Answers at your own pace.

In practice

A11Yneeds brings two things together: what you need to access a service, and the adaptations offered by the establishment concerned.

Why start with needs?

This approach grew out of lived experiences and collaborative work around Ici TSA, with people directly concerned and professionals. One initial idea was to create a label identifying professionals committed to providing a better welcome.

But the same welcome does not necessarily suit everyone. Needs can vary, and what helps one person may make things harder for another. A general label is therefore not enough to know what will suit you, in this place and for this visit.

A11Yneeds seeks to answer a more practical question: “What is offered here, and what might help me?”

You start with options that have been announced

The establishment begins by describing what it already offers and the conditions that apply. You can look at these options before travelling there. You are therefore not starting from a blank page: you choose from options known to the establishment.

For example, you may need explanations to be given one step at a time. A service might offer instructions presented in this way. A11Yneeds helps you find this option when it is among that service's offerings.

You start with what helps you

In Profile, you choose the needs that match your situation. This set of needs forms your “profile”. It is not about telling your life story or creating a medical record.

The service is not only for people with a particular diagnosis. The starting point is the need you experience in a situation. This need may also vary depending on the place, the moment or how tired you are.

Autism was a starting point for this thinking, but accessibility needs are not limited to autism. A temporary difficulty, for example after an injury, may also lead you to look for an adaptation. What matters here is what helps you in your situation.

You then look at what the establishment offers

In Access, you open its adaptations file. This file presents the options it has entered. You can then look at those that are useful to you and, if necessary, prepare a request.

Some options provide direct access to information, such as a map of the premises. Others require the establishment to do something, such as prepare a particular welcome. In that case, you send it your choice.

The word “institution”, used in some answers, refers to this contact: it may be a business, an association or another establishment offering a service.

Preparing a profile does not, by itself, send a request to that establishment. You still need to read the conditions for each adaptation; the following answer about everyone's roles explains what happens when a request is needed.

Finding your way

You can simply read the needs offered in Profile. You do not need to send a request to explore this section.

Read the relevant terms: Publisher and contact

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In practice

These three words do not mean the same thing.

A need is something necessary or useful to you

For example: “I need things explained to me one at a time.” You describe a condition that helps you understand or participate. You do not need to explain its cause to choose this need in your A11Yneeds profile.

An adaptation is a practical response to that need

An establishment could, for example, offer to present instructions step by step. This is a way of adapting its service.

When this option appears in its file, you can choose it if it helps you. You then start with an option already planned by the establishment, rather than having to invent a solution together.

Having a need therefore does not mean that a specific adaptation exists everywhere. You need to look at what the establishment offers in its file and read the conditions stated.

A diagnosis is medical information

It may name a disorder or illness. By itself, it does not say what will help you in every situation. Two people with the same diagnosis can have different needs.

This does not mean that a diagnosis is useless. It can help people understand a situation. But the person welcoming you also needs to know what they can actually do to help you.

Saying, for example, “I need you to explain one step at a time” provides different information from a diagnosis. You express what would help you now, without having to start by explaining everything about your health.

A11Yneeds does not make diagnoses. You do not need to provide a diagnosis or certificate to prepare your needs profile.

What if an adaptation requires supporting evidence?

Using A11Yneeds must be distinguished from the conditions announced by an establishment for a particular adaptation. The file may mention conditions or supporting documents for that option.

If you do not understand what is required, contact the establishment before sending documents. It can explain its request. Your A11Yneeds profile is not a medical certificate.

To see the difference

First look at a need in Profile, then an option in an establishment's file, in Access. The first describes what helps you; the second describes what that establishment offers.

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In practice

You choose from the adaptations announced by the establishment. It has therefore already described what it can offer, under which conditions and, where necessary, with what notice.

This does not mean that A11Yneeds can guarantee that every request will be fulfilled. A message confirming that it has been sent means it has been transmitted, not that an appointment or particular arrangement has been confirmed.

The presence of an A11Yneeds file does not mean that a place meets every need either. What is useful is being able to read the options it announces and see whether they fit your situation. The aim is to give you practical guidance, not an identical promise for everyone.

A11Yneeds helps you prepare and send

You can express your needs, view the adaptations offered and prepare your selection. The available ways of sending it depend on the establishment's file.

The establishment defines what is offered

It enters the adaptations in its file and their conditions. It also explains how its team should put them in place. A11Yneeds shares this information, but does not decide how the establishment should organise its service.

The professional has instructions to act on

When action is needed, the professional can find your request and the instructions provided by their establishment. They therefore know what you have chosen and how to apply it in that place.

The tool helps them in their work. It does not replace their judgement or the conversations useful for organising your welcome.

Some adaptations are presented as directly usable, without a request to the establishment. For these too, take time to read the instructions and any conditions.

Who should you ask?

If your question concerns an adaptation, a condition, an appointment or the response to your request, contact the establishment. Use the contact address offered in its file. If you cannot find it, look for its contact details on its website.

If your question concerns how A11Yneeds works, use our contact form. Describe what you are trying to do and what happens on screen. We will never ask you for your password.

A simple guide

“How can I arrange the adapted welcome you offer for my visit?” is a question for the establishment. “I cannot open the file in A11Yneeds” is a problem you can report to us.

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In practice

Yes. Using A11Yneeds without an account is a fully valid way of using the service. You can prepare your needs profile, open an establishment's file and choose the adaptations that are useful to you.

Without an account: keep your information on your device

Your needs profile is not saved in an account on A11Yneeds servers. Information you prepare and do not send stays on your device.

App — It stays in your application.

Web — Information stored locally stays in the browser you use.

This choice lets you use the service without entrusting A11Yneeds with storing your profile. You then decide whether you want to send information to an establishment.

Information stored this way is not automatically available on another device. If you erase it from this device, A11Yneeds does not have a copy in your account to restore it for you.

With an account: find your information across devices

Your profiles and the details you choose to remember in your account are stored with A11Yneeds. You can find them by signing in to the same user account.

For example, you can prepare a profile on your computer, then find it on your phone. If you change phones, information already saved in the account does not depend on the old device: you can retrieve it by signing in again.

This is what we call “synchronisation”: account information is shared between your devices. Saving and retrieving it requires an internet connection. This concerns information actually saved in the account, not everything on your phone.

The account can also save you from re-entering some details. If you chose to remember them, they can be reused when a later form asks for the same information.

In both cases, sending information remains a separate step

Storing a profile in your account does not mean sending it to all institutions. And using the service without an account does not mean information you send stays only on your device: when you send a message, its recipient receives what you send them.

This explanation concerns your needs and the details you prepare. Operation of the website and security may also leave technical connection records. This is a different subject, explained in the answer about technical data.

To send a request, it depends on the method offered

Sending directly to the establishment through A11Yneeds requires signing in to a user account. This option must also be available for the file concerned.

When sending by email is offered, you can use your own email application without creating an A11Yneeds account. Take time to reread the message before sending it. Opening the email does not send it on your behalf.

A guide to choosing

If your priority is to keep your profile only on your device, you can use A11Yneeds without an account. If you want to find your information on several devices and reuse remembered details, the account meets that need.

Read the relevant terms: Anonymous use or use without an account · Use with an account

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In practice

Web — The website runs in your browser

You can open it from a phone or computer, without installing the A11Yneeds app. It is a way to get started straight away.

App — The app is installed on your phone

You find the main sections in the user app. It also offers a QR button for reading a QR code with the camera. The screen layout is not exactly the same as on the website.

Profile: what helps you

This is where you prepare your set of needs. You indicate what matches your situation, without yet asking an establishment for anything.

Access: what the establishment offers

Here you open its adaptations file, view its options and choose those that are useful to you. This is also where you prepare to send them when you want to make a request.

The profile helps identify options that match your needs. You then choose those you want to use.

App — QR: a shortcut to open an address

A compatible QR code can take you to an establishment's file. You then do not have to copy its address. Reading this QR code does not mean you have sent an adaptation request.

Settings: your sign-in and preferences

Here you can find, among other things, user account sign-in and management of remembered personal details. You do not need to create an account there simply to prepare a profile.

If you use the website and the app

By signing in to the same user account, you can find the profiles saved in that account. You can also choose to use the website or app without an account: your profile then stays on the device, in the app or browser used. It is not automatically shared between the two.

You may also see the names Build and Request. These are tools for professionals. With Build, the institution describes its adaptations and how to put them in place. In Request, the professional finds requests with the institution's instructions. You do not need to install them to use A11Yneeds as a user.

On which devices?

The user app is currently being tested on Android and iPhone. The installable professional programs are currently available and tested on Windows. Versions for Apple devices are planned, but are not yet available.

The professional tools are intended for computers, including laptops, and tablets compatible with the versions offered, not phones. This focus does not guarantee that every tablet can install these programs: its operating system remains decisive. The web features are viewed in a browser.

Choosing where to start

If you first want to clarify your needs, start with Profile. If you already have the address of an establishment's file, you can open it in Access to view its options.

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In practice

You can open one establishment's adaptations file, then another's. Each establishment describes its own options: an adaptation in one file is not necessarily offered elsewhere.

You can keep the same needs profile or choose another. Saved profiles let you retrieve different selections without starting all over again.

Before sending a request, check the establishment's name and reread your chosen adaptations. Changing places does not transfer a request already sent to the previous place to the new one.

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In practice

Using A11Yneeds is currently free for users and businesses. Creating an account is also free and gives access to the features provided with that account.

As a choice in favour of inclusion, a free way to use the service will continue to be offered to users and businesses alike. This does not mean an establishment's services are free: it sets its own conditions.

Without and with an account

Without an account, you keep your needs on your device without synchronising them with an account on our servers. A business can create its files and publish them on the internet itself; it then receives requests by email, without centralised management in Request.

With an account, which is still currently free, the available features allow information to be stored on the server. For businesses, hosted mode notably allows centralised request management in Request. An account does not remove the settings and permissions needed for these features.

Paid options could be offered in future, particularly to limit mass publication using fake accounts. This is a possibility being considered, not a paid option currently in place.

“Alpha” refers to a phase of development and testing. The interface may change, and errors may still occur. If a result seems inconsistent, you can report it through the contact form.

The free choice therefore remains a commitment; this does not mean that every future service feature will necessarily be free.

Read the relevant terms: Availability and alpha version

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In practice

A file marked as fictional or a demonstration presents examples. The adaptations it contains are not a real offer you can ask to be carried out.

You can use it to look at the entries, understand the conditions and try a selection. To explore the process, you do not need to send a message or enter real personal information.

To prepare a real visit, use the file provided by the establishment concerned and check its name before continuing.

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In practice

There are three things to distinguish: what you prepare on your phone or computer, what you keep in your A11Yneeds account, and what you send to an institution.

What you prepare on your device

You can choose your needs without an account. Until you send them, these choices stay on the device you use.

In A11Yneeds, a “profile” means this set of needs. For example, you can prepare one profile for outings and another for work.

What the account lets you find again

With an account, A11Yneeds can keep your profiles so you can find them on another device. It also keeps some information about your last use, such as the adaptations file you had opened.

You can also choose to remember details requested in a form, such as your name. This saves you typing them again next time.

To see these details, open settings. In the mobile app, look for “Personal information for requests to businesses”. There you will find the details remembered for forms, not everything relating to your account. Your sign-in address is in the account section; your needs are in “Profile”.

What has been sent is a separate matter

Keeping a detail for later and sending it to an institution are two different actions. Erasing a remembered detail does not withdraw a request already sent.

Finally, signing out does not mean erasing everything from the phone. If another person then uses the same device, the needs you selected may still be displayed in “Profile”.

Information kept for the operation and security of the service is explained separately in the question about technical logs.

Read the relevant terms: Anonymous use or use without an account · Use with an account

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In practice

You can look at some of the content yourself before deciding to send it. However, two methods must be distinguished: sending an email through your email application, or submitting the request directly from A11Yneeds.

