Accessibility statement

1. Our commitment

We aim for level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) version 2.1, the standard referenced by the European directive on the accessibility of products and services, which has applied in Belgium since June 2025.

As things stand, Pambe is « partially conformant » with that level. « Partially » is not a hedge: section 4 lists exactly which points fall short. We would rather publish an honest list than a conformance claim that use would contradict.

2. What works today

The following has been checked in the mobile app and on the website:

• Screen readers — the app's controls carry a name that VoiceOver (iOS) and TalkBack (Android) read out, including the whole entry path: welcome screen, account creation, sign-in, email verification and phone-number verification.
• Navigation headings — screens expose their title as a heading, so you can jump from section to section with the VoiceOver rotor or TalkBack's heading navigation.
• Forms — every field announces its label, and error messages are read aloud the moment they appear, alongside an icon rather than through red text alone.
• Larger text — the app places no limit on the system text-size setting (Dynamic Type on iOS, font size on Android): text follows your choice.
• Reduced motion — turn on « Reduce Motion » (iOS) or « Remove animations » (Android) and the opening screen no longer zooms, the tab bar no longer slides its pill, and panels cross-fade in instead of rising from the bottom of the screen.
• Touch targets — buttons offer a touch area at least 48 points across, meeting both Apple's recommendation (44 pt) and Google's (48 dp), even where the icon drawn is smaller.
• Dark theme — a three-state setting (automatic, light, dark) is available and applies across the whole app.
• Contrast — the interface's text colours have been measured and reach the 4.5:1 ratio level AA requires, apart from the two cases flagged in section 4.
• Panels and sheets — when a panel opens, the screen reader stays inside it and no longer wanders off to read the content hidden behind it.
• Notifications — an in-app notification no longer dismisses itself after a few seconds while a screen reader is running, so it can be read out in full.
• Languages — every string exists in English, French and Dutch, including the labels meant for screen readers.

3. Setting up your device

These are system settings, not Pambe's: they apply to all your apps, and Pambe honours them.

• iPhone and iPad — Settings, then « Accessibility »: « VoiceOver » for screen reading, « Display & Text Size » to enlarge characters and raise contrast, « Motion » then « Reduce Motion ».
• Android — Settings, then « Accessibility »: « TalkBack » for screen reading, « Display size and text » to enlarge characters, « Remove animations » under the display options.
• On the website — your browser's zoom (Ctrl and + on Windows or Linux, Cmd and + on Mac) enlarges the page to 200 % without losing content.

4. Known limitations

The following does not meet level AA yet. It is listed here because it concerns you before it concerns us.

• Brand-gradient buttons — the white text over Pambe's green-to-blue gradient measures 1.58:1 of contrast at its lightest end, far below the 4.5:1 ratio required. Those buttons do always carry a label that screen readers read correctly, and an equivalent action remains reachable elsewhere on the screen. A revision of this brand colour is under consideration.
• Rating stars — the amber of the stars measures 2.03:1 against the white background. The score is nevertheless always announced as text to screen readers, and the rating picker responds to VoiceOver's vertical swipe or to the volume keys under TalkBack.
• Heavily enlarged text — at iOS's « AX » sizes, the cards in the lists (requests, services, conversations) truncate their text instead of growing. The full content stays readable by opening the corresponding entry. That is why we do not yet declare « Larger Text » support on the App Store.
• Orientation — the mobile app is locked to portrait. People using a fixed mount or a wheelchair that imposes landscape cannot rotate the display.
• User-published content — photos added by members carry no text description, and we control neither the readability nor the structure of the text they write.
• Maps — the map view has no complete non-visual equivalent. The matching address is always spelled out beside the map.

5. How this was assessed

This statement rests on a self-assessment carried out in August 2026 by the team that builds Pambe. It combines a review of the interface code, a calculation of the contrast ratio of every colour pair in the interface, and testing with VoiceOver and TalkBack enabled on real devices.

No external audit has been carried out to date. We therefore claim no certification, and this statement is made on our own responsibility.

6. Reporting a barrier

If any part of Pambe is inaccessible to you, write to us at info@pambe.be. Describe what you were trying to do, which screen it happened on, your device, and the assistive technology you were using if any: those three details save us most of the diagnosis time.

We acknowledge receipt within five working days and tell you then whether a fix is possible and by when. Where we cannot fix something quickly, we offer you another way to get what you came for.

If our answer does not satisfy you, you may refer the matter to the Directorate-General for Economic Inspection of the Belgian FPS Economy, the authority responsible for enforcing the accessibility of products and services.