Change order of read items with VoiceOver

Question

I have a bunch of buttons on the screen which are positioned intuitively visually but are not read in an intuitive order by VoiceOver. This is because certain buttons like Up and Down are placed above and below each other. However, voiceover starts reading from Left to Right, from Top to Bottom, it seems.

This results in voiceover reading the button to the right of "Up" after "Up", instead of reading "Down" immediately afterward.

How do I force voiceover to read the button that I want to read? I should mention that I'm using the swipe-to-cycle-through-elements feature on voiceover.

All my buttons are subclassed versions of UIView and UIButton. Here's an example of a button initiator I use. Ignore the pixel count - I know that's bad form but I'm in a pinch at the moment:

UIButton* createSpecialButton(CGRect frame, 
                                 NSString* imageName, 
                                 NSString* activeImageName,
                                 id target,
                                 SEL obClickHandler) 
{
    UIButton* b = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeCustom];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:imageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateNormal];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:activeImageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateHighlighted];
    [b addTarget:target action:obClickHandler forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];    
    b.frame= frame;
    return b;
}


- (UIButton *) createSendButton {
    CGFloat yMarker = 295;

    UIButton* b = createSpecialButton(CGRectMake(160, yMarker, 70, 45),
                                          @"Share_Btn",
                                          @"Share_Selected_Btn",
                                          self,
                                          @selector(sendAction));
    b.accessibilityHint = @"Send it!";
    b.accessibilityLabel = @"Stuff for voiceover to be added";
    [self.view addSubview:b];

    return b;
}

Answer 1

I have a bunch of buttons on the screen which are positioned intuitively visually but are not read in an intuitive order by VoiceOver. This is because certain buttons like Up and Down are placed above and below each other. However, voiceover starts reading from Left to Right, from Top to Bottom, it seems.

This results in voiceover reading the button to the right of "Up" after "Up", instead of reading "Down" immediately afterward.

How do I force voiceover to read the button that I want to read? I should mention that I'm using the swipe-to-cycle-through-elements feature on voiceover.

All my buttons are subclassed versions of UIView and UIButton. Here's an example of a button initiator I use. Ignore the pixel count - I know that's bad form but I'm in a pinch at the moment:

UIButton* createSpecialButton(CGRect frame, 
                                 NSString* imageName, 
                                 NSString* activeImageName,
                                 id target,
                                 SEL obClickHandler) 
{
    UIButton* b = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeCustom];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:imageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateNormal];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:activeImageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateHighlighted];
    [b addTarget:target action:obClickHandler forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];    
    b.frame= frame;
    return b;
}


- (UIButton *) createSendButton {
    CGFloat yMarker = 295;

    UIButton* b = createSpecialButton(CGRectMake(160, yMarker, 70, 45),
                                          @"Share_Btn",
                                          @"Share_Selected_Btn",
                                          self,
                                          @selector(sendAction));
    b.accessibilityHint = @"Send it!";
    b.accessibilityLabel = @"Stuff for voiceover to be added";
    [self.view addSubview:b];

    return b;
}

Answer 2

I have a bunch of buttons on the screen which are positioned intuitively visually but are not read in an intuitive order by VoiceOver. This is because certain buttons like Up and Down are placed above and below each other. However, voiceover starts reading from Left to Right, from Top to Bottom, it seems.

This results in voiceover reading the button to the right of "Up" after "Up", instead of reading "Down" immediately afterward.

How do I force voiceover to read the button that I want to read? I should mention that I'm using the swipe-to-cycle-through-elements feature on voiceover.

