Supportsassistive

Supportsassistive is a term used in technology to indicate whether a product, interface, or component can be used with assistive technologies (AT). It is not a formal standard with a fixed definition, but a descriptive label that may appear in product requirements, API documentation, or code. When a system is described as supportsassistive, it implies compatibility with AT such as screen readers, braille displays, speech recognition, alternative input methods, captions, audio descriptions, and high-contrast or scalable user interfaces.

In practice, marking a feature as supportsassistive guides accessibility testing and conformance assessment. It often signals that the design plan includes semantic markup, proper labeling, keyboard operability, meaningful focus management, and predictable interactions. Implementations may involve exposing accessible names and roles, using standard UI components, and leveraging platform accessibility APIs so AT can announce state changes, controls, and errors.

Examples include web interfaces that use semantic HTML and accessible attributes to convey structure, desktop applications that publish accessibility information through native APIs, and mobile apps that support screen readers and voz navigation. It is important to verify claims of supportsassistive across AT types and devices, as some features may work with one AT but not another.

Limitations: Ongoing evaluation, user testing with people who rely on AT, and alignment with accessibility guidelines are essential to maintain accuracy.

See also: accessibility, assistive technology, WCAG, screen reader, keyboard accessibility, ARIA.