Accessible health app: larger text, VoiceOver and contrast

If an app's buttons pile on top of each other when you enlarge the text, or a screen reader only says "image" when it reaches a chart, that app wasn't built with everyone in mind. In a health app this isn't just about comfort; it's about being able to reach your own information easily. In this post we walk through the accessibility settings on your phone and what you can look for when choosing a health app.

Why does accessibility matter to everyone?

The World Health Organization states that about 1.3 billion people worldwide, or 1 in 6, live with a significant disability, and that this number is growing as people live longer. Difficulties with vision, hearing, dexterity or attention directly affect how you use an app.

Accessibility isn't only for people with a permanent disability, either. On a morning when you can't find your glasses, on an evening with a migraine, during a few weeks with your hand in a cast, or on the day you set up a phone for your elderly parents, the same settings come in handy. Accessible design is often simply cleaner design for everyone: clear text, understandable buttons and screens you can read at a glance make things easier on a tired day, too.

When it comes to health records, this matters even more. Not being able to read your medication time or your checkup date isn't just frustrating; it can make your own routine depend on someone else.

Making text larger and bolder

Phones let you change the text size across the whole system. According to Apple, on iPhone you can go to Settings > Display & Brightness > Text Size and pick a size with the slider. If you want even larger text, you can use Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size > Larger Text. Menu names and locations can vary a little between iOS versions; if you can't find a setting, use the search field in Settings.

This setting enlarges the text in apps that support Dynamic Type. In apps that don't, the text stays the same; that's also the easiest way to tell whether an app follows this setting.

The right text size is the one you can read comfortably without holding the phone at arm's length or squinting. If it feels different depending on the light during the day, try it for a few days before you decide.

• Bold Text: Makes text bolder if you find thin lettering hard to read.
• Magnifier: Turns your phone into a magnifying glass, making the small print on a medicine box easier to read.
• Zoom: Magnifies the whole screen or part of it.

VoiceOver: using the screen by listening

VoiceOver is a screen reader that describes out loud what's on the screen. It lets you use your phone by listening and with gestures, without looking at the screen. You can adjust the speaking rate and pitch to suit you.

If you're using VoiceOver for the first time, starting with the practice section in Apple's user guide is a good idea; the gestures can feel unfamiliar at first. Typing feedback, which reads letters and words aloud as you type, is also a helpful aid on its own for some people.

For VoiceOver to work well in a health app, the app has to do its part too: buttons need meaningful names, and charts need a text equivalent. Even if you don't use a screen reader, a quick try shows you fast how carefully an app has been made.

Color, contrast and motion settings

In the Display & Text Size section there are other settings that reduce eye strain and make reading easier:

• Increase Contrast: Makes the difference between text and background more distinct.
• Differentiate Without Color: Backs up information shown only by color with shapes or text.
• Color Filters: Makes colors easier to tell apart if you have color blindness.
• Reduce Motion: Turns off on-screen motion effects if they bother you.

To find the screen less tiring in the evening, you can also try dark mode; we covered this in detail in our post on logging at night and screen settings.

If you notice a sudden or rapidly progressing change in your vision, don't try to manage it with settings; see your doctor. In an emergency such as sudden vision loss, call the emergency number in your country.

6 things to check in a health app

The settings on your phone only help when the app supports them. When you try a new health app, check the following:

1. Does it hold up with large text? When you enlarge the text, can you read it without it being cut off, and can you still use the buttons?
2. Are buttons read out by name? With VoiceOver on, when you reach a button, do you hear what it does, like "Save", and not just "button"?
3. Do charts have a text equivalent? Can someone who can't see a chart get the same information from a list or a description?
4. Is information shown by more than color alone? Are states like "taken" and "skipped" also told apart with text or an icon, not just color?
5. Are tap targets big enough? Do you have to tap small icons again and again?
6. Are notifications clear? When read aloud, does a reminder say clearly what it wants? The number of reminders matters too; we looked at this in our post on notification fatigue.

When choosing an app, besides accessibility you may also want to look at things like privacy and where your records are stored; our post on 6 things to check when choosing a health app is a good companion here.

You don't need to be an expert to do these checks; a ten-minute try shows most problems. Set the text size to the largest, turn on VoiceOver and try something you'll do every day in the app, such as adding a log, from start to finish. Wherever you get stuck is where the app needs work.

Use this list when you try Oveluni, too

Oveluni is a personal logging app where you can keep your medication plans, daily logs and checkups in one place. You can use the list above when you try Oveluni as well; if you run into something difficult, writing to us helps us make the app more comfortable for everyone. Oveluni doesn't diagnose or interpret; for questions about your health, talk to your doctor. Oveluni is coming soon to the App Store.

Sources

1. WHO: Disability and health
2. Apple: About the vision accessibility features on your iPhone or iPad
3. Apple: Change the font size on your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch