Accessibility

Last updated 29 October 2026.

We want every gardener to be able to use Patchmates, including people who use a screen reader, keyboard, voice control, zoom or larger text. We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 at level AA, on the website and in our iPhone and Android apps.

What we do

• Text and buttons meet WCAG AA colour contrast, and buttons are large enough to tap easily.
• Pages work with a keyboard, with a skip link and visible focus.
• Photos have text descriptions, and you can add your own when you post.
• Pages reflow on small screens and when you zoom to 200%.
• Animations respect your device's reduced motion setting.
• We test the main screens with automated accessibility checks (axe) and Lighthouse before each release.

Known issues

We're still finding and fixing problems. These are the ones we know about:

• Moving beds around the garden map needs a mouse or touch. You can still add and edit beds with the forms.
• Some photos from other members may not have a useful description.

Tell us about a problem

If something is hard to use, please tell us and we'll work on it. Use Send feedback in the app, or email [Accessibility contact email]. We aim to reply within 5 business days. If you're not happy with our response, you can contact the Australian Human Rights Commission on 1300 656 419.