Books by Apple
- Reading System Books
- Vendor Apple
- Assistive Technology: Voiceover
- OS: iOS
- Tested with Braille: No
- Tested with Screenreader: Yes
- Input type: Touch
Results for Basic Functionality: 80%
Last updated: 20 January 2022
Test book used: Fundamental Accessibility Tests: Basic Functionality, version 1.0.0
These tests were done by Prashant Ranjan Verma.
Summary
Books 4.2.1 The Apple Books app can be used for leisure reading. It does not support fine navigation within the book text with Voiceover. The tests not supported are TOC hierarchy, determining "Where am I?", selecting text, copying text, adding notes, reviewing image alt text and navigation in book text by blocks/paragraphs. The Maths and long image description support needs to improve.
Test ID | Name | Description | Result | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
file-010 | Operating system/Platform accessibility | If you are using a hardware device, it can be started independently and essential accessibility for starting and exiting applications is available. | Pass | |
file-110 | The reading system can be activated independently | If you are using a reading app that requires you to create an online account then the complete getting started process should be accessible. | Pass | |
file-210 | Open content | Open the Fundamental Accessibility Test book in the reading system. | Pass | The test files were sideloaded from email attachments |
file-310 | Listing documents | Check if you can navigate inside the bookshelf. | Pass | |
nav-005 | The table of contents in the app presents the content hierarchy | Check if the table of Contents is accessible and its hierarchy is presented correctly by the reading system | Fail | The hierarchy is presented visually by indenting the sub-sections. However, Voiceover is not able to determine the hierarchy and all the items are read alike. |
nav-010 | Navigate to chapters through the Table of Contents | Check if you can navigate to a section by using the table of contents. | Pass | The Voiceover reading starts from top of the screen containing the selected section/sub-section. Voiceover focus does not precisely move to the section selected in the TOC. |
nav-110 | Navigate content by pages | Check if you can navigate the content by pages. | Pass | In Table of Contents view tap to view printed page numbers". Then the search feature can be used to type and go to desired page. |
nav-210 | Navigate forward and backward through reflowed content | Use any control or command to navigate forward and backwards in the book content. | Pass | |
nav-310 | Read navigation information | Use the "Where am I?" or any other similar command available in the reading system and check if you can get information about your current position in the book. | Fail | With Voiceover it is not possible to determine the name of the current section or sub-section being read. The screen displays the number of page/screen at the bottom and the name of the Chapter and not the sub-section at the top of the screen. Heading navigation is not supported. |
nav-410 | Perform a search, review the search results | Perform a search, review the search results and navigate to the selected search result in the content. | Pass | Voiceover focus does not move precisely to the searched item, the reading starts from the top of the screen containing the searched term. |
nav-510 | Move across chapters without using TOC | Check if you can move across chapters without having to use the Table of Contents. | Pass | The reading stops at the end of the Chapter. Page navigation gesture is required to start reading the next chapter. |
anno-010 | Add a Bookmark or Highlight | Some reading systems may have a Highlight feature in place of Bookmarks. The tests for Bookmarks may then be performed with Highlights. | Pass | |
anno-110 | Review and navigate Bookmarks or Highlights | Check if you can review and navigate Bookmarks or Highlights. | Pass | |
anno-210 | Add a note | Add a Note at this location in the book. Provide a few lines of text in the Note. | Fail | The text cannot be selected with Voiceover. The popup menu containing the option to add notes cannot be activated when Voiceover is running.command |
anno-310 | Review and navigate Notes | Check if you can review and navigate Notes. | Pass | If notes have been added, then they can be reviewed and navigated to using the Notes tab in the TOC view with Voiceover. |
Results for Non-visual Reading: 64.29%
Last updated: 20 January 2022
Test book used: Fundamental Accessibility Tests: Non-Visual Reading, version 1.0.0
These tests were done by Prashant Ranjan Verma.
Summary
Books 4.2.1 The Apple Books app can be used for leisure reading. It does not support fine navigation within the book text with Voiceover. The tests not supported are TOC hierarchy, determining "Where am I?", selecting text, copying text, adding notes, reviewing image alt text and navigation in book text by blocks/paragraphs. The Maths and long image description support needs to improve.
