SpeechMe is committed to making speech-writing accessible to as many people as possible, regardless of ability, device, or assistive technology. This statement explains what we currently support, where we fall short, and how to contact us if you hit a barrier.
Standards we aim for
We design and build SpeechMe against the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, Level AA. We treat AA as a floor, not a ceiling, and continue to improve where we can.
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What SpeechMe supports
Visual
- High-contrast colour scheme. Our navy-and-white palette is chosen to meet or exceed WCAG AA contrast ratios for body text and interactive elements.
- Resizable text. The app respects your browser and operating-system font-size settings. Zooming to 200% does not break the layout.
- No flashing content. Nothing in the app flashes more than three times per second.
- Reduced-motion support. If you have "Reduce motion" enabled in your operating system, our animations and transitions are minimised.
Keyboard
- Full keyboard navigation. Every interactive element — buttons, inputs, modals, the speech builder, the rehearsal player — can be reached and operated with the Tab, Shift+Tab, Enter, Space, and Arrow keys.
- Visible focus indicators. The focused element is always clearly outlined.
- Keyboard shortcuts in the Builder. You can move between speech-generation stages without using a mouse or touchscreen.
- Modal focus trapping. When a dialog opens, focus stays inside it until you close it. Pressing Escape closes the dialog.
Screen readers
- Semantic HTML. Headings, lists, buttons, and form fields use the correct elements so screen readers can announce them properly.
- ARIA labels. Icon-only buttons and complex widgets carry descriptive labels.
- Form-field labels. Every input has a programmatically associated label.
- Live regions. Important status changes (e.g. "speech generated", "audio ready") are announced to screen readers.
- Page titles. Each route updates the document title so screen readers announce where you are.
Language
- Locale-aware `lang` attribute. The app sets the document language to match your selected locale (`en-GB`, `en-US`, or `en-AU`) so screen readers pronounce words correctly. This is particularly important when the rehearsal feature reads your speech back to you.
- Locale-matched voices. When SpeechMe speaks your draft aloud, it uses a voice in the same accent as your selected locale.
Cognitive
- Plain language in instructions and error messages.
- One task per screen during input collection.
- Progress indicators so you always know where you are in the speech-writing flow.
- No time limits on input or editing. You can leave a draft and return to it later.
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Known limitations
We want to be honest about where SpeechMe currently falls short.
Live delivery for blind and low-vision users
The rehearsal teleprompter is a visual tool — it scrolls text on screen at a chosen pace. While the audio playback of your finished speech is fully accessible (you can listen to your speech in your selected accent), the visual teleprompter is not designed for use during live delivery by blind or low-vision speakers.
Workaround: Use the Listen feature to hear your speech read aloud, then deliver it from memory or with a Braille display loaded with the exported text. We are exploring a dedicated audio-cue mode for live delivery in a future release.
PDF exports
Exported PDFs include the speech text in a readable, selectable form, but do not yet include full PDF/UA tagging. If you need a tagged-PDF version, please contact us — we can provide an alternative format on request.
Third-party checkout
Payment is processed by Paddle. Their checkout flow is outside our direct control. Paddle publishes its own accessibility commitments. If you encounter a barrier in checkout, please tell us — we will escalate on your behalf.
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Assistive technologies we test with
We routinely test SpeechMe with:
- VoiceOver on macOS (Safari) and iOS (Safari)
- TalkBack on Android (Chrome)
- NVDA on Windows (Firefox and Chrome)
- Keyboard-only navigation with no pointing device
- OS-level zoom and reduced-motion settings
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Contact us about access barriers
If you hit an accessibility barrier in SpeechMe — anything from a missing label, a focus trap that breaks, a contrast issue, or a feature that doesn't work with your assistive technology — we want to hear about it.
Email: accessibility@speechme.app
When you write to us, please include:
- A description of the problem
- The page or feature where it happened
- Your device, browser, and assistive technology (if relevant)
We aim to respond within 2 working days and to resolve confirmed accessibility issues within 20 working days, or to provide an alternative way to complete your task in the meantime.
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Enforcement
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can escalate to the relevant national body:
- United Kingdom: Equality Advisory and Support Service (EASS)
- United States: U.S. Department of Justice — ADA.gov
- Australia: Australian Human Rights Commission
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How we maintain this statement
This statement was last reviewed in April 2026. We review it whenever we ship a significant change to the app, and at minimum every 12 months.