Accessibility

Our Commitment

Risetide is built with accessibility as a core principle, not an afterthought. We believe everyone should be able to track sunrise and sunset times, regardless of their abilities. Our app follows Apple's Human Interface Guidelines for accessibility and implements comprehensive support for iOS assistive technologies.

VoiceOver Support

Risetide provides full VoiceOver support for blind and low-vision users. Every interactive element has been carefully labeled for screen reader compatibility.

• 62 custom accessibility labels — Every button, toggle, and control has a descriptive label explaining its purpose
• Contextual hints — VoiceOver hints explain what each action will do before you perform it
• Live countdown values — The countdown timer announces updates with the "updates frequently" trait so VoiceOver users can track time remaining
• Decorative elements hidden — Background gradients, decorative icons, and visual flourishes are properly hidden from VoiceOver
• Header traits — Section headers are marked with the isHeader trait for easy navigation

Reduce Motion Support

For users sensitive to motion, Risetide respects the iOS "Reduce Motion" accessibility setting throughout the app.

• Onboarding animations — All welcome screen animations are disabled when Reduce Motion is enabled
• Particle effects — Background sun rays and floating particles are removed when Reduce Motion is active
• Transition effects — Spring animations and bouncy transitions are replaced with instant state changes
• Gradient backgrounds — Animated gradient transitions are simplified when motion sensitivity is detected

Dynamic Type

Risetide uses Apple's Dynamic Type system to scale text based on your preferred reading size. All text in the app automatically adjusts to your iOS text size settings.

• Full range support — From extra small to the largest accessibility sizes (AX1 through AX5)
• Semantic text styles — We use Apple's text styles (title, headline, body, caption) that scale proportionally
• Layout adaptation — UI layouts automatically reflow to accommodate larger text without truncation

Color and Contrast

Risetide is designed with careful attention to color contrast and accessibility for users with color vision deficiencies.

• WCAG AA compliant — All text meets minimum 4.5:1 contrast ratio for normal text and 3:1 for large text
• Dark Mode support — Full dark mode with carefully balanced colors that maintain readability
• Not color-dependent — Visual information is conveyed through icons and text labels, not color alone
• Increase Contrast compatible — Enhanced contrast mode is respected for users who need higher visibility

Touch Accessibility

All interactive elements are designed with motor accessibility in mind.

• 44x44 point minimum — All tap targets meet Apple's minimum touch target size guidelines
• Adequate spacing — Interactive elements have sufficient spacing to prevent accidental taps
• No time limits — No features require quick taps or time-sensitive interactions
• Switch Control compatible — Full support for iOS Switch Control navigation

Widgets & Live Activities

Our Home Screen widgets and Lock Screen Live Activities are designed with accessibility in mind.

• High contrast widget text — Widget content remains readable regardless of wallpaper
• VoiceOver widget support — Widgets announce countdown information when selected
• Live Activity accessibility — Lock Screen countdowns are accessible via VoiceOver with clear time announcements

Localization

Risetide is fully localized in 7 languages, with all accessibility labels translated for native VoiceOver experiences.

Accessibility Testing

We continuously test Risetide with assistive technologies to ensure an excellent experience for all users.

• -Tested with VoiceOver on iPhone and iPad
• -Verified with Accessibility Inspector in Xcode
• -Tested across all Dynamic Type sizes
• -Validated Reduce Motion behavior
• -Color contrast checked with accessibility audit tools