Test ID | Name | Description | Result | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
reading-010 | Initiate "read from here" | Focus on the beginning of a paragraph or a sentence and initiate reading. Reading should continue until interrupted by the user or at the end of the current document, e.g. current chapter. The text being read should preferably remain in view, but this is not a requirement to pass the test. | Pass | |
reading-110 | Stop and resume reading | Initiate reading from any point in the book. Stop reading and note the last read position. Initiate reading again and check if reading starts at the last read location. | Pass | Reading can be stopped and started at the same location using the two finger single tap gesture of Voiceover. |
reading-210 | All text should be read in the proper order | Sample text has been provided to test the reading order. The Paragraph 2 should be read after Paragraph 1. Note that visually Paragraph 2 is placed to the left of Paragraph 1 but it is second in the reading order. | Pass | |
reading-310 | Image alternate text reading | Ensure that the alternate text for the image is available. | Fail | The Alt text is read out during continuous reading of Voiceover. However, it cannot be navigated using words or characters and the image alt text is not available using navigation gestures. |
reading-410 | Change reading speed | It should be possible to adjust (increase/decrease) the speed of reading. This test should be performed using the Assistive Technology being used for accessibility evaluation. | Pass | |
reading-510 | TTS allows pause for headings, paragraphs, list items, etc | The user should be able to identify the difference between content items such as headings, paragraphs or list items by sufficient pauses in the TTS reading or appropriate formatting in the Braille device. | Pass | |
reading-610 | Navigate between the cells, rows and columns in the table | Check if you can navigate between the rows and columns of the table | Fail | The table text can be navigated only by words mode with Voiceover. |
reading-710 | Navigate between internal hyperlinks | Check if you can navigate between internal hyperlinks. | Pass | The Voiceover interaction needs to be improved. When the hyperlink is inline, it Voiceover does not consistently select it when the link navigation is used. |
reading-810 | Move to the next block item | Check if you can move to the next available page element e.g. paragraph, image or table by using a common key/gesture like swipe right, down arrow etc. | Fail | Navigation by blocks or even paragraphs is not supported. |
reading-910 | Navigate by characters | Check if it is possible to navigate to next and previous character in the book text by way of any command or gesture. | Pass | |
reading-1010 | Navigate by words | Check if it is possible to navigate to next and previous word in the book text by way of any command or gesture. | Pass | |
reading-1110 | Navigate by lines | Check if it is possible to navigate to next and previous line in the book text by way of any command or gesture. | Pass | |
reading-1210 | Navigate the content by headings | Check if you can move to the next and previous headings in this book without using the Table of Contents. | Fail | |
reading-1310 | Select and copy text | Reading systems should provide the ability to copy pieces of text that could be used for notes, in quotations, or to facilitate searching terms contained in the book. In some cases, this could be achieved using an AT such as a screen reader, for instance with a dedicated cursor or other procedures. | Fail | Selection and copy of text is not supported with Voiceover. |
Results for Extended Descriptions: 0%
Last updated: 20 January 2022
Test book used: Accessibility Tests Extended Descriptions, version 1.1.1
Summary
Books 4.2.1 Apple Books Assistive Technology: Voiceover OS: iOS 13.5.1
Test ID | Name | Description | Result | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
extdescription-010 | Detection and Utilization of HTML Details and Summary elements | Check if you can use HTML details and summary successfully and read the extended description contained in it. | Fail | The description can be expanded by using line/word navigation and tapping on it. However the focus moves to the previous page and description cannot be read immediately. |
extdescription-020 | Technique for linking to a single extended description placed in a separate HTML file via text hyperlinks | Check if activating the hyperlink placed under the image takes you to a separate HTML file with extended descriptions, and the back link there brings you back to the image. | Fail | The main difficulty is that Voiceover does not announce the text to be activated as a link. On tapping it the focus moves to top of target page and the return link also brings focus to the bar chart. |