Accessibility & inclusion
Roam Pal Guide · roampalguide.com · last reviewed July 2026
Roam Pal Guide is built on a simple belief: an accessible app isn't a special version for disabled people, it's a better app for everyone. Access isn't a bolted-on feature here, it's the design language of the whole product. We follow universal design: one experience, with access woven in, so a wheelchair user, a grandparent with a sore knee and a parent with a buggy all get what they need from the same place. (Read why we built it →)
It was founded and is led by a registered severely sight-impaired developer, who uses the app daily with assistive technology. This page says plainly what we've built, how we test it, what doesn't work well yet, and how to tell us when something fails for you.
What we aim for
We work to WCAG 2.2 level AA across the app and the written guides, and go further where we can. "Accessible" is a claim we apply to ourselves with the same honesty rule we apply to places: we would rather tell you about a limitation than pretend it isn't there.
Our access information follows the "access chain" approach (before you go, getting there, on arrival) set out in the international accessible-tourism standard ISO 21902:2021. We follow that approach; we make no claim of formal ISO certification. We're expanding the range of needs we cover, place by place, toward a fuller, more comprehensive model, honestly: today we hold real, sourced information on mobility, vision, hearing, sensory environment (for neurodivergent and D/deaf visitors), personal support and companion policies, stamina and rest points, and getting there for a growing share of places, and we say plainly where we don't have an answer yet rather than guess.
What's built in
- High-contrast light and dark themes, with colour never used as the only way to convey meaning.
- Resizable text (built-in A / A / A control) on top of your browser's own zoom.
- Keyboard support throughout, with a visible focus indicator and focus-managed dialogs.
- Screen-reader labels on controls and map pins, including visited/wish-list status in text.
- A complete non-visual path to find places: Browse, search and filters never require the map.
- A "Day at a glance" written route for every itinerary day, with distances in text, not just a line on a map.
- Read-aloud on every place, honest access details (step-free, parking, toilets, terrain, sensory notes), and an access profile that adapts lists and day-pacing to your needs.
- Reduced motion respected everywhere; the map is flat by default (the 3D globe is opt-in).
- Large touch targets (44px minimum) and confirmation before anything destructive.
Using the access settings
Open the access button in the top bar at any time. Everything here is optional. These controls change how Roam Pal presents information and how it helps you plan; they do not diagnose you, certify a place, or share your needs with a venue without your choosing to share them.
Text size
What it does: makes the app's text normal, large or extra large, alongside your device zoom.
Who it may help: people with low vision, visual fatigue, headaches, dyslexia, or anyone reading on a small screen.
Dark mode and contrast
What it does: changes the page colours and keeps text and controls distinguishable without relying on colour alone.
Who it may help: people sensitive to glare, light, contrast or screen brightness. Choose whichever is more comfortable; there is no correct choice.
Dyslexia-friendly reading and Easy Read
What it does: adds more spacing and a softer reading background; Easy Read presents key access facts as shorter sentences while retaining the full detail below.
Who it may help: people with dyslexia, learning disabilities, cognitive fatigue, or anyone who prefers information in smaller steps.
My access needs
What it does: lets you select the information that matters to you, including step-free routes, parking, toilets, Changing Places, terrain, sensory, vision and hearing details.
Who it may help: anyone who wants places and day plans shaped around their own circumstances. A missing or “?” detail means not yet checked, never automatically unsuitable.
My pace and list behaviour
What it does: a gentle, steady or full-on pace helps warn when a day is too demanding; list settings can show everything, hide places that may not suit you, or show only places with matching access details.
Who it may help: people managing fatigue, pain, breathing, recovery time, children, or a busy day. These are planning aids, not medical advice or guarantees.
Suggested map layers
What it does: suggests relevant live layers such as accessible places, Changing Places, toilets or accessible parking when they match your selected needs.
Who it may help: anyone who wants practical facilities near a route. Live layers need a connection and may come from a different source than Roam Pal's source-checked place notes.
Map and 3D globe
What it does: keeps the flat map as the default and lets you opt into a 3D globe. The written place list and day route remain available without relying on map movement.
Who it may help: the flat map is often clearer for low vision, no depth perception, motion sensitivity and screen readers; the globe is an optional visual overview.
Distance and size measurements
What it does: switches distances between miles and kilometres, and measurements between metres and feet.
Who it may help: everyone planning across countries, or anyone who needs measurements in the format they use comfortably.
Share my access needs
What it does: creates a plain-English Access Passport you can copy or share with a venue, accommodation provider or travel companion. It contains the needs you choose, not your name or diagnosis.
Who it may help: anyone tired of explaining the same requirements repeatedly. Check the wording before sending it and share only what you want the recipient to know.
Memberships, cards and discounts
What it does: saves the memberships, discount schemes and access or travel cards you choose on this device. It can remind you about renewal dates and bring your saved schemes to mind before you book.
Who it may help: people using place memberships, Blue Light Card, Defence Discount Service, carer or workplace schemes, Access Card, CEA Card, Disabled Persons Railcard or similar support. “Worth checking” is only a reminder; “confirmed here” needs current place-specific published terms.
What it never asks for: a card number, portal password, proof of eligibility or information about why you qualify. Always check the scheme's and venue's current terms yourself.
Confirm or correct place information
What it does: lets you say whether information looked right and send a correction for human review. Reports wait safely on the device if you are offline.
Who it may help: every traveller. First-hand reports help keep opening times, prices, access details and facilities honest, but a report does not change public data automatically.
Known limitations, honestly
- The interactive map is not fully usable by keyboard or screen reader. Every core task has a text alternative (Browse, search, the written day route, the nearby list), but panning the map itself is a visual interaction. We're improving this.
- Some live extras (weather, live accessible-places layer, drive-time estimates) need an internet connection and quietly step aside offline.
- Access information is checked place by place and shown honestly: "not yet checked" means exactly that, never that a place is inaccessible. Coverage varies by guide and is shown in the access settings.
How we test
Contrast ratios, focus behaviour, target sizes and reduced-motion are checked in the rendered app (not just in design mock-ups) on every significant change, alongside screen-reader spot checks. The founder uses the app daily with assistive technology.
We also check Roam Pal with InclusiveAccess AI, our own accessibility-testing software built by ADAI Digital, as part of raising standards across all our apps. Automated tools like this catch only part of the picture (roughly a third of issues), so we pair it with keyboard and screen-reader testing and real daily use. Being checked with a tool is not the same as being certified compliant, and we never claim to be: we report what works, what does not yet, and keep fixing it.
Tell us when something doesn't work
If any part of Roam Pal Guide doesn't work with your assistive technology, or an access detail about a place is wrong, please email admin@adaidigital.co.uk. Reports from disabled travellers are treated as the most important feedback we get.