Bodyswaps is committed to making our products and services as inclusive as possible. This document explains the features we currently have in place to comply with WCAG2.2 AA standards and those we plan to add in future.
Accessibility features are mostly controlled through an accessibility page inside the settings menu at device level.
Table of contents:
2. Captioning
6. Alternative control mechanics
7. Misc.
8. Coming Soon
Virtual Reality
Virtual Reality is a relatively new medium and has its own unique challenges in this area. We endeavour to follow industry best practice and specifically the great research work that Meta has been doing into this.
If using a VR headset is not possible then we provide alternative versions of the app that works on desktop and mobile devices.
Our app can be used in either a standing or sitting position and does not require any movement around a physical environment.
We've implemented multiple accessibility features following WCAG2.2 AA standards, including:
- Mobility mode - disables analytics relating to the movement of head or hands
- This is enabled on a device level in the in-app settings before you begin a module.
- VR safe space - ability to quickly transport to a safe virtual space if the experience is too intense.
- This is accessed in VR by clicking the X button on your controller.
Captioning
We implement captioning options on our training modules for all new content that we’ve produced in 2022 and have retrospectively added captions to content produced before that date.
On content that supports captioning you will see the CC logo from the main menu.
Captioning is off by default but can be enabled through the following mechanisms:
- At a device level - bring up the main menu (menu button on VR, or burger icon on PC/mobile) and select Accessibility. Accessing Settings varies depending on device, click here to read how to navigate to Settings depending on your device.
- On the accessibility settings screen there is a toggle to enable captions and further caption settings.
- At an account level - please contact your account support representative and we can enable this by default remotely for all of your registered devices.
Read more here on how to switch on captions for specific device types.
The release of version 2.12 (August 2024) included caption enhancements, including ability to have the name of the avatar prefixed at the start of spoken lines.
High Contrast & Font Sizes
All our in-app UI and menus have a contrast ratio between 6 and 14 which is inline with international standards.
Modern VR headsets can be adjusted so that users can wear glasses whilst in VR.
Font sizes are set to be as large as possible, whilst we don’t currently support font size adjustment in the app itself due to difficulties in implementing this in VR. We do provide a companion downloadable PDF that contains texts from the app that can be zoomed in to suit users eye sight requirements from our online portal.
The release of version 2.12 (August 2024) included:
- Background colour for increased contrast
- Adjustable font-size up to 200%
This is enabled on a device level in the in-app settings before you begin a module.
Screen readers
Traditional screen readers that rely on analysis web texts or meta data will not work with VR versions of the Bodyswaps app currently but can be used with non-VR devices.
The majority of our content is read out by characters, and for non-VR devices the app will read out the focused UI element when used in combination with keyboard navigation.
This is enabled on a device level in the in-app settings before you begin a module.
Voice control
For users with mobility issues voice control can be a great alternative. Bodyswaps uses voice control extensively in our app already and where voice control is not possible we provide a back-up mechanism for interactions.
App versions 2.12 and later include the ability to operate all aspects of the app using voice.
This is enabled on a device level in the in-app settings before you begin a module.
Alternative control mechanics
On desktop and mobile versions UI uses mouse or touch controls and should be compatible with any accessibility aids.
On non-VR based devices, users can use keyboard shortcuts to navigate the UI in the app.
In VR, currently the user is required to be able to hold at least one controller and able to squeeze a trigger button. In our accessibility improvements in 2024 we will add alternative control mechanisms for users that are unable to raise their hands comfortably.
Typing input is available for freeform responses as an alternative to voice.
This is enabled on a device level in the in-app settings before you begin a module.
Misc.
-
Photosensitivity mode - replaces flashing lights such as in the bodyswap sequence
- This is enabled on a device level in the in-app settings before you begin a module.
-
Volume adjustments for voices, environmental noises and UI sounds
- These are enabled on a device level in the in-app settings before you begin a module.
-
Slide focus - displays the supporting environmental slides in a popup for improved legibility
- This is accessed:
- In VR by clicking the X button on your controller.
- On mobile and PC by clicking the pause button displayed on screen when in a module.
- This is accessed:
- Magnifier - allowing you to zoom up to 400x on text and visuals
- This is enabled on a device level in the in-app settings before you begin a module.
- Timing controls in Observation activities
- These are enabled on a device level in the in-app settings before you begin a module.
Coming Soon
More accessibility features to follow in subsequent releases:
- Text line and character spacing adjustments
- Higher contrast slides
- Outline highlights
Questions
If you have any questions regarding this please get in touch support@bodyswaps.co