To read the prepared text

In the mobile app, after choosing the adaptations that interest you:

1. Choose “Copy TXT”. This button copies text you can reread.
2. Open a notes app or an empty text document.
3. Choose “Paste”.

You will see the institution's name, the selected adaptations and their explanations. The text also contains a link for retrieving this selection.

This copy sends nothing to the institution. You can therefore take time to read it. Keep it somewhere private if it contains information you do not want to share.

Please note: this text is not a copy of everything sent in a direct submission from A11Yneeds. “Copy TXT” does not include the additional message, personal details or date entered in the direct submission form.

If you choose to send an email

When this option is offered, “Send email” opens your email application with prepared text. The message has not yet been sent.

You can then read the text, add to it or remove passages. Lines to fill in, such as name or date, may be offered. In the verified process, these do not automatically use the details remembered in your account.

Before sending, also check the email address used and the signature added by your email application. The institution will receive these with your message.

One important point remains: the attached link may show the adaptations originally selected. If you erase an adaptation from the email text, it may therefore remain visible through this link. To change your selection, return to A11Yneeds, change the chosen adaptations, then prepare a new message. If you do not want to share the link, remove it from the email.

If you submit directly from A11Yneeds

Reread the form before confirming. The institution receives:

• the adaptations you have chosen;
• the message you added, if any;
• the date, if you entered one;
• the details you filled in the form fields.

It also sees the email address of your A11Yneeds account.

However, this submission does not give it your whole list of needs or all your saved profiles.

Once the request has been sent, removing information from your account does not remove it from the copy received by the institution.

Read the relevant terms: Requests submitted to organisations

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In practice

You do not have to send your medical record to explain your needs.

You can talk about what helps you. For example: “I need a quiet place for this interview.” This may be more useful for welcoming you than a long account of your situation.

What you write can be received and stored

If you add a diagnosis to a message yourself, that diagnosis becomes part of the message sent. The same applies to an insurance number or any other personal detail.

Needs are different from a name or insurance number. But they still say something about you. Even when expressed generally, they therefore deserve your attention when you share them.

What about selling data?

A11Yneeds' policy states that the service does not sell users' personal data.

Before sending

Reread your text and ask yourself: “Will this detail help the person prepare for my welcome?” You can remove what is not useful.

If an institution asks for supporting evidence for a particular service, ask it to explain this condition. This is different from describing your needs in A11Yneeds.

Read the relevant terms: Requests submitted to organisations

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In practice

“Technical logs” are notes the service records to understand what happens. They can, for example, help find the cause of a failed sign-in.

Depending on the operation, these notes may contain information about the connection or the software used. Some may also contain the IP address: an address used to route information over the internet.

These are not the details you choose to remember in a form. You will therefore not find them in the list of personal information saved for future requests.

Statistics have another role

They are used to look at service usage as a whole. A total number of uses must not be confused with the details of a sign-in attempt.

The service may also use a number created for an app installation. This number is not your phone's serial number.

What you should not conclude from this

This does not allow us to say that all records are anonymous. Nor does it mean that deleting an account immediately erases all security notes.

A planned retention period for these records, not all your information

The chosen policy provides for retaining monitoring and security records for one month. This period may be reduced if doing so remains compatible with protecting the service. Its technical application still needs verification: we are not presenting a purge that has already been audited here.

This one-month limit does not apply to your needs profiles. These are not erased simply because a month has passed. You can delete them; permanently deleting the account also removes the profiles saved in that account.

Requests already received by establishments follow their own processing and retention rules. Contact the establishment concerned to find out what it keeps and request a correction or deletion.

Who can view this information?

On the A11Yneeds operations side, Cédric Goedecke is currently the only person with access to monitoring records and backups. If a team is formed, this access will remain restricted to authorised team members for the operation and security of the service. This does not describe any technical access the hosting provider may have to its infrastructure.

Backups are emergency copies

They are used to recover information after an incident or, where possible, respond to a recovery request. They are not used for day-to-day analysis of your information.

The intended policy provides for three monthly backups over three months. The documented settings still provide for longer retention: they must be aligned and verified before presenting three months as a limit actually applied to all copies.

An older backup may contain data deleted since. Deletion in the account used day to day must therefore be distinguished from disappearance from all backup copies. A backup copy is not a way to undo account deletion.

Where is information hosted?

A11Yneeds uses Infomaniak's Swiss hosting and the Swiss Backup service for backups outside the main server. Infomaniak states that data for this service is stored in its data centres in Switzerland. The hosting provider also states that it uses certified renewable electricity in its environmental commitments. These commitments do not mean that no incident could occur.

Read the relevant terms: Security and technical logs

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In practice

App — open Settings and, once signed in, look for the details remembered for requests.

Web — open your user account settings and the saved personal information section.

These lists concern fields you chose to remember, such as a name. They do not show all technical records of the service, or copies of requests received by establishments.

To correct a value, you can delete the old one from this list. When a future form asks for that detail, enter the correct value and choose whether to remember it. You do not need to send a fake request to try this.

A correction does not change details already sent to an establishment. For those, contact it directly.

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In practice

Yes. You can remove details kept for future forms without deleting your account.

For example, this may be a name or number you chose to remember so you would not have to type it again.

To see what is remembered

In the mobile app:

1. Open A11Yneeds settings.
2. If necessary, sign in to your account.
3. Look for “Personal information for requests to businesses”.
4. Look at the displayed list. It shows the details kept for filling in future requests.

You can erase one detail or use “Erase all” to empty this list. In this section, “Erase all” concerns these details: it does not delete your account or your needs.

If you simply want to know what is saved, just read the list. You do not need to erase something as a test.

What this changes, and what it does not

The erased detail is removed from this form memory.

However, if you had already sent it to an institution, it remains in the request it received. It is like an email: erasing your preparation note does not remove the message from the recipient's inbox.

To act on the institution's copy, you need to contact it. The settings list does not let you remotely withdraw what has already been sent.

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In practice

A third-party application is software created by someone other than A11Yneeds. An institution may, for example, develop its own software to receive and process requests in A11Y format. This use of the formats is allowed within the rules governing them.

If you paste your A11Y code into another application, it can read the needs represented by that code. If you send it request text, it receives the details contained in that text.

The word “compatible” alone does not establish that the application can open your account, is approved by A11Yneeds or follows the same retention rules.

Before using it, check who provides it, what it asks for and its privacy policy. Do not give it your password or a link received for signing in to A11Yneeds.

Read the relevant terms: Third-party applications

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In practice

Opening an establishment's QR code or adaptations file does not, by itself, send a request with your whole profile and name.

However, the website providing the file receives the connection needed to open it. It may have technical records, as with any online visit. This means we cannot promise a visit leaving no record.

Your A11Y code describes a selection of needs. It does not contain your name or a medical record. But if you share it alongside your name, its recipient can make the connection.

A request link can also contain a selection of adaptations. Before sharing a code or link, therefore check what it is for. Copying sends nothing to the recipient; pasting and then sending is another action.

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In practice

Web — the Privacy and terms link appears at the bottom of the pages. You can also open the relevant page.

App — settings offer access to legal information. This link opens a web page, so viewing it requires a connection.

If a passage seems to contradict an answer in this FAQ, report both passages through the contact form. The FAQ helps with understanding; it should not conceal an unclear rule or information that is no longer up to date.

Read the relevant terms: Publisher and contact

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In practice

An account lets you find synchronised information across several devices, such as your phone and computer. It is not a complete backup of everything on your phone.

In the user process, verifying your address at your first sign-in may create the account if it does not yet exist. The needs profile already present then serves as the starting point for the new account.

You can use the same email address for a user account and a professional account. These accounts remain separate: your personal needs and your work for an organisation serve different purposes.

Signing in to one therefore does not mean you are signed in to the other. See Can I use A11Yneeds without creating an account? for the choice with or without an account.

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In practice

The sign-in email is the message sent to your email address to let you access your account.

If it does not arrive, start with these checks:

1. Look at the address entered in A11Yneeds. One incorrect letter can send the message elsewhere.
2. Open the inbox for that address.
3. Also look in “Junk” or “Spam”. These are folders where your email application puts messages it considers suspicious.
4. Allow a little time for the message to arrive before requesting another.

If the message is in junk mail, check that it matches the sign-in you just requested before using its link.

When you receive the message, follow its link. Then return to the page or app where you started. Further steps may still appear.

If you requested several messages, use the one from your latest attempt.

Do not give this link to someone else: it is used to access your account.

If you no longer have access to that inbox, requesting another message will not solve the problem. The starting point for reporting a difficulty is the contact form on the A11Yneeds website. That form also requires email verification: if you cannot receive any messages, this limitation remains to be resolved.

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In practice

The link received by email is not a permanent entrance to your account. It may stop working because it is too old or has already been used.

To resume signing in

1. Return to the screen where you requested sign-in.
2. Request a new email.
3. Open the new message and follow its link.

Opening the old link several times will not make it usable again.

The website says it is verified, but the app is still waiting?

Return to the phone or computer where you started signing in. Read the instructions displayed. Depending on your settings, a password may still be required.

Do not send your sign-in link to support. You can describe the error message without giving them the link.

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In practice

The displayed message distinguishes two situations.

“Your session has expired”

This means A11Yneeds is asking you to identify yourself again. The account has not necessarily been deleted: you need to sign in again.

Before doing so, if you just changed your needs, keep their A11Y code. In “Profile”, use “Copy A11Y code”, then paste it into a private note. This code will let you retrieve the corresponding needs.

This precaution is useful because signing in again may replace the needs currently displayed with those saved in your account.

“The server is not responding”

The server is the service's computer with which your app exchanges information over the internet. If the app cannot reach it, this does not necessarily mean your password is wrong.

Try opening an internet page you know. If that does not open either, your connection may be the cause. If it opens, this is not enough to prove A11Yneeds is working: the problem may affect only this service.

Try again later without erasing your data.

If the message appeared while sending a request, do not immediately send it several more times. Read the answer “Was my request sent despite the error message?”.

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In practice

The settings provide four methods:

• Sign-in email only: you use the link received by email.
• Sign-in email and password: both checks are required.
• Sign-in email or password: either offered method is enough.
• First sign-in by email, resume with password: email is used for the first sign-in, then the password for resuming as provided by this mode.

Follow the steps displayed for your account. Do not request the email again simply because the screen then asks for your password.

A professional account may be subject to the organisation's requirements. If a required password is lost, use the contact form. We will never ask you to tell us that password.

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In practice

If your password is refused

First check the email address displayed. Is it really the address of the account you want to use?

Then check that you are in the user section, not the professional space. These are different accounts, even when they use the same email address.

Carefully retype your password. A refusal message does not always reveal whether the problem is the address or the password.

If A11Yneeds asks you to identify yourself again

Some actions, such as changing a security setting, require a recent check. The app wants to ensure it is really you performing this action now.

Follow the displayed steps to sign in again, then return to the action you wanted to perform. Depending on account settings, you may need to verify an email and then enter a password.

To set a password

Open the account security settings. When two fields are offered, enter the same password in both. The second entry checks that you have not made a typing mistake.

Do not share your password when asking for help.

User account — if you have forgotten your password

If your sign-in mode requires a password, use the contact form on the A11Yneeds website to report the problem. This also applies if a link received by email must be followed by the forgotten password.

If your account lets you sign in by email without entering that password:

1. Request a new sign-in email and verify the sign-in.
2. Immediately open the account security settings.
3. Change your password within five minutes of this sign-in.

If five minutes have passed and the change is refused, sign in again, then return to the setting.

Professional account — if you have forgotten your password

The same principle applies: signing in by email may allow you to change the password immediately afterwards, if your sign-in rules allow it.

However, the business may require additional checks. If a forgotten password is needed to continue, use the A11Yneeds contact form. A sign-in email cannot bypass the business's rules.

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In practice

In the account security settings, the setting to remain signed in lets you return to your sign-in on this device.

Another setting lets you choose an inactivity period before sign-out. Enter the desired number of minutes, then save the setting.

