Does Our Propane Customer App Need to Be Accessible?
Make access part of your app review. DOJ says public-facing business web services must be accessible under the ADA. Its web guide does not certify a native phone app or set a private propane-app standard. Have a qualified reviewer test the tasks your customers need to do. Read DOJ’s web guidance.
What does DOJ’s web guidance establish?
DOJ says people with disabilities must have equal access to public-facing business services on the web. Its guide names barriers such as unlabeled forms, weak contrast and mouse-only controls. It points to WCAG as useful guidance. Read the DOJ guide. The separate rule for state and local government is not automatically the rule for a private dealer.
How should we evaluate a native phone app?
Review the actual iPhone or Android app. A website check does not cover every phone task. Ask a qualified access reviewer to choose the tests. Include people who use assistive tools where useful. Record the device, app version and tasks checked. Have your lawyer review how the law applies to the service you offer.
Which tasks matter most to an ordering customer?
Start with an order from beginning to end. Can the person find the account, enter the request, read an error and fix it? Can they check the total and find the result? Include payment and forms. Try larger text and screen-reader tools. A good-looking home screen tells you little about the rest of that path.
What should we check before launch?
Give the review a clear scope and a person who owns each fix:
- List the essential customer tasks in the proposed app and web ordering flow.
- Ask an accessibility reviewer to choose appropriate platform-specific checks.
- Walk through labels, focus order, text enlargement and understandable error recovery.
- Include payment and agreement steps in the review instead of stopping at the order form.
- Assign a way to report barriers, an owner to fix them and a process to retest after changes.
Questions owners ask
Does an automated checker prove ADA compliance?
No. DOJ says a clean tool report may still miss access barriers. Pair scans with hands-on task checks. Record what was tested and what failed. Ask for evidence that a person can finish an order. A score alone does not show how the checkout worked for that person.
Is phone support enough to settle app accessibility?
Do not treat a phone number as the whole access plan. Keep a useful way to reach the office. Have your lawyer and access reviewer look at the actual barriers too. Assign someone to investigate each issue and check the fix. Support calls should help the team learn what needs work.
Can we claim the app is WCAG compliant from this page?
No. This page reports no app audit or WCAG finding. Ask for the scope, standard and evidence behind any such claim. Check that the report names the release and platforms you plan to use. A general guide is not proof that the app passed a full review.
Do website results automatically cover iOS and Android?
No. Ask which platforms and tasks the reviewer checked. A website report should name the website. A native-app report should name the app and release. Keep the gaps clear when you compare providers. Work that passed in one place may still need a separate check on a phone.
What should we ask to see in a demo?
Follow an order with larger text and screen-reader controls. Let the qualified reviewer choose the right tests for each platform. Include errors, payment and the final result. Record each barrier and its owner. Have the correction checked before you describe that part of the customer experience as accessible.
Primary sources
Bring your access-review checklist to a Custom Fuel App demo. Related reading: Web ordering, Launch preparation. Find more on the answer hub.
Planning guidance for the office. Check the rules for your work with the agency, your lawyer or a qualified reviewer. A product setting does not prove compliance.
Last updated: 2026-10-17
Author: The Custom Fuel App team