Our Commitment

We aim for VoiceBloom to conform to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 Level AA. WCAG 2.1 AA is the international reference standard for digital accessibility and is the basis for legal requirements such as:

• Section 508 of the U.S. Rehabilitation Act
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Title III
• The Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA)
• The Accessible Canada Act
• EN 301 549 (European public-sector procurement standard)

WCAG 2.1 AA is our target, and we do not yet claim that every part of VoiceBloom fully conforms to it. We have not published a formal VPAT. The public website was reviewed and fixed against WCAG 2.1 AA in September 2026 (details below). The signed-in app and dashboards are being reviewed against the same checklist and still have known gaps, listed under Known Limitations. We track conformance internally and prioritise remediation work each release cycle. If a specific access need would block you or a student, write to info@voicebloom.ca and we will work with you directly.

Website Accessibility Review, September 2026

In September 2026 we checked every public page of voicebloom.ca (home, audience, guide, pricing, demo, legal, and error pages, and every blog article) against WCAG 2.1 Level A and AA. We used the axe-core accessibility engine at phone, tablet, and desktop widths, including open menus, dialogs, and expanded answers, and walked through each page with a keyboard. We fixed every issue that review found. The main changes:

• Colour contrast. Green text and green buttons now use a darker brand green that reaches at least 4.5:1 against white and our light mint backgrounds. Grey helper text, footer headings, and copyright lines were darkened to at least 4.5:1, and text is no longer faded with transparency. Our emails use the same colours for their buttons, links, and footers.
• Links you can find without colour. Links inside paragraphs and legal text are underlined.
• Page structure. Every page has one main region, labelled navigation regions, one top-level heading, and headings in order. A “Skip to main content” link is the first thing the Tab key reaches.
• Keyboard access. The demo page slideshows work as tabs with the arrow keys. The pricing questions open with Enter or Space. The trial sign-up form closes with Escape and returns focus to the button that opened it. The “Who it’s for” and “Learn AAC” menus in the desktop header are buttons: Enter, Space, a click, or a tap opens them, they also open when keyboard focus reaches them, and Escape closes them and returns focus to the button. The mobile menu button reports whether the menu is open, and wide comparison tables can be scrolled from the keyboard.
• Forms and focus. Every field on the contact, newsletter, and trial forms has a label that screen readers announce, and form fields show a clear focus outline.
• Tables. Comparison tables have header text in every header cell.

Automated tools catch many barriers but not all of them. We keep testing by hand with keyboards and screen readers, and we welcome reports of anything we missed.

What We've Built In

• Large, high-contrast tiles with thick outlines, designed for low-vision and motor-control variability.
• Alternative text on every symbol so screen readers identify each tile.
• Reduced-motion mode in App settings that disables non-essential animations for sensory-sensitive users.
• Keyboard-accessible focus states on interactive controls.
• Adjustable speech rate for the text-to-speech output.
• Nine language options (English, Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Russian) for parents and child labels.
• Therapist and parent dashboards built on standard HTML form controls compatible with NVDA, VoiceOver, JAWS, and TalkBack.

Head Tracking, Eye Gaze, and Switch Access

VoiceBloom’s Access mode adapts the board for head tracking, eye tracking (eye gaze), and switch access through compatible device accessibility features or hardware. It uses fewer, larger tiles, highlights the tile under the pointer, and disables long-press editing on the board to prevent accidental edit menus during dwell selection.

Enable the input method in your device’s accessibility settings or compatible hardware first, then turn on Access mode in VoiceBloom’s Settings. Compatibility depends on your device, operating system, and access equipment; VoiceBloom does not provide its own camera-based tracker.

Work with your child’s SLP or assistive-technology specialist to try the intended setup. Test selecting words, moving between categories, and speaking a sentence on the device your child will use.

Known Limitations

Accessibility is an ongoing effort. Areas we are actively improving:

• Some illustrated tiles lack richer descriptions beyond their core label: we are progressively adding more descriptive alt-text for screen-reader users.
• Touch-target spacing on the densest grid layouts may not always meet the 44×44 CSS pixel minimum recommended for motor-difficulty users. Access mode provides fewer, larger targets, while Simplified board and Reduced motion offer additional adjustments. Test the layout with the intended input method.
• The on-screen keyboard is currently QWERTY-only; ABC-order and frequency-order layouts are planned.
• Pinch-zoom on the communication board. On the communication board, VoiceBloom deliberately turns off pinch-zoom so a child’s accidental two-finger gesture cannot enlarge the screen and break the grid in the middle of a sentence. This departs from WCAG 1.4.4 (Resize Text) on that screen. To make tiles larger, use Access mode or Simplified board in Settings. Operating-system magnification (Zoom on iPhone and iPad, Magnification on Android) keeps working.
• Header menus on sign-in and account pages. On the sign-in, sign-up, and account pages, the “Who it’s for” and “Learn AAC” header menus still open on mouse hover only. Every page they link to is also listed in the footer and in the mobile menu, both of which work with a keyboard.
• Signed-in app and dashboards. These are being reviewed against the same WCAG 2.1 AA checklist as the website. Some custom-symbol upload flows still have known gaps.

Compatible Technologies

VoiceBloom is tested with:

• The latest two versions of Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Edge on desktop and mobile
• iOS VoiceOver on iPadOS 15 and later
• Android TalkBack on Android 10 and later
• NVDA and JAWS on Windows

Feedback and Assistance

If you encounter an accessibility barrier in VoiceBloom, or if you need content in an alternative format, please contact us. It helps to include the page address or app screen, your device and browser, and any assistive technology you use (for example a screen reader, switch, or eye-gaze system). We commit to:

• Acknowledging your feedback within 2 business days
• Providing a substantive response within 14 days
• Documenting the issue in our backlog with priority for accessibility-related fixes

Accessibility email: info@voicebloom.ca
Operator: VoiceBloom, a Canadian business. Full operator details available on request.

Formal Complaints

If you are not satisfied with our response, you may file a complaint with the relevant authority in your jurisdiction:

• Canada: Accessibility Commissioner under the Accessible Canada Act
• Ontario: Accessibility Directorate of Ontario (AODA)
• United States: U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
• European Union: Your national equality body or data-protection authority

Status

This statement was first prepared on May 14, 2026 and last updated on September 29, 2026, after the website review described above. It is reviewed at least annually and after every significant change to the platform.