The value 0 means no sign-out is requested by this inactivity period. It does not mean the connection will last forever: an expiry or security measure may still require signing in again.

Signing out does not automatically erase the needs still displayed on the device. For this separate issue, see Does signing out erase what is on the device?.

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In practice

Use Sign out in account settings. This action closes your connection; it does not request account deletion.

On the other device, open A11Yneeds and sign in with the same address in the user space. Once the exchange with the account is complete, you can find information saved there.

A change not yet sent from the first device cannot magically appear on the second. Check the synchronisation messages before leaving the first one.

Needs may remain visible on the device after signing out. Do not therefore consider this action a cleanup before lending your phone or computer.

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In practice

Start by looking at the account's email address in settings. If it is not the one you wanted to use, do not send a request from that account.

Choose to sign out.

Why also check the displayed needs?

Signing out closes access to the account. It does not necessarily erase needs that remain visible in the app.

For example, if someone else used your phone just before you, their choices may still appear in “Profile”, even after signing out.

So open “Profile” and look at the selected needs. You can read them without sending them. Do not copy another person's details.

You already have your own account

Sign in with your address. The app can then load the needs saved in that account.

You are about to create your first account

Before creating it, make sure the currently selected needs are yours. If they are not, replace those choices with ones that match you.

This matters: the needs displayed at that moment may become those of the new account.

You have already sent a request from the wrong account

Contact the institution to explain the mistake. Signing out does not withdraw the request it received.

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In practice

In A11Yneeds, your “profile” is the set of needs you have chosen. These choices may be on your phone, in your account or in both places.

What happens depends on your situation.

You are creating your first account

You may already have selected your needs before signing up. The new account takes over the needs in use at that moment and the name given to that profile.

However, this does not automatically copy all other profiles you kept on the device.

You are returning to an existing account

The app loads the information saved in that account. The needs displayed on the phone before signing in may therefore be replaced.

It does not automatically combine all choices from both sides.

A simple precaution before signing in

If the currently displayed needs matter to you, open “Profile”. Choose “Copy A11Y code” and paste it into a private note.

If you have several profiles to keep, do this for each one. The code represents needs, not all account details. Keeping these codes sends nothing to an institution.

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In practice

The service distinguishes your email address from your account's internal number. You do not need to know this number to use A11Yneeds.

If you delete your account then create another with the same address, it is a new account. Your old profiles are not recovered simply because the address is identical.

Similarly, old requests kept by establishments are not automatically attached to this new account.

This rule does not require you to change email addresses. It simply clarifies that reusing an address does not undo a previous deletion.

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In practice

Deletion takes several steps. This gives you time to read the consequences before making the final decision.

1. Open your account settings and choose to delete it.
2. If A11Yneeds asks you to sign in again, do that first.
3. Request the deletion email.
4. Open that message in your email application and follow its link.
5. Read the page that opens. This is where you give final confirmation of deletion.

Opening the link does not, by itself, delete your account.

You do not need to start this process to find out what will be erased. First read the answer “What is deleted and what remains?”.

After final confirmation, you will not be able to undo deletion.

Do not share the link received by email. It gives access to this final step.

Read the relevant terms: Deletion and control of data

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In practice

The email does not arrive

Look at the account address in settings. Open the corresponding inbox and also check “Junk” or “Spam”.

The link is too old

If the message says the request has expired, the link no longer lets you continue. Return to account settings to request a new email.

A request that expires without final confirmation does not delete the account.

You confirmed, but an error message appears

Do not assume the account is deleted. Do not assume nothing happened either.

You need to check the result when the service responds again before starting over. Note the displayed message and the time of your attempt so you can explain the situation.

Never send the deletion link to support. You can describe the error message without sharing the link.

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In practice

Before the final confirmation

Your account still exists and remains usable. Requesting the email or opening its link is not enough to delete it.

You can read the explanations on the final page without confirming. If you no longer want to delete the account, do not give final confirmation.

After the final confirmation

The account is deleted. Its old passwords and links no longer provide access.

If A11Yneeds is still open on another phone, the screen may seem unchanged for a while. That device will detect deletion when it communicates with the service again. The old screen therefore does not prove the account still exists.

Can you go back?

No. Creating an account afterwards with the same email address does not restore the old account.

Finally, account deletion cannot erase a screenshot, note or file you have kept separately on your phone or computer.

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In practice

Yes, you can use the same email address again. But you are then creating a new account.

This means you do not recover profiles and details deleted with the old account.

Nor do you find previously sent requests in this new account. The institution may still have these requests, but they are not attached to the new account.

Why are some needs still displayed on my phone?

The phone may have kept choices in the app. This is not proof that the old account has been recovered.

Before signing up again, open “Profile” and look at the selected needs. Check that they match what you want to use: they may serve as the starting point for the new account.

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In practice

What was kept for you must be distinguished from what you had already sent.

What is removed from your account

Your needs profiles and details remembered for future forms are deleted from the account.

This deletion happens at final confirmation, on the page opened from the email. Simply opening the link is not enough. There is no planned period during which the account could be reactivated after this confirmation.

You can no longer access this account. Old passwords and sign-in links no longer work.

What stays with the institution

A request already sent remains available to the institution that received it. This also applies if it has not yet finished processing it.

For example, if you sent your name and a request to be welcomed in a quiet place, deleting your account does not remove these details from that request.

A11Yneeds may continue to store this request for the institution. Deleting your account therefore does not mean cancelling the request or erasing every copy.

To contact the business about your request

Open its adaptations file in A11Yneeds and look for the contact address provided. Use that address to write directly to it.

If you cannot find a contact in that file, go to the business's website and look for its Contact section.

Explain which request is concerned and what you want corrected or deleted. Avoid repeating sensitive details not needed to find it.

This contact lets you address your request to the business. It does not, by itself, guarantee that all its copies will be erased.

The establishment manages the requests it receives and their retention. A11Yneeds therefore cannot announce a retention period valid for all institutions on their behalf. This does not mean personal information becomes free to use in any way: for questions about its use, contact the receiving establishment.

Two other limits to know

Some notes needed for service security may be kept for a particular period. This is explained in the answer about technical logs.

Backup copies may also contain older information. Account deletion must therefore not be understood as immediate erasure of every copy. The intended backup policy and checks still needed are explained in What do technical logs and statistics retain?.

The sign-in link between your old account and your address is removed. A new account created with that address does not recover your old profiles. This does not allow us to state that no information can identify you elsewhere: your name or address may, for example, appear in a request you sent to an establishment.

If you also have a professional account, it is separate. Deleting your user account does not delete that professional account.

Read the relevant terms: Deletion and control of data · Requests submitted to organisations

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In practice

After final confirmation of deletion, an app open on another device may still show old sign-in information.

When it contacts the server again, the old sign-in should no longer be accepted. You can close and reopen the app, or refresh the web page, to leave that old display.

This does not restore the deleted account. Needs still visible on the device do not prove the account still exists either.

If an action requiring the account actually succeeds after deletion, report it to A11Yneeds without sending your old sign-in links.

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In practice

No. A user account and a professional account are separate, even if they use the same email address.

Deleting the user account therefore does not automatically delete the professional account. Nor does it delete the organisation you work for.

Before confirming deletion, check which space you are in. If you want to change your access to an organisation, do not delete your personal account thinking it will resolve that access.

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In practice

Your profile is the set of needs you selected in Profile. It can bring together several needs, even from different categories.

For example, a person may have difficulty moving around and also need adapted explanations. They can combine these needs in one profile. This example does not describe a real person.

The code represents the selected boxes

The sequence of letters and numbers displayed with your profile is its “A11Y code”. The program creates it from your choices. You do not have to invent or learn it.

It lets a compatible tool retrieve the selected needs. Two people who selected exactly the same boxes get the same code: it is therefore not a personal number identifying your account.

Your name and diagnosis are not written into this code

The code represents the checked needs. It contains neither your name nor your sign-in address nor a diagnosis entered in a medical record. The name you give the profile, such as “Outings”, is stored separately from the code.

This does not make the code secret: a compatible tool can read its needs. If you send it with your name, the recipient can connect you with those needs. So choose whom you share it with.

The profile helps you choose; it does not choose for you

In Access, it helps identify adaptations in the file that match your needs. You then look at the options and choose those useful for this task.

Having a profile does not mean a request has been sent to the establishment.

Finding your way without changing anything

In Profile, look at the boxes already checked and then the displayed code. These are two ways of representing the same selection. You do not need to copy or replace the code to use your profile.

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In practice

Open Profile, then browse the groups of needs. A group simply brings together related topics, such as those relating to vision or hearing.

Read the explanation, not just the title

Labels are short. Their accompanying explanation or examples may help you understand what they cover. Ask yourself whether this matches a difficulty you face in the situation you are preparing for.

Check the needs that apply to you. You can choose several in the same group and across different groups. You do not need to find a single category that describes you completely.

If you find it hard to put your needs into words

You can start from a situation you experienced: what was difficult, and what would have helped? You do not need to find perfect wording straight away.

If you wish, you can talk with someone you trust and read the options together. This person can help you think things through; you keep the choice of what you want to indicate.

Web — In Profile, the Creation tab presents the needs. Browse the groups and check the useful boxes.

App — In Profile, move between groups with the arrows or numbers at the bottom of the screen. Tap a need to select it.

If no label matches exactly

You do not have to check a box that does not apply to you. Start with the needs you clearly recognise.

You can also view all adaptations in the establishment's file, even if your profile does not highlight one in particular. An option can be useful without the need's label having seemed obvious.

If you cannot find a suitable option, contact the establishment to explain what would help. A missing box in the list does not mean your need does not exist.

When your needs change

Return to Profile. Check a need to add it or uncheck one that no longer matches your situation. Your current profile and its code then reflect this new selection.

If you also want to keep the old selection, save it in a slot before changing it. A slot is a place in your list of saved profiles.

After your changes, save the new selection in the desired slot so you can use it later. Changing the current profile's boxes does not automatically replace the version kept in a slot.

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In practice

The current profile is the one you are using now

It is the needs selection displayed in Profile. When you check or uncheck a need, this is the selection you change.

You can give it an easily recognisable name, such as “Everyday” or “Travel”. This is a reference for you, not a diagnosis. You do not need to use your full name.

A saved profile is a selection kept for later

Saved profiles occupy seven slots. Each slot stores a name and a code representing the chosen needs.

For example, you can load “Travel”, then add a need for today's outing. This change first affects the current profile. The selection kept in the “Travel” slot changes only if you choose to save it there again.

App — Naming the current profile

In Profile, use the small pencil accompanied by the letter A, beside the name and code. The window is titled Profile label: “label” simply means “name”.

Enter the desired name, then press Save. At this step, you have changed the current profile's name. To keep this name and the needs in a slot, then use Save my profile here in the saved profiles list.

Web — Naming a saved profile

Click the A11Y code at the top of Profile to open Saved profiles. Choose a slot, then Rename. Enter the name and confirm.

If you just prepared needs and want to keep them under this name, first save them in the desired slot, then rename it. The name appears with the profile when it is used. The website does not offer the same current-name editing button as the app.

A name does not replace saving the needs

Renaming helps you recognise the profile. To keep a new selection of boxes in a slot, use the save action described in the next answer.

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In practice

You have seven slots for storing profiles. A slot is a place in the list, with its name and code. For example, you can reserve one place for everyday life and another for travel.

Opening the profiles list

Web — In Profile, click the A11Y code at the top of the page. The Saved profiles window opens.

App — In Profile, tap the area showing the name and code. The My saved profiles list opens.

Saving the needs you just chose

First prepare your needs in Profile, then open the list and choose the slot where you want to keep them.

Web — Choose Save, then read the message and confirm.

App — Choose Save my profile here, then read the message and confirm.

If that slot already contains a profile, it will be replaced by your current choices. To keep both, use another slot whose contents you do not need to retain.

You can cancel before confirming. Do not confirm simply to see what the button does if you want to keep the old profile.

