We aim for TaleTykes to meet WCAG 2.2 at level AA on every screen, for grown-ups and children alike. This article describes what is built in, the settings you can change for each reader, and the gaps we know about.
What is built in
- Large buttons. Buttons on your child's screens are large, and largest for the youngest readers, so a small hand can hit them.
- Nothing depends on color alone. When a book is read aloud, the word being read is underlined as well as highlighted.
- No dragging. Everything can be done with a single tap.
- Less movement when it is asked for. If a device is set to reduce motion, TaleTykes follows it.
- Pip's words are always on screen. Whatever Pip says appears as text at the same time, whether or not Pip's voice is on, in a place a screen reader announces.
- More than one way to hear a word. Your child can tap any word to hear it on its own.
- A visible focus ring, for anyone using a keyboard, and a link to skip straight to the content.
- Signing in does not test your memory. Password managers work and pasting is allowed.
Settings that help, for each reader
On Readers, choose your child, open Settings, and find "How it looks".
| Setting | Choices |
|---|---|
| "Typeface" | "Lexend", which is the default, "Atkinson Hyperlegible" or "OpenDyslexic" |
| "Text size" | "Normal", "Bigger", "Much bigger" or "Biggest" |
| "Colours" | "Usual", or "Easier to tell apart" for a reader who cannot tell red from green |
| "Less movement" | Turns off page turns and other animation, even if the device does not ask for it |
Lexend is the default because the evidence behind it is the strongest. We offer OpenDyslexic because some readers prefer it, although the research does not show that it improves reading.
Inside a book, your child can also change the paper color, the spacing between letters and lines, and the night light. How the page looks covers your settings, and Paper, spacing and the night light covers the ones inside a book.
Under "Listening and Pip", you can choose whether Pip speaks aloud and whose voice reads the book. Pip's voice and Read-along say more.
How we check
Our tests include an automatic accessibility check of the public pages, the grown-ups' pages and your child's screens. Our accessibility page describes how we test in more detail.
What we know is missing
- An automatic check finds only part of what matters, and checking the reader and the book maker with a screen reader is done by hand rather than all the time.
- We have not yet tested with a switch device or with voice control.
- The highlighting that follows the words assumes your child can see the page. A blind child can hear a book, but the highlighting does not help them.
- Color contrast comes from our color choices and is checked by eye, not measured on every change.
The full statement is on our accessibility page.
Telling us about a barrier
If something in TaleTykes is hard or impossible for you or your child to use, please tell us what you were using and what happened. We will answer, and we will say honestly whether we can fix it and when.
Email privacy@taletykes.com, or see Contact.