theBEAT exists to answer one question — what should I order? — and to answer it for people the rest of the internet routinely forgets: celiac, halal, kosher, diabetic, GLP-1, dairy-free. Access is the whole point of this product. A guide that some readers can’t actually read would be a contradiction in terms.
Our commitment
We are committed to making thebeatedit.com and the theBEAT iOS app usable by everyone, including readers who use screen readers, keyboard navigation, larger text, reduced motion, or other assistive technology. We treat an accessibility barrier the same way we treat a wrong dish rating: as a defect to be fixed, not an edge case to be explained away.
The standard we build to
We aim to conform to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1, Level AA, and we design the iOS app against Apple’s accessibility guidance. We describe this as a target we work toward and measure against — not a certification. We would rather tell you plainly where we fall short than claim a badge we haven’t earned.
Where we stand — the website
thebeatedit.com is built with accessibility in mind. As of the date below:
- Every image carries descriptive alternative text, and decorative artwork is hidden from screen readers.
- Pages use semantic landmarks and headings, with a “Skip to content” link on every page.
- Interactive controls carry accessible names; dynamic updates use live regions.
- Motion respects your
prefers-reduced-motionsetting. - The site is navigable by keyboard, and offers both light and dark themes.
Known gaps we’re actively addressing: keyboard focus indicators are not yet consistent across every control. We measured color contrast on the light theme’s gold and muted-text accents against the WCAG AA 4.5:1 text threshold (4 August 2026) and corrected every pairing that fell short; a full automated contrast sweep of every remaining color pairing on the site is still outstanding.
Where we stand — the iOS app
We’ll be straight with you: the iOS app is behind the website. The app supports system features including Dark Mode and Dynamic Type, but our VoiceOver labeling is incomplete across some screens, and a number of layouts currently scale text down to fit rather than reflowing at the largest accessibility text sizes. Both are real barriers, both are known, and both are on our work list rather than in a drawer.
If you rely on VoiceOver or Larger Text and hit a wall in the app, please tell us — those reports go to the top of the queue.
Tell us what blocked you
If any part of theBEAT is difficult or impossible to use, we want to hear it — you do not need to be polite about it, and you do not need to know the technical term for the problem. Email [email protected] with:
- Where you were (a page URL, or the screen in the app);
- What you were trying to do;
- What assistive technology you use, if any (VoiceOver, Larger Text, keyboard, etc.).
We aim to acknowledge every accessibility report within 5 business days and to tell you honestly whether it’s a quick fix or a longer one. If we can’t fix something immediately, we’ll tell you that too, along with what we can offer in the meantime.
What we’re working on
- Completing VoiceOver labels and traits across every app screen.
- Reflowing app layouts at the largest accessibility text sizes instead of shrinking text.
- Consistent, visible keyboard focus styling site-wide.
- A full automated contrast audit (axe/Lighthouse) across every color pairing on the site, beyond the gold/muted-text accents already fixed.
- Confirming every tap target meets the 44×44px minimum on a real phone, not just in code.
We review this statement as the product changes, and we’ll keep it honest about the gaps rather than quietly dropping them.
Contact
Accessibility questions, barriers, or requests for content in another format: [email protected]. theBEAT LLC, Baltimore, Maryland.