Now you can totally function SpeakerClock with no or low imaginative and prescient. We gave SpeakerClock the complete Accessibility remedy. On this article I describe a few of the issues I realized including accessibility options to SpeakerClock, now that it’s totally written in SwiftUI.

SpeakerClock’s UI is split into 3 sections, the presets on the prime, the LED timer as large as potential within the middle and the section “site visitors mild” on the backside.

The primary interplay gesture is to horizontally swipe over the LED digits to alter the timer. This type of gesture will not be potential when VoiceOver is lively as a result of there you may pan over the display to shortly get to the new spots of interactive components.

I solved this by having individually adjustable sub-elements for the minutes and seconds whereas the timer will not be working. This manner you may swipe vertically to regulate the minutes and seconds individually.

There are three varieties of ordinary gestures for Voice-Over which I made full use of:

1. double-tap with single finger to pick a component
2. double-tap with two fingers to carry out a “magic faucet”
3. draw a Z with two fingers to “escape”

I used #1 for the single-tap operate of the preset and talking section buttons. #2 substitutes for the lengthy press. The rationale is that it’s important to consciously faucet with two fingers as an alternative of 1 to change the presets, as to forestall you from by accident altering them.

Within the common circulation of issues, VoiceOver principally feedback on the targeted factor and after a brief pause additionally reads out the accessibility trace that tells the person what interactions are potential. I additionally used VoiceOver’s announcement notifications to offer audio suggestions on some interactions.

The cherry on prime is that sure timer values get crimson out aloud. Within the yellow and inexperienced phases you get a voice immediate each minute. The section transitions get introduced as effectively. Within the crimson section there’s an announcement very 15 seconds, with the ultimate 10 seconds being accompanied by beeps.

That felt like an affordable quantity of voice suggestions for starters. I’d add some configuration choices at a later level.

On this video I’m demonstrating all that we mentioned.

Conclusion

I might say my implementation is 95% good. There are some edge circumstances nonetheless – which I can not do a lot about – the place VoiceOver will insist of talking one thing that it wouldn’t must. Sadly there isn’t a solution to inform Accessibility to “shut it” for sure occasions when there’s something extra essential occurring.

It value me a whole lot of experimenting and the higher a part of a day to get to this stage. I’m anxious to listen to from precise customers of SpeakerClock, specifically those that are visually impaired and might need use for a timer. And a few common customers additionally requested about acoustic suggestions. What kind of configuration choices associated to sounds may make sense?

Additionally printed on Medium.

Tagged as: SpeakerClock

Classes: Updates