The Yandex blog said that the Yandex Music mobile application for Android and iOS was adapted for blind users. Added support for screen readers built into operating systems and adapted the interface. In the future, the web version of the service will also be updated in this way.

Yandex Music now supports working with VoiceOver and TalkBack — built-in iOS and Android screen readers. These programs voice the contents of the screen, but special markup is needed for correct operation. Application developers have provided markup for all interface elements and redesigned the update release processes so that new versions of the application immediately come out with support for functions for the blind.

We strive to make music accessible to everyone — this summer Yandex Music held music events for the first time at Plus Dacha with the participation of Russian sign language translators — especially for hard of hearing and deaf guests. Now we have made a big step towards the accessibility of the service for blind users. We are glad that they will be able to enjoy their favorite music, listen to audiobooks and podcasts without restrictions.

Head of Yandex Music Alexandra Sagalovich

The Yandex Sustainable Development Group took part in the application adaptation project. The team helped developers better understand the needs of blind users. Visually impaired people tested the application, who shared their level of expertise and recommended improvements.

In the final adaptation project, Yandex developers applied non-standard solutions to improve management. For example, on iOS, navigation elements were grouped so that the user could find out the artist, the name of the composition and additional actions in one tap. And switching between tracks was implemented using swipes.