Accessibility
Last checked 30 October 2026
We want everyone to be able to plan a journey with Terns, whatever their sight, hearing, movement or the way they use their phone. This page says how accessible the Terns app and this website are, what we have checked, and how to tell us when something gets in your way.
The standard we work to
We aim to meet the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 at level AA in the app and on this website.
How we stand today
Terns partially meets WCAG 2.2 AA. Terns is in testing, and we have not yet had an independent accessibility audit. Here is what we have checked ourselves.
- Colour contrast. Every text colour in the app is checked against the background it sits on, and each pair reaches at least 4.5:1, the AA level for normal text. The check runs automatically each time the app is changed, so a new colour can't quietly fall below it. The full list of colour pairs is below.
- Colour is never the only signal. A stop's size, whether it fits your filters, and whether data is missing are all shown with words or icons as well as colour.
- Touch targets. Buttons and other controls are at least 44 by 44 points.
- Screen readers. Buttons, switches and tabs have names that VoiceOver and TalkBack read out, and they say when an option is selected.
- A list as well as a map. Every route and stop on a map is also listed in text, with times and distances.
Colour contrast checked
| Text | On | Contrast |
|---|---|---|
| Main text | Page background | 16.2:1 (AAA) |
| Secondary text | Cards (white) | 7.5:1 (AAA) |
| Links and buttons | Cards (white) | 6.2:1 (AA) |
| Links and buttons | Page background | 5.9:1 (AA) |
| Favourites | Favourite tint | 9.6:1 (AAA) |
| Available | Blue tint | 6.1:1 (AA) |
| Busy | Amber tint | 5.7:1 (AA) |
| Out of service, Delete | Red tint | 5.6:1 (AA) |
| White on Delete | Delete red | 6.6:1 (AA) |
| Arrival time, "In 2 days" | Cards (white) | 5.6:1 (AA) |
| "In 2 days" | Orange tint | 4.9:1 (AA) |
| Header titles (white) | Header, lightest part | 6.2:1 (AA) |
| Header lines | Header, lightest part | 5.6:1 (AA) |
| Header lines | Header, over the faint tern | 4.9:1 (AA) |
| Header figures (mint) | Header, lightest part | 5.1:1 (AA) |
| Button labels (white) | Button, lightest part | 5.0:1 (AA) |
AA needs 4.5:1 for normal text and 3:1 for large text. AAA needs 7:1 and 4.5:1.
What we know still needs work
- We have not yet tested the app with very large text sizes on every screen.
- Photos of service stations come from Wikimedia Commons, and their descriptions are only as good as the original uploader's.
- The maps themselves can't be read by a screen reader. The text lists of routes and stops give the same information.
We will fix these before the app is released, and update this page as we do.
Tell us about a problem
If something in Terns is hard to use, or you need information in another format, email support@terns.uk. Tell us what you were trying to do and which phone you use, and we'll reply within 5 working days.