Mobile phones

Internet and SMS messaging

Web browsing and email

Differences between mobile handsets, connectivity options and browsing constraints can limit the accessibility of websites on mobile phones. Content authors and service developers often need to deploy multiple versions of their offerings or rely on widespread use of adaptation techniques.

W3C have defined a set of Mobile Web Best Practices Guidelines that can make content equally accessible with to users of desktop computers and mobile devices which have a standard level of web access.

Checking conformance

The W3C mobileOK Basic tests are based on a subset of the Mobile Web Best Practices. These tests are can be verified online, you can check conformance using the W3C Mobile Web Best Practice Checker.

The full mobileOK tests include the mobileOK Basic tests and are based on a larger subset of the Mobile Web Best Practices. These tests are not all verifiable online.

Designers should follow the Mobile Web Best Practices guidelines when creating web sites to be accessed via mobile devices.
Websites should conform to the automated mobileOK basic tests, whilst aiming towards conformance to the full mobile OK tests.

SMS

SMS messaging, also known as text messaging, is a quick and efficient method of reaching out to many people in the deaf community, some people with neurological or mental health conditions and other groups with verbal communication impairments

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Page last reviewed: 04 November 2010