Checkers Sixty60 Enhances App Accessibility Through Partnership with Blind SA
Checkers has partnered with Blind SA to improve the accessibility of its Sixty60 app, ensuring a more inclusive shopping experience for blind and partially sighted users.
Following the launch of the updated Sixty60 app in October 2024, representatives from Blind SA – including president Christo de Klerk, CEO Jace Nair, and Advocacy and Information Committee member Nicole Roos – met with the Sixty60 development team to share key concerns raised by the visually impaired community. To highlight specific accessibility issues, Blind SA also submitted voice recordings demonstrating the challenges users faced when using screen readers on the iPhone version of the app.
“Since the app update of January 2025, it is much more accessible. Not only did Checkers Sixty60 make technical enhancements on the app, but they also invested in upskilling their developers, product owners, and testers on accessibility paradigms and tools, embedding a critical skillset and awareness in the team,” said de Klerk.
“Checkers serves as a role model for other companies in their commitment to engage with blind users and improving their app for blind and partially sighted shoppers,” he added.
Key accessibility improvements include:
1. Onboarding Process
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Fully accessible sign-up flow, including clearly labelled input fields and helpful screen reader hints.
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One-time pin (OTP) inputs now echo user entries for easier verification.
2. Product Cards
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Enhanced screen reader support enables users to hear product names, prices, and take quick actions like adding to basket.
3. User-Created Shopping Lists
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Blind users can now independently create and edit shopping lists with ease.
4. Order Summary Screen
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Improved accessibility labels and intuitive control types.
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Delivery time slot selection and CVV input fields now offer full voice feedback.
5. Basket Summary Screen
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Accessible icons for clearing items and navigating basket content with ease.
6. Product Search
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Full voice support for entering and confirming search terms.
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Enhanced label navigation and voice search functionality.
7. Edit My Details Section
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All form fields now include verbal feedback and screen reader compatibility for greater independence.
Additional improvements coming soon:
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Bottom Tab Navigation: Users will soon be able to hear their basket total and savings amounts from the app’s main navigation bar.
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Basket Item Controls: Easier adjustment of item quantities directly from the basket.
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Further Onboarding Enhancements: Additional improvements to button accessibility are on the roadmap.
Nicole Roos echoed the sentiment, noting that progress is ongoing. “Although it has not been possible to iron out all accessibility issues as yet, Checkers remains in constant communication with Blind SA. My hope is that other retailers will be as willing to improve their accessibility to ensure equal access for all,” she said.
Supplied by: Checkers.
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