Loading a saved profile

Before changing, save your current selection if you want to keep it. Then open the list and choose the profile to load.

Web — Choose Load, then confirm.

App — From the list opened in Profile, choose Use this profile, then confirm.

The saved profile becomes your current profile. Its needs replace the boxes you had selected until then. This is why a warning appears: it lets you check you really want to change the selection.

After loading it, you can change its needs for today's situation. If you want to keep these changes in that slot, save them again.

Renaming a saved profile

Web — In the list, choose the profile, then Rename. Change the name and confirm. This action does not change its needs.

App — The process goes through the current profile. First preserve your current choices if needed, then use the profile you want to rename. Change its name with the pencil accompanied by the letter A and confirm. Reopen the list and choose Save my profile here in the same slot. Carefully check the slot before confirming: this action saves the current name and needs there, not just the name.

Where are these profiles kept?

Without an account, saved profiles stay on your device, in the app or browser used. With an account, they can be found on your other devices signed in to the same user account.

If a message says synchronisation is not finished, this means the account update has not yet completed. Do not assume the other device has already received your changes. Keep your data on this device and follow the message's instructions, without erasing it to try to fix things.

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In practice

The A11Y code is a sequence of characters representing the needs chosen in a profile. It lets you load these needs without selecting everything again.

To keep a copy of your needs

1. Open “Profile”.
2. Choose “Copy A11Y code”.
3. Open a private note and choose “Paste”.

Keep this copy before replacing your needs with those of another code.

To use a code you received or kept

Copy the whole code, then paste it into the field provided for the A11Y code. A website address or request text cannot replace this code.

If the paste command does not work, you can type it by hand into the same field.

If the code is refused

Check that no part is missing. On mobile, the complete code starts with A, has eleven characters in the middle and ends with Y.

Do not change random characters to obtain an accepted code: each change may correspond to different needs.

If the problem persists, note the displayed message and app version. You do not need to publish your real code to explain the problem.

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In practice — Web

In Profile, Export code to a file downloads a copy of the current code. The file normally has the .a11yprofile extension. Look in your browser's downloads to find it.

To load it, use Import code from a file, then choose this copy. Check the displayed needs afterwards: importing replaces the current code.

This copy covers the needs code. It does not contain the entire profile library, your remembered personal details or sent requests.

If you want to keep the current profile before importing another, first save it in a slot or export its code. Keep these files somewhere you choose to protect.

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In practice

The current profile's code corresponds to the needs selection displayed in that profile. A code pasted into an email, saved in a file or printed earlier remains that of the old selection.

To share your current needs, copy the code again from the right profile. Do not reuse an old copy without checking it.

If the difference is on another device signed in to the same account, synchronisation may not be complete. Return to the profile with an internet connection and check whether a message reports a problem.

If in doubt, compare the checked needs, not just the profile's name.

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In practice

Before sending, changing profile may change the adaptations offered on screen. Reread the selection and prepared text before continuing. Text already copied into your email application does not update itself.

After sending, changing your needs in A11Yneeds does not alter the request received by the establishment or cancel it.

If your situation has changed and the request needs correction, contact the establishment. Indicate which request is concerned and what you want to change.

A later update of the adaptations file does not delete an already submitted request either. See Can I change, cancel or track a request already sent?.

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In practice

When you are signed in, the account exchanges the following with the device, among other information:

• your current needs profile and its name;
• your profiles saved in slots;
• the reference of the last adaptations file used;
• the adaptations selection remembered for that file.

Details you choose to remember for forms are also kept with the account, through a separate mechanism.

These exchanges happen at sign-in and during use, particularly after changes. They require the internet. On mobile, returning to the app also triggers a check.

Finding the last file's address does not guarantee you can open it: the file must still be available and valid.

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In practice

“Synchronisation” moves your information between your device and account so you can find it elsewhere.

The message means this exchange is not finished. By itself, it does not tell you which changes have already reached the account.

Before retrying

Open “Profile”. If the needs you want to keep are still displayed, choose “Copy A11Y code”. Paste the code into a private note.

If you have several important profiles, keep each one's code.

This precaution is especially useful if you also made changes on another device.

To resume

Check that you have internet access and are signed in to the right account. You can then tap the synchronisation message to retry.

Please note: the app may load needs saved in the account and replace those on the phone. Retrying does not guarantee keeping every change from both sides.

If the error returns, note its text, the time and the devices used. Do not erase the app to try to solve this problem.

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In practice

Imagine you changed your needs on your phone, then made other changes on your computer before the two could exchange their information.

There are then two different lists. The app cannot simply treat them as saying the same thing.

Which list is loaded?

When you sign in to an existing account, A11Yneeds loads the list kept in that account.

If changes have been made on both sides and no longer match, the current behaviour also prioritises the account. Needs displayed on the device may therefore be replaced.

The app does not offer you a choice between the two lists. Nor does it combine them automatically.

How can you keep a list that matters to you?

Before changing accounts or retrying an exchange that failed, open “Profile”. Copy the A11Y code of the needs you want to keep, then paste it into a private note.

This code may let you load those needs later. If the list has already been replaced and you did not keep its code, recovery is not guaranteed.

There is no need to deliberately create differences between devices to try this feature.

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In practice — App

You can choose or change needs in the installed app without an internet connection. These changes initially stay on the phone. They are not immediately available on another device.

Signing in, opening an online file and sending a request require the network. We do not guarantee that a previously used file remains viewable offline: its validity must also be verifiable.

Web — a page already open may still allow some actions, but this is not a guarantee that the website works offline.

When the internet returns, check synchronisation messages before continuing elsewhere. If two devices were changed separately, do not assume all their changes will be added together.

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In practice — App

The app normally remembers needs, saved profiles, language, text size and the reference of the last file used. Staying signed in also depends on your security setting.

At restart, the last file must be loaded and checked. It may therefore be missing even though your settings have returned, for example if the internet is unavailable or the establishment removed the file.

With an account, on another device — use the same address in the user space. Return to the profiles section to refresh information and check for any error messages.

A normal closure is not an uninstall or an erasure of browser data. Those other actions can have different effects.

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In practice

Language and text sizes set in the app are saved on that device. Mobile update notification preferences are also specific to it.

They are not part of the exchange of needs profiles between devices. It is therefore normal to have to set them again on a new phone.

Web — the website language choice and browser display settings are not an account preference imposing the same display everywhere.

Erasing app or browser data may remove local settings. Do not erase them simply to try to refresh a profile.

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In practice

No, needs and settings may remain displayed after signing out. This does not mean your account is still open.

Look at what remains visible before letting someone else use the device. For personal use on a shared device, also avoid keeping request texts or exported files there.

Deleting details from the account, clearing browser data and uninstalling the app are different actions. They can erase information you cannot retrieve without a backup.

This FAQ does not announce a general reset button: that feature is among improvements being considered, not current guarantees.

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In practice

The access QR provided by an establishment leads to an address for finding its adaptations file. Scanning this QR is not a service request and does not confirm an appointment.

Not all QR codes serve the same purpose. A QR or link prepared to share a selection may also identify selected adaptations. A QR found elsewhere may lead to something completely different.

Before continuing, check the website and establishment name displayed. If the address is also written below the QR, you can use it without scanning. See Does a QR code, a file or my A11Y code send my data? for what is transmitted when opening it.

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In practice — App

Open QR, allow camera access if you want to use this reader, then place the QR in the camera's view. The phone must see the whole square without being too close.

Phone reader — open the camera or your usual QR reader, then tap the prompt to open the link.

Depending on the phone and its settings, the link may open A11Yneeds or the browser. Opening in the browser is not, by itself, a QR failure.

If nothing opens correctly, use the file's address in Access. You do not need to repeat the scan endlessly.

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In practice

To read a QR code from A11Yneeds, the app needs permission to use your phone's camera.

App — trying the phone's QR reader

You can also use your phone's usual QR reader outside A11Yneeds. Open it, aim at the QR code, then choose the offered link.

With the A11Yneeds app installed and a compatible link, the phone may open the file directly in A11Yneeds. If the link opens in the browser instead, this does not necessarily mean the QR code is faulty: opening also depends on phone settings.

App — if “Allow camera” is offered in A11Yneeds

Choose this command. The phone may then ask you to accept camera use.

If you refused earlier and no prompt appears anymore, open the phone's settings. Look for A11Yneeds, then permission to use the camera. The layout depends on the phone.

App — if the A11Yneeds scanner stays on “Preparing”

Close the scanner if a button allows it. Do not delete the app for this problem alone: you could lose details kept on the phone.

Web and app — you can also use an address

Ask the institution for the address of its adaptations file. On the adaptations access screen, you can paste it into the field provided to open the file.

You then do not need to photograph the QR code. If you cannot find this address, the institution can provide it.

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In practice — App

The A11Yneeds reader does not replace a reader for every possible QR code. It recognises links intended for its features. A commercial QR, another document type or some external links may be refused.

First check that you are using the QR intended for the establishment's adaptations. You can also read it with the phone's usual reader to see the proposed address, without entering personal information.

If the establishment gives you the full address of its .a11y file, try pasting it into Access. A test link is not necessarily recognised by the official app.

If the address seems unexpected, ask the establishment to confirm it.

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In practice

Automatic opening depends on the phone, its settings and the software that read the QR. Some readers open their own small web window.

If this window does not work well, use its option to open in your usual browser, when offered.

You can also copy the file address, open A11Yneeds yourself, then paste it into Access, in the field for the .a11y address. If the copied link is a sharing page rather than the file address, ask the establishment for the direct address.

Do not try to fix this by immediately uninstalling the app. Your data on the phone could be affected.

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In practice

Look for an address or an open button alongside the QR. You can tap that link, or copy the file address and paste it into Access.

Some phones can recognise a QR in an image already on screen or in photos. This depends on your phone; A11Yneeds does not guarantee it.

If no address is available, ask the person or establishment that sent you the QR. You can also display the QR on another screen, then scan it with your phone.

You do not need to send your image to an unknown website to decode it.

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In practice

Lay the paper flat in sufficient light, without glare. Try moving slightly closer and then further away so the phone sees the whole QR.

A QR that is too small, blurry, low-contrast, folded or partly cut off may be hard to recognise. If you print it again, keep its proportions and the clear space around it.

If an address is written beside it, use it directly. Otherwise, ask the establishment for a new QR or the file link.

Do not conclude that an adaptation no longer exists simply because your camera does not recognise its QR.

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In practice

A printed QR does not change by itself: it continues to contain the same address. What is available at that address may change.

The establishment can keep a redirect there to the new file. A11Yneeds then follows this route to look for a valid adaptations file. Content at intermediate steps is not used as an adaptations offer.

If the old address has disappeared, or the route does not lead to a valid file, the QR no longer lets you use the adaptations. Contact the establishment for an up-to-date address.

The QR design therefore has no expiry date by itself. Its address must remain available.

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In practice

Start by asking where the QR code comes from. Is it on the institution's usual website? On a document it gave you? On a poster whose origin you know?

A simple way to check

If in doubt, contact the institution using a number or address you already know. Ask whether this QR code or link is really theirs.

For this check, do not use contact details found only on the page that seems suspicious.

What the address does not prove

An address starting with “https” or containing “.a11y” can have the right form without belonging to the right person.

Conversely, a file provided by an institution may be hosted on its own website. An address different from a11yneeds.org is therefore not automatically fraudulent.

If an unexpected page asks for a password or offers to install software, stop before continuing. Check with the institution first.

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In practice

An .a11y file gathers information entered for a place or service: its references, adaptations and their conditions. The establishment, or someone acting for it, prepares and publishes it.

A11Yneeds reads this file to present the options and help you find those that meet your needs.

An .a11y+ file serves a different purpose, within professional tools and their history. It is not the file to open in the user app to choose adaptations.

If you were given the wrong file type, ask for the public .a11y link. Simply renaming the file does not transform it.

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In practice

Web — open Access, then File. Paste the full address into the field for the .a11y file, or use Paste address, then Open file.

