICES: Mary Gillen is an experienced Website Accessibility Compliance Auditor and Remediator. She can test your website to determine if it meets accessibility standards:

WCAG 2.1: 312 checkpoints covering A, AA and AAA W3 accessibility guidelines
Section 508: 15 US federal guidelines covered by 59 accessibility checkpoints

Find out more about Mary Gillen’s Accessibility Testing & Remediation Services: Websites, PDFs, Office Docs & Videos

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