All my buttons are subclassed versions of UIView and UIButton. Here's an example of a button initiator I use. Ignore the pixel count - I know that's bad form but I'm in a pinch at the moment:

UIButton* createSpecialButton(CGRect frame, 
                                 NSString* imageName, 
                                 NSString* activeImageName,
                                 id target,
                                 SEL obClickHandler) 
{
    UIButton* b = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeCustom];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:imageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateNormal];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:activeImageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateHighlighted];
    [b addTarget:target action:obClickHandler forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];    
    b.frame= frame;
    return b;
}


- (UIButton *) createSendButton {
    CGFloat yMarker = 295;

    UIButton* b = createSpecialButton(CGRectMake(160, yMarker, 70, 45),
                                          @"Share_Btn",
                                          @"Share_Selected_Btn",
                                          self,
                                          @selector(sendAction));
    b.accessibilityHint = @"Send it!";
    b.accessibilityLabel = @"Stuff for voiceover to be added";
    [self.view addSubview:b];

    return b;
}

Answer 3

I have a bunch of buttons on the screen which are positioned intuitively visually but are not read in an intuitive order by VoiceOver. This is because certain buttons like Up and Down are placed above and below each other. However, voiceover starts reading from Left to Right, from Top to Bottom, it seems.

This results in voiceover reading the button to the right of "Up" after "Up", instead of reading "Down" immediately afterward.

How do I force voiceover to read the button that I want to read? I should mention that I'm using the swipe-to-cycle-through-elements feature on voiceover.

All my buttons are subclassed versions of UIView and UIButton. Here's an example of a button initiator I use. Ignore the pixel count - I know that's bad form but I'm in a pinch at the moment:

UIButton* createSpecialButton(CGRect frame, 
                                 NSString* imageName, 
                                 NSString* activeImageName,
                                 id target,
                                 SEL obClickHandler) 
{
    UIButton* b = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeCustom];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:imageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateNormal];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:activeImageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateHighlighted];
    [b addTarget:target action:obClickHandler forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];    
    b.frame= frame;
    return b;
}


- (UIButton *) createSendButton {
    CGFloat yMarker = 295;

    UIButton* b = createSpecialButton(CGRectMake(160, yMarker, 70, 45),
                                          @"Share_Btn",
                                          @"Share_Selected_Btn",
                                          self,
                                          @selector(sendAction));
    b.accessibilityHint = @"Send it!";
    b.accessibilityLabel = @"Stuff for voiceover to be added";
    [self.view addSubview:b];

    return b;
}

Answer 4

I have a bunch of buttons on the screen which are positioned intuitively visually but are not read in an intuitive order by VoiceOver. This is because certain buttons like Up and Down are placed above and below each other. However, voiceover starts reading from Left to Right, from Top to Bottom, it seems.

This results in voiceover reading the button to the right of "Up" after "Up", instead of reading "Down" immediately afterward.

How do I force voiceover to read the button that I want to read? I should mention that I'm using the swipe-to-cycle-through-elements feature on voiceover.

All my buttons are subclassed versions of UIView and UIButton. Here's an example of a button initiator I use. Ignore the pixel count - I know that's bad form but I'm in a pinch at the moment:

UIButton* createSpecialButton(CGRect frame, 
                                 NSString* imageName, 
                                 NSString* activeImageName,
                                 id target,
                                 SEL obClickHandler) 
{
    UIButton* b = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeCustom];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:imageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateNormal];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:activeImageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateHighlighted];
    [b addTarget:target action:obClickHandler forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];    
    b.frame= frame;
    return b;
}


- (UIButton *) createSendButton {
    CGFloat yMarker = 295;

    UIButton* b = createSpecialButton(CGRectMake(160, yMarker, 70, 45),
                                          @"Share_Btn",
                                          @"Share_Selected_Btn",
                                          self,
                                          @selector(sendAction));
    b.accessibilityHint = @"Send it!";
    b.accessibilityLabel = @"Stuff for voiceover to be added";
    [self.view addSubview:b];

    return b;
}

Answer 5

I have a bunch of buttons on the screen which are positioned intuitively visually but are not read in an intuitive order by VoiceOver. This is because certain buttons like Up and Down are placed above and below each other. However, voiceover starts reading from Left to Right, from Top to Bottom, it seems.

This results in voiceover reading the button to the right of "Up" after "Up", instead of reading "Down" immediately afterward.

How do I force voiceover to read the button that I want to read? I should mention that I'm using the swipe-to-cycle-through-elements feature on voiceover.