App — in Access, paste the address into Online .a11y file address, then tap Load.

The expected address is a secure internet address starting with https:// that leads to the file. Do not paste a folder path from your computer.

After opening, check the establishment's name before choosing adaptations. A redirect may lead to a newer address: the final valid file is used.

If loading fails, check the address and connection. See The file does not open or the browser downloads it for other possible causes.

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In practice

Return to where the establishment provided the link. Copy its full address, then return to the file field in Access.

If the paste button does not work, try normal pasting: long-press in the field on a phone, or use Paste on a computer. You can also type the address yourself.

Look at the beginning and end of the text. It should not be only a filename, a sentence or a QR image.

A permission refused by the browser can also prevent automatic reading of the copy. This does not mean the file is invalid.

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In practice

The institution's file contains the adaptations it offers. To open it in A11Yneeds, the simplest approach is to start again from the address it gave you.

1. Copy that address in full.
2. Return to the adaptations access screen.
3. Paste the address into the field for the online file.
4. Start opening it.

The address must start with “https://” and point to an “.a11y” file. An “.a11y+” file serves another purpose: it is not the public file to open here.

The browser downloaded a file instead of displaying it

This does not necessarily mean the file is damaged. Retrieve its address and try opening it from A11Yneeds, as described above.

It still does not work

First check your internet access. Then ask the institution whether its address is still valid.

Do not simply change the filename to try to make it compatible. Do not disable your phone's or browser's protections. A failure message alone does not reveal where the problem comes from.

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In practice

If no adaptation matches your profile, choose View all adaptations in this file. This also lets you see those that do not match the currently checked needs.

If the file truly contains no adaptations, the establishment may not yet have completed it. Ask it to confirm.

If the file was updated while you were viewing it, A11Yneeds may ask you to reread the adaptations and make your selection again. An old selection may mention an option that no longer exists.

Before sending again, use the options currently displayed. A request already submitted remains stored for the establishment: updating the file does not cancel it.

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In practice

Look for its contact address in the file information, if still accessible. Otherwise, use the Contact section of the establishment's website.

Indicate the link that no longer works and ask for the current adaptations address. You do not need to tell your personal situation to report a missing link.

If several unrelated files fail in the same way, or A11Yneeds can no longer open any file, the problem may be broader. You can then report it to the A11Yneeds team through its contact form.

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In practice

Web — in Access, return to File, or use Change address. Enter the other file's address and open it.

The Clear command in this website section removes the file currently in use. It does not delete the file published by the establishment or erase an already sent request.

App — in Access, replace the address in Online .a11y file address, then tap Load to change files. This screen does not currently offer the same Clear command as the website. Erasing only the address text should not be taken as deleting the already loaded file.

After a change, reread the name and adaptations. Your selection for one establishment must not be treated as a valid request for another.

The address stays displayed so you can identify the source, check it or find it again later.

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In practice

Web — in Access, Use demo file opens the example provided for discovery.

App — the help icon in the Access header, called Load standard demo file, gives access to the example.

Look at the entries and try a selection without sending a real request.

If an establishment's file does not open but the demo works, this points the investigation towards its address or content. It is not definitive proof of the cause.

If the demo also fails, check your connection and note the displayed message. The problem may come from the service, network or device.

Do not immediately clear all phone data: this test does not establish that it is the cause.

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In practice

The establishment links its adaptations to categories of needs. A11Yneeds looks at the needs in your current profile and displays options linked to those categories.

For example, if you selected a hearing-related need, the filter may show adaptations the establishment classified under that need. It does not read a diagnosis or decide for you whether each option suits you.

The filter narrows the list; it does not choose your request

“Profile filter active” means the display takes account of the needs in the profile you are using now. You still need to read the options and choose those useful to you.

By displaying all adaptations, you simply widen the list to those in the open file. You do not change your profile's needs or automatically select all these options.

Web — Displaying all adaptations

In Access, open Adaptations. Beside Current display, click A11Y filter to switch to All adaptations. Clicking again returns to the filtered display.

If no results match the profile, View all adaptations in this file also widens the list.

App — Displaying all adaptations

In Access, use the filter-shaped button at the top of the screen to disable the profile filter. Its accessible label changes from Profile filter active to Profile filter inactive.

When no option matches the profile, use the button offering to show all adaptations. This is particularly useful if you have not selected any needs yet and the filter button cannot be used.

To check what you are looking at

Check the establishment's name and the open file. “All adaptations” means the contents of that file, not every option from every establishment using A11Yneeds.

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In practice

Start by reading the displayed message. Several situations may look like an empty list, but they do not mean the same thing.

You have not chosen any needs yet

If the filter is active, the program has no needs to use to find options. You can return to Profile to choose your needs, or use View all adaptations in this file to explore options without that filter.

Your profile contains needs, but no option matches

Display all adaptations as explained in the previous answer. Read their descriptions: an option may be useful even if it is not linked to a category in your profile.

You do not need to check a need that does not apply to you just to make an option appear.

The file is loaded, but contains no adaptations

In this case, removing the filter cannot reveal options absent from the file. Check that you opened the file for the establishment or service you wanted. If it is the right one, contact the establishment.

If the message instead says no file is open or the link is invalid, you first need to resolve this opening problem. That message does not establish that there are no adaptations.

The adaptation you want still cannot be found

Contact the establishment using the address offered in its file or contact details on its website. For example, you can ask: “I could not find this option in your file. Can you tell me whether you offer it?”

A11Yneeds shows information entered in the file. It cannot add a service itself or make a commitment on behalf of the establishment.

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In practice

An adaptation may have conditions and a notice period. The establishment enters this information.

Conditions explain in which situation the adaptation is offered

They may, for example, specify the place or activity concerned. There may also be a particular step to take. These are examples: you need to read what is stated for the chosen option.

If a condition seems unclear, ask the establishment to explain. A11Yneeds passes this information on but cannot decide on its behalf what it means in your situation.

The notice period allows time for arrangements

It indicates the time announced by the establishment to organise the service. For example, a two-day notice period means requesting sufficiently in advance, not on the day itself. This example is fictional.

Also read any details accompanying the notice period. If in doubt about when to send your request, ask the establishment to confirm.

This period is not, by itself, a promise to reply to your message within that time. And a zero-day period does not automatically confirm an appointment or availability.

Web — Where can you read this information?

In Access, look at the adaptation's details. Conditions and notice periods appear there when entered in the file.

App — Where can you read this information?

On the adaptation's entry, Implementation time and Conditions show information entered by the establishment. They appear below the description, both in the list and in the single-adaptation display. A section with no information is not displayed.

If your app does not display this information yet

Do not assume there are no conditions or notice periods. Open the same file on the website to view its details, or contact the establishment before arranging your visit.

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In practice

After opening the file, read the options that interest you. Also check any conditions and notice periods.

For an adaptation you need to request

Web — Check the box beside the option. To remove it from your selection, click that box again.

App — Tap the option to select it. Tap it again to remove it. The check mark shows your choice.

You can select several adaptations in the same file. Choose those useful for the task you are preparing: an option matching your profile does not oblige you to request it.

Checking prepares a selection; it does not send the request

Once you have chosen, you can prepare to send it using the methods offered. Before sending, reread the selection and, when preparing text, use Show TXT to see what it contains. This button displays text; it does not send it.

For an adaptation usable directly

“This adaptation can be used directly, without requesting it from the establishment” means the file presents it as usable without a prior request in A11Yneeds.

For example, this may involve viewing an access map or photos of the premises. Follow the instructions and open the link if there is one. You do not need to add it to a request to read this information.

Web — These options have no selection box.

App — A box may remain visible but cannot be checked for these options. The “without a request” note explains why.

Direct use does not mean all conditions disappear. Read the file's instructions and displayed conditions. If your app does not yet show them, view the details on the web.

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In practice

Some adaptations have a link to a page or document. Not all do: the establishment chooses what to add to its file.

Web — Opening the link

In the adaptation's details, click the offered address. A message warns you before opening the external link. If you want to continue, confirm: the browser then tries to open it in another tab or window.

App — Opening the link

Tap Open link / document below the option. The phone hands opening to the application assigned to that address, such as its browser. It may therefore temporarily take you away from the A11Yneeds screen.

Opening the link does not submit an adaptation request to the establishment. However, you are viewing another page, which may work differently and ask for information. Take time to check where the link leads before filling in a form there.

If nothing opens

First check your internet connection.

Web — Check whether your browser reports blocking a new window, or whether the document opened in another tab. You do not need to disable all browser protections.

App — Check whether the browser or another app opened. You can also view the same adaptations file on the website and try the link there.

If the link opens an error or an unavailable document

Contact the establishment with the adaptation's name and the address of the problem link. The document may have moved or its access changed. The establishment can check the link and offer another way to obtain the information.

If the A11Yneeds button itself does not respond, you can also report it through our contact form, specifying whether you use the website or app and what appears on screen.

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In practice

The card view lets you focus on one adaptation, then move to the next. The continuous list presents adaptations one after another.

Changing presentation does not create new options from the establishment. It changes how you browse those displayed.

Do not confuse this choice with the A11Y filter, which limits options to those matching your needs. To see others too, use the all-adaptations display.

Whatever the presentation, take time to read conditions and notice periods before selecting an adaptation.

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In practice

A11Yneeds remembers information about the last file and its associated selection. With an account, this is part of information exchanged between devices.

When you return, the file must still be openable and verifiable. If it changed or is no longer valid, you may need to make the selection again. We do not promise to recover every entry in a form left unfinished.

Changing your needs may change the visible adaptations when the filter is active. So reread the selection before copying or submitting a request, even if some boxes already seem checked.

A request already sent is not altered by this display change.

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In practice

Start by opening the establishment's file in Access. Check that it concerns the place or service you want to contact.

Read the adaptations that interest you, along with their conditions and notice periods. Select those you want to request. The check mark identifies your choices.

If the preparation buttons are unavailable

Check that at least one adaptation is checked. Seeing an option in the list does not mean it has been selected.

An option marked usable “without a request” cannot be checked for sending. For that option, follow the file's instructions. You do not need to create a request just to view a map or information offered this way.

To start by rereading: “Show TXT”

This button presents text prepared from your selection. “TXT” simply means “text” here.

You can check that the chosen adaptations are the ones you want to request. This button sends nothing to the establishment.

To use the text elsewhere: “Copy TXT”

This button copies the text so you can paste it, for example, into an email draft. Copying does not send anything either.

The copied text includes the chosen adaptations. It does not replace details you can add in the direct submission form, such as your message or a date. The answer about copying text explains how to check what you retrieved.

To use your email application: “Send email”

When offered, this button makes A11Yneeds prepare an email in your email application. You can still reread and edit it.

Check the recipient and add useful details. You then choose Send in your email application. Simply opening the email has not sent it.

To send from A11Yneeds: “Submit to the business”

This option depends on the way the establishment chose to operate and requires signing in to your user account.

The button opens a form. You can add useful details for your request. Reread them before confirming submission. Then wait for the message indicating the transmission result.

This request goes through A11Yneeds, so it does not appear in the sent messages of your personal email application.

You do not need to use every button

Showing and copying are preparation tools. Email and direct submission are two different ways to send. You do not have to send the same request by both methods for it to be taken into account.

If no usable sending method is offered, contact the establishment to find out how to communicate your choices.

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In practice

Start by choosing adaptations that would help you.

In the additional message, you can then specify what will help the person prepare your welcome. For example: “For this interview, a quiet place would help me follow the conversation.”

You do not need to add your entire medical history to make this request understood.

Reread one thing at a time

First look at the selected adaptations. Are they really the ones you want to request?

Then read your message. Remove details you do not want to share.

Finally, look at the form fields: name, date or other details offered. Some may already contain information remembered from a previous request. Check it before sending.

Depending on how you send

If you submit directly from A11Yneeds, the institution also receives your account's email address.

