Vertical Scroll as Primary Scroll Pattern with No Horizontal Swipe Dependency
The workshop documentation explicitly identifies vertical scrolling as the norm and states that horizontal swiping should not be required. This applies to lists, cards, detail pages, and wizard steps. Swipe-to-reveal actions (e.g., swipe-to-delete, swipe-to-archive) must always have accessible alternatives such as long-press menus, contextual action buttons, or overflow menus. Horizontal carousels, if used for gamification or summary widgets, must include visible forward/back controls in addition to swipe.
User Story
Acceptance Criteria
- Given I am viewing any list screen (contacts, activities, notifications), when I scroll with one finger vertically, then all items are reachable without any horizontal scroll
- Given a list item has swipe actions (e.g., delete or archive), when I long-press the item or tap an overflow menu icon, then the same actions are available without horizontal swiping
- Given I am using switch access or keyboard navigation, when I navigate through a list, then all items and their actions are reachable using linear focus traversal without triggering scroll
- Given a horizontal carousel widget is present (e.g., wrapped summary), when I view it with VoiceOver, then previous and next buttons are available as tappable controls in addition to swipe
- Given I am on a wizard step screen, when the wizard advances, then the transition is vertical or a full-screen push animation, never a horizontal swipe the user must perform
Business Value
The requirement for vertical-only scrolling was explicitly stated in the NHF and Blindeforbundet workshops, with specific reference to users with cognitive and motor disabilities. Horizontal swiping requires bimanual coordination or precise gesture control that many peer mentors cannot perform reliably. Removing horizontal gesture dependencies is a zero-cost accessibility improvement that broadens the usable audience for the app to the full spectrum of users served by the partner organizations.