VoiceOver Support

TAB2Read is built with a VoiceOver-first design philosophy. Every feature, every screen, and every interaction is designed to work with screen readers as the primary interface — not as an afterthought.

Design Principle

If a feature cannot be used by a blind person, it is not complete.

This principle guides every design decision in the app. Accessibility is not a layer added on top — it is the design itself.

What VoiceOver-First Means

📸 ss-voiceover-focus.png
VoiceOver focus ring visible on an interactive element (e.g., book card or button)

Every Element is Labeled

All interactive elements have meaningful accessibility labels:

• Buttons describe their action (“Play chapter 3”, “Download this book”)
• Book cards announce title, author, and format
• Status indicators announce state changes (“Loading”, “Playing”, “Downloaded”)
• Navigation elements describe where they lead

Every State is Announced

When something changes in the app, VoiceOver announces it:

• Book search results appearing
• Download progress updates
• Playback state changes (playing, paused, buffered)
• AI responses received
• Error messages and alerts

Navigation is Logical

The VoiceOver navigation order follows a logical reading sequence:

• Tab bar for main sections (Bookshelf, Library, Radio, Profile)
• Content flows top to bottom within each screen
• Related elements are grouped (book card = title + author + format as one unit)
• Custom actions are available where appropriate (swipe up/down for additional options)

📸 ss-voiceover-tabbar.png
Tab bar with VoiceOver focus — Bookshelf, Library, Radio, Profile tabs

📸 ss-voiceover-bookcard.png
Book card with VoiceOver — showing accessibility label with title, author, format

VoiceOver with AI Features

AI Search

• Voice input through the microphone button
• VoiceOver announces when the AI is listening, processing, and responding
• Book results are announced as accessible cards

AI Live Chat

• VoiceOver coordinates with AI voice output — they do not conflict
• Connection status is announced
• Book results within the conversation are accessible

AI Summary

• Summary text is readable by VoiceOver
• Audio player controls are fully labeled
• Generation status is announced

AI Voice Reader

• Voice selection previews are accessible
• Mode switching is announced
• AI voice and VoiceOver operate on different content streams (AI reads the book; VoiceOver reads the interface)

VoiceOver Gestures in TAB2Read

Gesture	Action
Swipe right	Next element
Swipe left	Previous element
Double tap	Activate (play, select, open)
Three-finger swipe	Scroll / change page
Swipe up/down	Custom actions on focused element

Rotor Actions

TAB2Read supports VoiceOver rotor actions for efficient navigation:

• Headings — jump between sections
• Links — navigate between tappable items
• Containers — move between grouped content areas

Feature-Specific Shortcuts

Each player and feature in TAB2Read has dedicated VoiceOver shortcuts for efficient, hands-free control.

DAISY Audio Player

Gesture	Action
Magic Tap	Play / Pause
Escape	Close player
Swipe up	Next chapter
Swipe down	Previous chapter
Custom: “Add Bookmark”	Save position
Custom: “Open TOC”	Table of contents
Custom: “Change Speed”	Adjust speed

Text Reader

Gesture	Action
Magic Tap	Play / Pause reading
Escape	Close reader
Three-finger swipe left	Next page
Three-finger swipe right	Previous page
Custom: “Add Bookmark”	Bookmark page
Custom: “Open Search”	Search in book

AI Voice Reader

Gesture	Action
Magic Tap	Play / Pause
Escape	Close reader
Swipe up	Next chunk
Swipe down	Previous chunk
Custom: “Change Voice”	Switch AI voice
Custom: “Adjust Speed”	Change speed

AI Search

Gesture	Action
Magic Tap	Start / Stop voice input
Escape	Close search
Swipe right/left	Navigate results

AI Live Chat

Gesture	Action
Magic Tap	Mute / Unmute mic
Escape	End session

AI Summary

Gesture	Action
Magic Tap	Play / Pause audio
Escape	Close summary