If you use your email application, reread the email before sending. Check the address you are writing from and the automatically added signature.

You can use “Copy TXT” to read the adaptations presentation in a note. But this copy does not replace rereading the direct submission form. The question “What does the institution see when I send a request?” explains both routes.

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In practice

No. You can leave the fields offered for personal details empty.

For example, if you do not want to share a number requested in the form, you do not have to invent or provide it just because a field exists.

This concerns personal details in the form. Ask the institution about access conditions for a particular service.

What about the date?

You can also leave the date blank.

If you enter one in the mobile app, write the day, month, then year. For example, 28 September 2026 is written “28/09/2026”.

An incomplete or impossible date must be corrected.

Yet a message says “required field”

This message does not match the intended optional nature of these details.

Note its text and where it appears. Do not provide sensitive information just to make the message disappear. Report the problem so it can be checked.

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In practice

Take your name in a request as an example. There are two different choices.

Sending it for this request

If you write your name in the form and send the request, the institution receives it.

This remains true even if you do not choose to remember it.

Keeping it for next time

If you also choose to remember it, A11Yneeds keeps it in your account. When a future form asks for the same detail, it can be offered without you having to type it again.

This memory is kept by the A11Yneeds service. It is therefore not only on the phone used for this request.

Not remembering a detail means not adding a copy to this form memory. It does not mean “do not send it” or “delete an old copy already remembered”.

To see what you chose to keep

Open settings. In the mobile app, the section is called “Personal information for requests to businesses”.

You can read the list, erase one detail or empty the list. You do not need to delete your account for this.

Information already sent remains in the request received by the institution. Erasing form memory does not recall that request.

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In practice

“Submit to the business” sends the request from A11Yneeds without using your email application.

This option depends on what the institution has set up.

The button is offered, but you are asked to sign in

Direct sending requires a user account. Sign in to your account, then reread the request before sending.

If the message says your session expired, this means you must identify yourself again.

The button is not offered or sending is unavailable

Look at the other options displayed. Sending by email may be offered, but not for every institution.

If there is no usable method, ask the institution how to communicate your needs. Changing accounts will not make a sending option appear if it has not enabled it.

The absence of this sending method does not, by itself, say whether the institution accepts or refuses the requested adaptation.

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In practice

A message confirms sending

This means the service recorded your request.

It does not yet mean someone read it. Nor is it acceptance of the adaptation or confirmation of an appointment.

An error message appears

The request may nevertheless have arrived.

For example, your phone may lose its connection just after the request is recorded. It then does not receive confirmation, even though the institution can already access the request.

What should you do in this case?

1. Note the approximate time and institution name.
2. Keep the error message text.
3. Before resending several times, ask the institution whether it received your request.

You can say: “I tried to send you a request around 10 o'clock, but an error message appeared. Can you check whether it arrived?”

Keep your text somewhere private. You do not need to publish the whole request to report a sending difficulty.

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In practice

Changing your needs, unchecking a box or erasing a detail in A11Yneeds does not change a request already sent.

To correct or cancel it, or find out its processing status, contact the receiving establishment. Use the contact in the adaptations file or on its website. Give the details needed to find the request without unnecessarily sending all your personal information again.

This FAQ does not announce a tracking, editing or cancellation dashboard in the user account. Confirmation of submission does not mean the service is accepted or booked.

If the adaptations file changes afterwards, the request already received remains valid in the establishment's reception tool. It is not automatically deleted or cancelled.

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In practice

The request concerns the establishment whose file you opened. It is the place to obtain an answer about putting the adaptation in place.

If you use your email application

The recipient is the address shown in the email when you send it. Check that address before sending, even if it was prepared from the establishment's file.

To find what you sent, then open your email application's sent messages folder. There you can reread the recipient, date and email content.

If you use “Submit to the business”

The request is recorded in the relevant organisation's space, where authorised professionals can view it.

The transmission confirmation message means your request was recorded. It does not yet mean someone has read it or arranged your welcome.

An adaptation request does not, by itself, book an appointment

For example, you may request an adapted welcome for a visit planned on Tuesday. This does not automatically book an appointment for Tuesday. You also need to follow the establishment's usual procedures.

If your visit depends on particular arrangements, contact it to check what is planned. The notice period shown on the adaptation helps anticipate its implementation; it is not personal confirmation of your appointment.

The establishment cannot find your request

Start by telling it when you sent it, even approximately, and whether you used email or the A11Yneeds button. Also specify the service concerned and file name, if you have it.

You can say: “I submitted a request yesterday around 15:00 from A11Yneeds for my visit to your service. Can you check whether it arrived?” This example is fictional.

If you received an error message, mention it too. Before starting over several times, try to clarify together whether another submission is needed.

You do not need to spontaneously send your whole record or medical information to report this problem. Start with details useful for finding the request.

What if the problem comes from A11Yneeds?

Our contact form lets you report an unresponsive button or an on-screen error. However, we cannot confirm arrangements for your visit on the establishment's behalf.

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In practice

In Access, select the adaptations you want to request, then choose Show TXT.

Text appears with the chosen adaptations and the details accompanying them in the file. It also contains a link for viewing and printing the selection.

Read it as you would a draft. You can check the establishment's name, the requested adaptations and their instructions. Displaying it does not send it.

To copy the text

Choose Copy TXT. If copying succeeds, a message confirms this. The text is placed on the “clipboard”: the place where your phone or computer keeps what you just copied until you paste it elsewhere.

Then open an email draft or private document. Move to where you want to insert the text, then choose Paste.

On a computer, you can generally use Ctrl + V, or Command + V on Mac. On a phone, long-press the area where you can write to show Paste. The exact gesture depends on the app you paste into.

A simple trial without sending anything

Paste the text into a private draft and reread it. You can then see what copying retrieved. You can stop there: neither copying nor pasting sends your request to the establishment.

Do not treat the clipboard as a backup. If you want to keep this text, save the document or draft somewhere you want to entrust this information to.

This text is not the entire direct submission form

A personal message, date or other details entered in the Submit to the business form are not automatically included in the TXT copy.

If you send the text through your email application, add useful details in the email and reread everything. If you use direct submission, reread the details in its form before confirming.

If you want to remove an adaptation

Preferably return to A11Yneeds to uncheck it, then prepare the text again. Erasing only its description in an email does not change the selection link already in that email.

If copying fails

Web — Use Show TXT, then select the displayed text and try your browser's usual Copy command. Paste it into a draft to check the result.

App — If Send email is offered, you can try preparing the text in your email application. You can reread it before any sending. The app's Show TXT screen does not guarantee manual text selection as on the web.

If that is not enough, report the problem through the contact form, indicating your device and the displayed message. You do not need to attach your request's personal content to explain that a copy button does not work.

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In practice

A11Yneeds' “Send email” button prepares a message in your email application. It does not send it on your behalf.

If your email application opens

Take time to read the message. You can edit it before choosing “Send” in your email application.

Also check:

• whom the email is addressed to;
• which address you send it from;
• what your signature adds at the end.

If you remove an adaptation from the text, the attached link may still show it. To avoid this, first change the selection in A11Yneeds and prepare a new email, or remove the link if you do not want to share it.

If nothing opens

Use “Copy TXT” in A11Yneeds. Then open your email application yourself, create a new message and paste the text.

You still need to enter the recipient, add useful details and reread before sending. Copying the text does not copy all details from the direct submission form.

You returned to A11Yneeds: has the email been sent?

A11Yneeds cannot confirm this on behalf of your email application.

Open it and look at sent messages. Also check whether a warning says sending failed or is still waiting. Even a sent email is not proof the institution read it.

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In practice

The viewing and printing link identifies the file and adaptation selection. It opens their presentation in a browser.

If your email application does not make it clickable, select the full address, copy it and paste it into the browser's address bar. Avoid taking only part of the link when it spans several lines.

The link does not automatically include sentences or details you later add to your email. Editing the email text does not change the selection carried by the link either.

If you remove an adaptation from the message, also check that you are not sharing an old link still identifying it.

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In practice — Web

Open the presentation available through the viewing and printing link, then use the page's or browser's print command. Check the preview before confirming.

If you want to print exactly the email you completed, use your email application's print function instead: additions made in the email do not automatically appear on the linked page.

Phone — open this page in your browser, or the text in your email application, then use the printing or sharing options offered by that software. Their location depends on the phone.

PDF — if the print window offers to save as PDF, you can choose that option instead of a printer. A saved PDF is not automatically sent to the establishment.

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In practice

Look at every page in the preview. If a sentence is cut off, try another page size, orientation or scale setting in the print window.

If the problem persists, you can copy the text into a document you control and print from that software. Reread it after copying to check no important condition disappeared.

The printed details depend on the document chosen. A completed email may contain your name or other details; the viewing page does not automatically include these additions.

Also check headers and footers added by the software, then collect your sheets, especially from a shared printer.

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In practice

You can copy the prepared text and paste it into an email or another app. This does not use A11Yneeds direct submission.

Check that the establishment accepts this contact method. A message placed in an app it does not check risks going unanswered.

Before sending, reread the recipient, adaptations, conditions and added personal details. Also look at the selection link: it does not change automatically if you edit the text.

A copy, email or PDF then exists in the software where you placed it and with its recipient. Erasing your data in A11Yneeds does not delete these copies. Avoid publishing them in an open space if they concern your personal situation.

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In practice

In print preview, look at size settings and selected pages. Depending on the software, you can enlarge the output or choose certain pages.

Zooming the page on screen does not necessarily have the same effect in print. Always check the preview.

To keep only part of the text, you can copy it into a separate document. Do not remove a condition or notice period that changes the option's meaning.

To print only a QR, you need its image or a page offering it. A11Yneeds does not guarantee a “QR only” command in every process. Keep the whole square and check that it can be read.

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In practice

The starting point is the Applications section of the official A11Yneeds website.

Choose the link for your phone: Android or iPhone. Then follow that page's instructions.

Access may involve a testing period. In that case, extra steps may be required before you can install the app.

If you cannot find it

Check that you followed the process intended for your phone.

If an invitation is required, also check that you use the required account in the app store. That account's address may differ from the one used in A11Yneeds.

Do not try to solve the problem by installing a file found on an unknown website. Return to the official process.

The exact links and Android and iPhone access conditions must be verified before this article is published.

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In practice — Android and iPhone

Start again from the Android or iPhone beta-testing pages offered by the official A11Yneeds website. They describe the process intended during this period.

If no install button appears, check whether test registration or another step mentioned on that page remains to be done.

If the store says the device is incompatible, do not bypass the warning with a download found elsewhere. You can try the website in your browser while waiting for an answer.

If the app closes at startup, try reopening it, then restarting the phone. If this continues, report the model, system version and any message. Do not uninstall before considering what you risk losing.

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In practice — App

You can continue viewing and changing needs available in the installed app. Without an account, this work stays on the device. With an account, new changes must wait for a successful exchange with the server before they can be found elsewhere.

You cannot rely on the network to sign in, load a new file, check its latest version or submit a request. An old file is not guaranteed to be available offline.

A prepared email may also remain waiting in your email application. Returning to A11Yneeds does not prove it was sent.

When the network returns, check messages and the status of your sends before submitting again, to avoid duplicates.

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In practice — Android and iPhone

The categories distinguish:

• a minor improvement;
• an important update;
• a change in functionality;
• a security fix.

The message directs you to the store to install the offered version. A11Yneeds does not itself start a silent installation.

The notice remains informative: it does not block use. That does not remove the value of reading it, particularly if it concerns security or a feature you use.

You can find the information in Settings → About. The Windows Build and Request applications use Microsoft Store updates, not this mobile notification.

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In practice

No. The update notice provided in the mobile app does not block use. Nor does it start an automatic installation.

It tells you a new version is offered or recommended. This may, for example, bring an important improvement or security fix.

What happens if I choose to open the store?

You leave the A11Yneeds screen for the place provided to obtain the app. Then look at what is offered.

The new version may not be immediately available for your phone. It may be made available to users gradually.