All my buttons are subclassed versions of UIView and UIButton. Here's an example of a button initiator I use. Ignore the pixel count - I know that's bad form but I'm in a pinch at the moment:

UIButton* createSpecialButton(CGRect frame, 
                                 NSString* imageName, 
                                 NSString* activeImageName,
                                 id target,
                                 SEL obClickHandler) 
{
    UIButton* b = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeCustom];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:imageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateNormal];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:activeImageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateHighlighted];
    [b addTarget:target action:obClickHandler forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];    
    b.frame= frame;
    return b;
}


- (UIButton *) createSendButton {
    CGFloat yMarker = 295;

    UIButton* b = createSpecialButton(CGRectMake(160, yMarker, 70, 45),
                                          @"Share_Btn",
                                          @"Share_Selected_Btn",
                                          self,
                                          @selector(sendAction));
    b.accessibilityHint = @"Send it!";
    b.accessibilityLabel = @"Stuff for voiceover to be added";
    [self.view addSubview:b];

    return b;
}

Answer 6

I have a bunch of buttons on the screen which are positioned intuitively visually but are not read in an intuitive order by VoiceOver. This is because certain buttons like Up and Down are placed above and below each other. However, voiceover starts reading from Left to Right, from Top to Bottom, it seems.

This results in voiceover reading the button to the right of "Up" after "Up", instead of reading "Down" immediately afterward.

How do I force voiceover to read the button that I want to read? I should mention that I'm using the swipe-to-cycle-through-elements feature on voiceover.

All my buttons are subclassed versions of UIView and UIButton. Here's an example of a button initiator I use. Ignore the pixel count - I know that's bad form but I'm in a pinch at the moment:

UIButton* createSpecialButton(CGRect frame, 
                                 NSString* imageName, 
                                 NSString* activeImageName,
                                 id target,
                                 SEL obClickHandler) 
{
    UIButton* b = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeCustom];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:imageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateNormal];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:activeImageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateHighlighted];
    [b addTarget:target action:obClickHandler forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];    
    b.frame= frame;
    return b;
}


- (UIButton *) createSendButton {
    CGFloat yMarker = 295;

    UIButton* b = createSpecialButton(CGRectMake(160, yMarker, 70, 45),
                                          @"Share_Btn",
                                          @"Share_Selected_Btn",
                                          self,
                                          @selector(sendAction));
    b.accessibilityHint = @"Send it!";
    b.accessibilityLabel = @"Stuff for voiceover to be added";
    [self.view addSubview:b];

    return b;
}

Answer 7

I have a bunch of buttons on the screen which are positioned intuitively visually but are not read in an intuitive order by VoiceOver. This is because certain buttons like Up and Down are placed above and below each other. However, voiceover starts reading from Left to Right, from Top to Bottom, it seems.

This results in voiceover reading the button to the right of "Up" after "Up", instead of reading "Down" immediately afterward.

How do I force voiceover to read the button that I want to read? I should mention that I'm using the swipe-to-cycle-through-elements feature on voiceover.

All my buttons are subclassed versions of UIView and UIButton. Here's an example of a button initiator I use. Ignore the pixel count - I know that's bad form but I'm in a pinch at the moment:

UIButton* createSpecialButton(CGRect frame, 
                                 NSString* imageName, 
                                 NSString* activeImageName,
                                 id target,
                                 SEL obClickHandler) 
{
    UIButton* b = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeCustom];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:imageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateNormal];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:activeImageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateHighlighted];
    [b addTarget:target action:obClickHandler forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];    
    b.frame= frame;
    return b;
}


- (UIButton *) createSendButton {
    CGFloat yMarker = 295;

    UIButton* b = createSpecialButton(CGRectMake(160, yMarker, 70, 45),
                                          @"Share_Btn",
                                          @"Share_Selected_Btn",
                                          self,
                                          @selector(sendAction));
    b.accessibilityHint = @"Send it!";
    b.accessibilityLabel = @"Stuff for voiceover to be added";
    [self.view addSubview:b];

    return b;
}

Answer 8

Swift 5.x

Following the advice of ChrisJF , I've wrote a little extension to bypass the Apple bug around the correct order reading items.

---

extension UIView {
    func setAccessibilityOrder(_ arrayViews:[Any]?){
        self.accessibilityElements = arrayViews
        let arrayStrings:[String] = arrayViews?.map { String(($0 as AnyObject).accessibilityLabel ?? "") } ?? []
        let formatList = arrayStrings.map { _ in "%@" }.joined(separator: ", ")
        self.accessibilityLabel = String(format: formatList, arguments:arrayStrings)
        self.isAccessibilityElement = true
    }
}

---

Usage:

view1.accessibilityLabel = "my view 1"
label2.accessibilityLabel = "my label 2"
button3.accessibilityLabel = "my button 3"
let order = [view1, label2, button3]
self.setAccessibilityOrder(order) // or self.view.setAccessibilityOrder(order) if you are on a parent controller

Answer 9

I have a bunch of buttons on the screen which are positioned intuitively visually but are not read in an intuitive order by VoiceOver. This is because certain buttons like Up and Down are placed above and below each other. However, voiceover starts reading from Left to Right, from Top to Bottom, it seems.

This results in voiceover reading the button to the right of "Up" after "Up", instead of reading "Down" immediately afterward.

How do I force voiceover to read the button that I want to read? I should mention that I'm using the swipe-to-cycle-through-elements feature on voiceover.

All my buttons are subclassed versions of UIView and UIButton. Here's an example of a button initiator I use. Ignore the pixel count - I know that's bad form but I'm in a pinch at the moment:

UIButton* createSpecialButton(CGRect frame, 
                                 NSString* imageName, 
                                 NSString* activeImageName,
                                 id target,
                                 SEL obClickHandler) 
{
    UIButton* b = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeCustom];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:imageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateNormal];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:activeImageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateHighlighted];
    [b addTarget:target action:obClickHandler forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];    
    b.frame= frame;
    return b;
}


- (UIButton *) createSendButton {
    CGFloat yMarker = 295;

    UIButton* b = createSpecialButton(CGRectMake(160, yMarker, 70, 45),
                                          @"Share_Btn",
                                          @"Share_Selected_Btn",
                                          self,
                                          @selector(sendAction));
    b.accessibilityHint = @"Send it!";
    b.accessibilityLabel = @"Stuff for voiceover to be added";
    [self.view addSubview:b];

    return b;
}

Answer 10

I have a bunch of buttons on the screen which are positioned intuitively visually but are not read in an intuitive order by VoiceOver. This is because certain buttons like Up and Down are placed above and below each other. However, voiceover starts reading from Left to Right, from Top to Bottom, it seems.

This results in voiceover reading the button to the right of "Up" after "Up", instead of reading "Down" immediately afterward.

How do I force voiceover to read the button that I want to read? I should mention that I'm using the swipe-to-cycle-through-elements feature on voiceover.

All my buttons are subclassed versions of UIView and UIButton. Here's an example of a button initiator I use. Ignore the pixel count - I know that's bad form but I'm in a pinch at the moment:

UIButton* createSpecialButton(CGRect frame, 
                                 NSString* imageName, 
                                 NSString* activeImageName,
                                 id target,
                                 SEL obClickHandler) 
{
    UIButton* b = [UIButton buttonWithType:UIButtonTypeCustom];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:imageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateNormal];
    [b setImage:[GlobalHelper nonCachedImage:activeImageName ofType:@"png"] 
       forState:UIControlStateHighlighted];
    [b addTarget:target action:obClickHandler forControlEvents:UIControlEventTouchUpInside];    
    b.frame= frame;
    return b;
}


- (UIButton *) createSendButton {
    CGFloat yMarker = 295;

    UIButton* b = createSpecialButton(CGRectMake(160, yMarker, 70, 45),
                                          @"Share_Btn",
                                          @"Share_Selected_Btn",
                                          self,
                                          @selector(sendAction));
    b.accessibilityHint = @"Send it!";
    b.accessibilityLabel = @"Stuff for voiceover to be added";
    [self.view addSubview:b];

    return b;
}

Answer 11

override func didAddSubview(_ subview: UIView) {
  super.didAddSubview(subview)
  self.accessibilityElements = self.subviews
}