If the store does not open

Start again from the Applications section of the official website. Do not install a randomly found file to make the notice disappear.

This notice is not a block. That does not prevent another difficulty, such as a connection outage, from interrupting a task.

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In practice — Android and iPhone

A new version may be rolling out. The app tells you about it, but the store may not yet offer it to your device or through your beta-testing process.

You can close the notice and continue using the app. Return to the store later through the official link.

During an ongoing rollout, the notice may return when you next open the app. Closing it for this use does not mean you have hidden it permanently.

If the discrepancy persists, tell support the installed version, announced version and what the store shows. Do not install an unknown copy to bypass the wait.

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In practice — Android and iPhone

In Settings, you can choose to see all notices, only important ones, or those concerning functionality and security. There is no option that hides all security information.

During an ongoing rollout, closing a notice hides it for the current session. It may return when you reopen the app.

After rollout ends, the provided option lets you stop displaying the reminder for that version on that device. A new version, or a change in the notice's importance, may trigger another reminder.

The About section always lets you view the information, even if you hid the automatic reminder.

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In practice — Android and iPhone

Yes, update notification does not block the app when checking is temporarily impossible. Features needing the internet still depend on your connection, however.

In About, “last saved information” means the app shows the result of a previous check. It does not confirm that no new version exists today.

When your connection returns, view this section again. Repeated tapping within a few seconds is not useful.

Reminder choices are saved on each device. Changing this setting on your phone does not automatically change it on a tablet.

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In practice

Two operations must be distinguished.

Updating

You install a new version of the app.

Deleting then reinstalling

You remove the app from the phone, then install it again. This is not the same as updating.

Information kept only on the phone may be lost during deletion. That is why reinstalling should not be the first attempt at solving a problem.

Before an operation that could erase your information

Open “Profile”. Copy the A11Y code of needs you want to keep and paste it into a private note you can find without A11Yneeds.

Do this for every important profile.

If you use an account, also check that no message reports a synchronisation problem. This word means the exchange of information between the phone and your account.

Even with an account, we cannot promise to recover every setting and every change not yet saved. If you are unsure, seek help before erasing the app.

The exact behaviour of restoration after reinstalling remains to be checked on Android and iPhone.

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In practice — Web

First try your device's usual browser, kept up to date. The website needs its page functions to run and some information to be remembered in the browser.

A window embedded in an email app or QR reader may behave differently. If it causes problems, open the link in your usual browser.

The website is tested on several browsers. The technologies used are chosen to aim for the widest possible compatibility. This does not guarantee every feature works in every browser and all their older versions.

If a button does not work, indicate the browser name, device and attempted action. These details help reproduce the problem.

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In practice — Web

First check whether a message appears higher up the page, a window is waiting for your answer, or the browser reports a block.

If you entered important text, keep a private copy before refreshing the page. Refreshing may lose an unfinished entry.

You can then reload the page or open the link in your usual browser. If the browser blocks a window or download, check that it is the expected action on the official website before allowing it. Do not disable all its protections.

If the button concerned sending, deletion or saving, do not click repeatedly. Note the step and message, then report the problem.

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In practice

For the clipboard, try normal pasting into the field: a long press on a phone, or Paste on a computer. You can also type the address or code by hand.

If a permission request appears, read which function it concerns. The camera is useful for scanning; it is not needed to paste an address.

Web — a page opened in another app's small window may have fewer capabilities. Try opening it in your usual browser.

App — a refused permission can be revisited in the phone's settings. The route depends on the system. Do not grant unrelated permissions just to try to unblock the screen.

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In practice

Web — use the page's language selector.

App — open settings and choose the desired language.

The change concerns interface text. Adaptations, linked documents and establishment messages may remain in the language they were written in. They must not be presented as automatically translated and verified.

If an interface button remains in another language, note its text and the screen concerned, then report it. If an adaptation is what you do not understand, ask the establishment for an explanation.

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In practice — App

In Settings, size controls concern card text and list text. You can adjust them separately and look at the preview provided.

Web — you can use browser zoom. To navigate by keyboard, try the usual movements between controls, then activate them.

Information is provided for screen-reading tools. However, we cannot guarantee here that every process works without obstacles with all these tools, or announce certification.

If a control remains inaccessible, tell us which one, with which tool and at which step. You do not need to provide a diagnosis to report an accessibility defect.

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In practice

Note the screen, the control that is hard to reach and what happens before the blockage. Specify whether you use enlarged text, the keyboard or a screen reader.

On a phone, you can try changing orientation if the screen allows it. For a size problem, temporarily reducing it may help understand the issue, only if it remains readable for you.

If reading returns to the wrong place after an action, indicate that exact action: opening a window, checking a need, closing a card…

Do not repeat sending or deletion to try to find the control again. Report the obstacle through contact; if contact itself is inaccessible, see How do I get help if the form is inaccessible?.

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In practice

The website and app offer several interface languages. This does not, by itself, commit to a human response in each of them.

The team works in French. For written exchanges, we use translation tools so we can also communicate with people writing in other languages.

You can therefore write in your language and indicate the one you want a reply in. A translation may need clarification: if a sentence seems unclear, ask us to rephrase it. This is not a multilingual human help desk.

Support is provided by volunteers, with no guaranteed response time.

For a question about adaptations or an appointment, ask the establishment directly what communication options it offers.

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In practice

Check whether the rest of the page opens and whether a message accompanies the media. If a subtitles button is offered, check whether it is enabled.

You can try opening the page in your usual browser instead of another app's embedded window.

Tell the contact the page address, media concerned and what is missing: picture, sound, subtitles or an accessible control. Do not send personal information unrelated to the defect.

For a document supplied by an establishment, contact it too. This FAQ does not promise a transcript or alternative version exists for every media item; you can ask for a written explanation.

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In practice

Web — the contact form is the starting point

If you are blocked in the app or on another page, open the A11Yneeds website, then its contact form. You can report the difficulty there.

This page asks you to confirm your email address. This means you must be able to receive a message, open it and follow its link.

In your message, describe what prevents you moving forward. For example: “I use my phone's read-aloud function and cannot reach the send button.”

You do not need to give a diagnosis to explain this difficulty.

What if you cannot use this page or receive the email?

If you cannot use the form, write directly to contact@a11yneeds.org from your email application. You do not need to verify the form's link to write to this address.

However, if you cannot use email itself, no other fallback channel is currently offered. This limitation remains under the service's current volunteer organisation; we do not want to announce an option that does not exist.

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In practice

Contact A11Yneeds for a difficulty with sign-in, an account, a button or how the service works. The website's Contact link opens the contact process; the app also offers this starting point in settings.

You can also write directly to contact@a11yneeds.org. This is the current contact address; no other fallback channel is offered for now.

When will I receive a reply?

Maintenance and support are currently provided by volunteers who believe in the project. We seek to reply and act as quickly as possible, depending on the difficulties encountered and our availability, both within the program and outside it.

We therefore do not guarantee a response or resolution time. If the project's development someday allows staff to be hired, the service level could be strengthened. This is not a commitment already in place.

Contact the establishment about an adaptation, its conditions, a notice period, an appointment or a request you sent it.

Its file may provide a contact address. If none is present or the file no longer opens, look for contact details on the establishment's website.

A11Yneeds does not decide on its behalf what service you will be granted.

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In practice — Contact form

You enter your email address, then open the link received to access the form. This contact link is valid for 60 minutes.

It allows one message to be sent. Opening the page does not mean the message is already sent: you must write it and confirm sending.

After successful submission, this link cannot send a second message. For a new contact, start the process offered on the website again.

This link is personal. Do not forward it to someone else to ask for help: they could act in your name.

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In practice

Check the entered address and junk mail. If several messages arrived, check their dates to avoid opening an old link.

The contact link expires after 60 minutes and allows only one send. If the screen says it expired or was already used, return to the official website's contact form.

A protection may impose a wait between two link requests. Respect the displayed delay rather than repeatedly trying.

If the form cannot be used, you can write directly to contact@a11yneeds.org from your email application. You then do not need the form's verification link.

If you cannot use email at all, this solution is not enough: no other channel is currently offered. See How do I get help if the form is inaccessible?.

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In practice — Web

If the form says it must be opened from the official website, return to A11Yneeds' Contact section, then use the contact link sent to you. Do not copy an old form page onto another website.

If sending fails and the text remains visible, copy it into a private note before refreshing or closing the page. Automatic draft retention is not guaranteed.

Check the displayed message and your connection before retrying. If receipt is uncertain, avoid repeated sends: a displayed error does not always show how far sending got.

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In practice

Describe what you wanted to do, the commands used, what you expected and what actually happened.

For example: “I open Access, paste the file address, then press Open. The name appears, but the list stays empty.”

Add the error text and approximate time. Specify whether you use the website, Android or iPhone; on the web, also indicate the browser.

App — Settings → About displays the app version and the web version information offered by the service.

Web — give the page address. If no version number is visible, simply say so: you do not need to know how to find it within the website's internal workings.

Hide private details in any screenshot. We will never ask for your password.

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In practice

To explain a problem, start by describing what you were trying to do.

For example: “I opened the request, then pressed Send. An error message appeared.” Add the error text, approximate time and, if you know it, the app version.

This is often more useful than sending your entire request or all your needs.

What not to share

We will never ask for your password. Keep it to yourself, even when contacting us about a sign-in problem.

Do not forward links received to sign in, delete your account or confirm contact either. These links perform an action in your name.

Do not add a medical record to explain a button that does not work.

If you send an image of your screen

Look at it before sending. Are your name, email address or a request's contents visible?

Hide details that are not needed. If you do not know how to hide them, simply describe the error message in writing instead of sending the complete image.

If someone writes to you and the message seems suspicious

Do not use its link to give your details. Return to the official website by your usual route and check the request before replying.

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In practice

Check whether you can open another internet page. If nothing opens, start by checking the device's connection.

If the internet works, try another A11Yneeds page. For a file problem, you can also view the demo file without submitting a request.

You can compare with another browser or device if one is available. A different result offers a clue, but does not by itself prove the cause of the outage.

Note the time, page and message. Do not delete your data or reinstall the app for this initial diagnosis. A public incident announcement channel is not confirmed in this FAQ.

Read the relevant terms: Availability and alpha version

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In practice — Contact form

Before sending, check the option offering to receive a copy of the message at your email address.

This copy keeps the text sent to A11Yneeds contact. It is not a reply from the team and does not concern an adaptation request sent to an establishment.

If the copy does not arrive, check junk mail and the result displayed after sending. Its absence alone does not prove the team received nothing.

You can also keep a private copy of the text before sending. Avoid shared folders if your message contains personal details.

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In practice

This thinking developed around Ici TSA, from lived experiences, support work and conversations with professionals.

An initial idea was to create a label identifying professionals committed to a better welcome. This approach revealed a difficulty: needs vary greatly. The same adjustment can help one person and hinder another.

The question therefore shifted. Instead of only asking “Is this place accessible?”, it became important to ask: “What is offered here, and does it help me?”

A11Yneeds translates this approach into a tool: describing an establishment's options, letting the person identify what suits them, then making their choices easier to send.

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In practice

Saying a place is “welcoming” or “accessible” does not specify whether you can wait quietly, have written explanations or prepare a visit in advance.

The adaptations file describes particular options, with their conditions and, where necessary, notice periods. You can look at what matches your needs rather than assume a general assessment suits everyone.

This does not mean labels are useless. A11Yneeds simply does not seek to provide a universal guarantee about a place.

An establishment's presence in the service does not certify all its services. Information must be kept up to date by those offering it.

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In practice

The project is presented as the result of collective thinking at the meeting point of people's lived experience, support work and the work of professionals and institutions, particularly around Ici TSA.

In the conference notes, Pierre Violland explains the progression from a label idea to an approach based on needs. Cédric Goedecke presents how this approach was translated into A11Yneeds and the work carried out with his colleagues.

This origin matters: adaptations should not be imagined solely on behalf of the people who will use them. Their feedback can show that a word, process or option does not fit the real situation.

This answer describes contributions. It does not define the legal responsibilities of the people or organisations mentioned.

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In practice

A person may need an adaptation permanently, during a period of their life, or only in certain places.

For example, understanding written instructions may be easier than following a spoken explanation. That need alone does not allow a diagnosis to be inferred.

A11Yneeds starts with what can help you in a given situation. It does not ask you to prove you belong to a category to describe your needs.

This does not mean all services will be available without conditions. Conditions for a particular adaptation are the establishment's responsibility and must be read with its option.

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In practice

An establishment can start by describing practices it already knows how to offer: preparatory information, a way of explaining, a welcome adjustment or a particular arrangement.

Stating conditions and notice periods helps the person know what they can request and helps the team organise its response.

Writing down these options also reduces dependence on a single person who knows them. This aims for continuity: the file must nevertheless be maintained when the team or offer changes.

Describing what exists does not prevent progress. Feedback may reveal needs still unanswered. But software alone does not create missing human or material resources.

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In practice

You can look at adaptations before travelling, read their conditions and choose those useful to you.

For the establishment, a request referring to an option it described itself may be easier to understand than very general information about your situation.

The aim is to reduce uncertainty on both sides without requiring you to tell your whole story for every visit.

This does not turn every selection into automatic agreement. Some adaptations require preparation or confirmation. The approach supports a practical exchange; it does not replace the establishment's commitment or your own judgement of what suits you.

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In practice

You can browse options with a relative or professional of your choice and discuss what actually suits you.

Start from a concrete situation: “What is difficult in this visit? What usually helps me?” You do not need to find the perfect word immediately.

Help thinking things through does not mean giving access to your account. Keep your password and sign-in links to yourself. This FAQ does not announce a carer account or delegation feature.

Before sending a request prepared with someone, reread together what will be sent and check that it matches your choices.

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In practice

If an option is ambiguous, your need is not listed or several constraints meet, a conversation with the establishment remains necessary.

A11Yneeds organises information and makes it easier to send. It does not diagnose, assess your legitimacy or decide the establishment's response.

Feedback from users and professionals can help the service evolve. You can report a difficulty or suggest an improvement through the contact form.

An idea mentioned for the future is not yet an available feature. We distinguish what you can use now from what remains to be discussed, built or verified.

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In practice

A11Yneeds currently has no sponsors. Its development and maintenance rely on volunteer commitment.

By sponsorship, we mean support for the project to help fund its operation or development. We hope to obtain such support, but are not announcing secured funding.

Future support does not mean a paid team already exists or a support response time is guaranteed today either.

We are actively looking for sponsors. Let's talk!

Would you like to support A11Yneeds? Contact Cédric Goedecke directly to discuss it, even if your proposal is not yet defined. These contacts are handled as a priority.

Discuss supporting A11Yneeds

This link opens the contact form to discuss your proposal. Enter the address where we can reply and write your message. No account or prior email verification is needed. Reread your message, then click the send button.

Support arrangements are discussed together; no automatic benefit in return or guaranteed response time is announced here.

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In practice

A11Yneeds has expenses, particularly servers, software needed for operation and tools used for development. In addition, time is spent designing, testing and maintaining the service.

These expenses are currently not covered by sponsors. They are paid by the volunteers behind the project, alongside their unpaid working time.

Seeking support aims to make this situation more sustainable. It does not change current free use for users and businesses, or the commitment to retain a free way to use the service.

You do not need to become a sponsor to use features currently offered with a free account.

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In practice

Support could first help cover operating and development costs. If its amount and duration allowed, ideally staff could also be hired.

This could make it possible to organise professional support, strengthen maintenance and devote more time to improvements and testing. These are aims, not already funded commitments or a recruitment timetable.

Today, operations remain volunteer-run. We seek to act as quickly as possible according to the program's needs and our availability, without guaranteeing a response or resolution time.

If this organisation changes, service commitments will need to be defined from resources actually available, not announced in advance.

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In practice

You can express interest now in contributing to the project's launch and development. Graphic design, administration, organisation, user support, documentation, translation, testing and software development: every profession useful to the project can contribute something.

We seek regular commitment: people ready to devote a little time to the project each day and follow through on tasks they accept. The aim is reliable, lasting collaboration rather than purely occasional participation.

Currently none of these roles is held on a fixed basis within an established team. People who truly want to get involved are welcome, whatever their area of contribution.

This is volunteering, not a paid job offer. Before you commit, we will discuss your skills, the proposed role and the time you can actually devote to the project.

Contact us to propose your participation. Explain what you would like to contribute and your availability.

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In practice

A11Yneeds plans directories of people and teams able to support institutions in implementing the software. Two types of help are envisaged.

The first involves identifying adaptations an institution already offers, describing them clearly and integrating them into A11Yneeds. The establishment can make existing options visible without inventing or reorganising everything.

The second involves helping the institution identify simple adaptations it could introduce to improve inclusion. This is not about judging its quality solely by the number of published adaptations.

This support may be offered for payment. The framework and intervention arrangements remain to be defined; no price or bookable service is announced today.

These networks are being prepared, at the alpha stage. The directories and registration have not yet been developed. It is therefore not yet possible to choose or book a provider through this system. See How can I join future networks supporting institutions? to follow the opening of registration.

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In practice

The project plans to list people able to support A11Yneeds implementation and people able to advise institutions on simple adaptations promoting inclusion.

This activity is separate from volunteering on program development: it concerns supporting establishments in the field, with the possibility of paid interventions.

For now, this part is in preparation. The directory registration form does not exist yet. Required information, listing arrangements and the intervention framework must be specified before opening.

You can keep the link to this article and return to read it. It will be updated when registration becomes possible, with explanations of how to participate. This does not put you on a waiting list or trigger an automatic notification.

To contribute now to the project's volunteer development, see Can I volunteer to help develop A11Yneeds? instead.

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In practice

Several developments are planned or listed among changes to prepare. They are not all available today, and their order will depend on project resources and feedback from the people using it.

The pace and priorities of these developments will depend strongly on how A11Yneeds is received and how quickly institutions adopt it. Available human and financial resources will also matter. This list therefore does not constitute a guaranteed timetable.

• Make the interface easier to use. Have professionals in web tool design and use review the interface to make processes clearer and more accessible. This work depends on funding we hope to obtain; it is not yet scheduled.
• An administration console for organisations, on Windows and Mac. Allow each organisation to manage its use of A11Yneeds more easily from a single tool. This console will bring together file settings, file locations and their organisation on the internal network, where needed. It will also make it possible to manage staff members and their access rights: who can view, edit or administer files. The aim is to make teamwork easier while protecting the organisation's information. This tool is among the next steps envisaged. It is not yet available.
• Find establishments that meet your needs. Create a directory of institutions using A11Yneeds. You could search for nearby establishments, particularly by activity, then sort them by the number of offered adaptations matching your needs. The aim is to guide you towards places useful for your situation, not label an establishment “the most accessible” for everyone. This directory is not yet available.
• Report an announced adaptation that is not honoured. Provide a way for users to report this discrepancy, encouraging the institution to review what it announces and remove an adaptation it cannot offer. Trust in A11Yneeds rests on information matching what people actually find on site. This system remains to be developed; reporting and handling arrangements must be specified. A report will not be presented here as an automatic removal.
• Give organisations adaptation ideas. Create a database of practices, classified by adaptation category: examples already offered and options to implement. An organisation wanting to improve could find practical ideas and choose those it can achieve in its context. This database is not yet available.
• Support institutions. Build networks and directories of people who will help describe existing adaptations and introduce new ones. See Will institutions be able to get help implementing A11Yneeds? and How can I join future networks supporting institutions?.
• Extend professional tools to Apple devices. These versions remain to be prepared; they should not be confused with the user app for iPhone.
• Reset the app on a device. Provide a clearly explained action to erase local information and settings, separate from deleting the online account. This button is not yet available.
• Check whether requests in Request are up to date. Provide an indication when requested adaptations no longer match the current file, or when this check is impossible. The request will remain stored and valid: the intention is not to cancel it. This analysis is deferred.
• Multi-user management of .a11y files. Allow several people in the same organisation to work on its files, with coordinated management of changes. This feature is planned but not yet implemented.
• Expand the languages offered. The aim is to extend the current software to all Western languages. This will require translations and verification, with no date announced for each language.

A longer-term ambition

Going beyond Western languages is also part of the project's ambition. In its leader's current vision, this step would involve a version entirely redesigned for these uses. It is not currently on the agenda: it is a desired direction, not work already underway.

This list gives direction, not a delivery timetable. This article may evolve as plans become clearer and available. To help make them happen, see Can I volunteer to help develop A11Yneeds?.

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In practice

Yes. Accessibility associations and bodies can use the free tools to create adaptation files for an event, municipality or organisation, within the format charter and its rules of use. You do not need to pay to start such a process.

Start with the place's real options

For example, an association can help event organisers identify what they already offer, then present it in an A11Yneeds file. People can view these adaptations and identify those meeting their needs.

Content must be prepared with those responsible: it describes options they can actually offer, not commitments made on their behalf. This approach does not give general permission to copy other organisations' files.

The free tools let you prepare and publish your own files. If you choose not to use A11Yneeds hosting, you must put them online and maintain them yourself, for example on your organisation's website. See Can I create, change and host my institution's files? for file use.

A common tool, rather than different software for each audience

The project aims to cover all types of disabilities and needs, as well as businesses, associations and other organisations. It is not limited to a diagnosis or business sector. This ambition does not mean every place can meet every need: what matters is that everyone can understand what is really offered there.

Let's talk about your initiative

The A11Yneeds team is available to talk with groups wanting to implement the system and support their approach, within its capacity. This support currently remains voluntary; it is not a guaranteed service with an announced timeframe.

Tell us about your project through the contact form. You can specify the event or organisation type, what you want to put in place and the help that would be useful. These initiatives also help raise awareness and develop a common tool.

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In practice

The published terms allow a file's producer, or the organisation responsible for it, to create, modify, retain, publish, transmit, analyse, host and use its own files. This concerns .a11y files and professional .a11y+ files.

You can do this yourself or entrust it to a technical provider acting for your institution. This concerns your own files, not general permission to reuse those of other establishments.

The terms also allow A11Yneeds to perform operations needed for the service: for example, a copy for requested hosting, backup, security or format checking. This text does not mean all files are actually stored in every situation.

For details, see normal use of files. For another organisation's files, see Can I reuse or republish other establishments' files?.

Read the relevant terms: Normal use of files

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In practice

The published terms distinguish use of your own files from reuse of files produced by someone else.

For a third party, they require prior written permission from the file producer and A11Yneeds for collecting, retaining long-term, republishing, redistributing, reselling, renting, mirroring, commercially exploiting or building a database from these files.

For example, retrieving files from several institutions to publish a collection on your own website is different from opening an establishment's file to choose an adaptation.

If you are preparing a service that reuses these files, present your project before starting collection. Do not assume a public link grants permission for every reuse.

The exact scope appears in file restrictions. This explanation helps you read the terms; it does not replace examining them for your particular project.

Read the relevant terms: File restrictions

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In practice

The terms state that the general concept of a tool for describing and transmitting adaptation needs cannot be reserved absolutely.

However, they reserve A11Yneeds' rights over its name, interfaces, code, documentation, specific file structure, hosted services and associated databases. This therefore does not give general permission to copy the entire program.

Third-party software compatible with the format, particularly for receiving information within an institution, is possible within the format and its rules. File compatibility does not automatically give access to accounts or data stored by A11Yneeds.

The terms also prohibit pooling, reselling, renting or providing others with indirect access to services using an account, key, API or subscription that does not belong to them.

To prepare compatible software, describe the files and services you want to use so the applicable framework can be clarified. See the rules on the format and service and third-party applications. See also Can another compatible application access my data?.

Read the relevant terms: A11Yneeds structure, format and service · Third-party applications

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