I Am and I Like
A quick energiser — go around the circle, share your name and something you love.
👋 Tell the group your name and one thing you like.
KwaCart works for everyone
KwaCart is built so that people who use eye-gaze trackers, switch-scanning systems, or AAC communication apps can take a full and equal part in every session — not just listen.
Built-in AAC accessibility features
Three features work together. You can use any one of them, or all three at once.
Feature 1
Calm Timer
Replace the ticking digit countdown with a quiet colour block.
- The colour drifts slowly: green → amber → red. It never ticks.
- No digit changes pulling your gaze away from your work.
- Your choice is saved — the calm timer stays on every time you visit.
The clock shows a colour, not numbers.
Green = lots of time. Yellow = some time left. Red = nearly finished.
The colour changes slowly. It will not flash or jump.
Available on any live session page — look for the "Calm timer" button next to the clock.
Feature 2
Composition Presence Flag
Tell the host you are still working, even when your text box looks empty.
- Press "I'm composing…" while you draft in Grid 3, Proloquo, or any external app.
- The host sees your name with a live ✏ Composing… label on their screen.
- If the host tries to close the session, a warning stops them — so your voice is never cut off.
Press the "I'm composing" button when you are writing your answer.
The host can see you are still working.
They will wait for you. They cannot close the session.
Available on the participant view of any live session — look for the
"I'm composing…" button below the text box.
Feature 3
Accessibility Mode
Bigger targets, frozen layout, no animations — for eye-gaze and switch-scan users.
- Every button and input grows to a minimum of 80 × 80 px — large enough for eye-gaze activation.
- The page layout freezes completely — no pop-ups, no sliding banners, no reflows.
- All animations are switched off — smooth colour changes become instant.
Everything on the page gets bigger.
The page stays still. Nothing pops up. Nothing moves.
It is easier to click or look at the buttons.
Turn it on using the "Accessibility Mode" button in the top-right corner of every page.
Blind & screen-reader access
KwaCart is built to work fully with a keyboard and screen reader — no mouse required, no visual-only cues, no unlabelled controls. The list below describes exactly what is in place across every page.
Navigation
Skip-to-content link
Every page has an invisible "Skip to main content" link as its very first focusable element.
- Press Tab once on any page — the link appears and moves keyboard focus straight past the navigation bar to the main content area.
-
The main content region is marked with a
<main>landmark so screen readers can jump to it directly using landmark navigation. - The navigation bar is labelled "Main navigation" so screen readers distinguish it from other navigation landmarks on the page.
Forms
Labelled forms & live error announcements
Every form field has an explicit label, and every error is announced aloud the moment it appears.
-
All inputs on the sign-up and log-in pages have visible
<label>elements linked byfor/id. -
Validation errors are placed in an
aria-live="assertive"region so a screen reader announces them immediately — no hunting for red text. -
Password requirements and help text are linked to their input via
aria-describedby, so they are read out when the field receives focus. -
Fields with a validation error are also marked
aria-invalid="true".
Controls
Contextual control names
Every link and button has a unique, descriptive name — not just "View", "Delete", or "Open" repeated ten times in a row.
- Archive table actions include the tool name and date — for example "Delete Min Specs submission from 2024-11-14".
-
Both archive tables have a screen-reader-only caption and column headers
with
scope="col", so table-navigation mode works correctly. - Drawing-canvas toolbar buttons (pen sizes S / M / L and the eraser) are labelled "Pen size: small", "Pen size: medium", etc.
- The tool catalog announces the current mode ("Work Solo" or "Facilitate") as a screen-reader-only page heading when the view switches.
Dynamic content
Live region announcements
Content that changes without a page reload is announced automatically — no visual watching required.
-
The timer announces milestone intervals ("Two minutes remaining",
"One minute remaining") via an
aria-liveregion so a screen-reader user always knows how much time is left without looking at the clock. - The autosave indicator on solo tool pages announces "Draft saved" each time a save completes.
-
Drawing-canvas actions (pen size change, eraser selected, canvas cleared)
are announced via a dedicated
aria-live="polite"status region.
All facilitation tools
Every tool works with Accessibility Mode, the Calm Timer, and the Composition Presence Flag. Two tools — Min Specs and 15% Solutions — are free to try without an account.
Low-risk warm-ups
Facilitation tools
1-2-4-All
Turn any question into group insight — alone, then pairs, then fours, then everyone.
🧍 Think alone. 👫 Talk with one person. 👨👩👦👦 Talk with four people. 🌍 Share with everyone.
15% Solutions
What can you start doing right now, with the freedom and resources you already have?
💡 What small thing can you do today — without asking anyone?
25/10 Crowd Sourcing
Surface your group's boldest ideas in 30 minutes with cards and a countdown from 25.
💡 Everyone writes a bold idea. People score each other's ideas. The best 10 win.
Appreciative Interviews
Uncover what's already working by sharing stories of peak success.
🌟 Tell a story about something that went really well. Listen to others' stories.
Conversation Café
Calm group dialogue on a hard question — a talking object and four structured rounds.
🎙️ One person speaks at a time. Everyone else listens. Four rounds.
Discovery & Action Dialogue
Seven questions that surface hidden solutions already working in your group.
🔍 Seven questions help the group find solutions that are already working.
Drawing Together
A silent, simultaneous visual exercise using five universal shapes.
🖊️ Draw using five simple shapes — everyone draws at the same time, silently.
Five Structural Elements
Get into pairs, share challenges and expectations, build new connections fast.
🤝 Talk with someone new. Share your challenge. Share what you hope for.
Helping Heuristics
Practise four ways of helping in 15 minutes and discover your default pattern.
🤲 Try four different ways to help someone. Find out which one you use most.
Idea Generation
A minute of individual reflection, then share with the group.
💡 Think quietly for one minute. Then share your idea with the group.
Improv Prototyping
Act out the problem, spot what works, and rebuild a better version on the spot.
🎭 Act out a problem as a short scene. Notice what works. Try a better version.
Impromptu Networking
Meet three people, share your challenge, walk away with fresh ideas.
🗣️ Talk to three different people. Tell each one your challenge. Listen to theirs.
Min Specs
Strip your rules down to the bone. What absolutely must stay?
📋 Write all your rules. Cross out the ones that do not really matter. What is left?
Nine Whys
Ask "why?" nine times and find out what actually drives you.
❓ Ask "why?" again and again — nine times — to find out what really matters to you.
Shift & Share
Ditch the long presentations. Rotate through rapid-fire innovation stations instead.
🔄 Visit short stations. Each one shows a new idea. You only stay for 10 minutes.
TRIZ
List everything that would guarantee failure — then stop doing those things.
🚫 Write down everything that would make things go badly wrong. Then stop doing those things.
Troika Consulting
Three people, three turns, back turned. Straight-talking peer advice in 30 minutes.
👥 Three people. One person shares a problem. The others give advice while they look away.
User Experience Fishbowl
Insiders share the unfiltered story. The room listens, then asks.
🐟 A small group talks honestly. Everyone else listens. Then the room asks questions.
What, So What, Now What?
Debrief any shared experience in three stages — facts first, then meaning, then action.
📝 What happened? Why does it matter? What do we do next?
Wicked Questions
Name the contradictions your group is navigating — and make them visible.
⚡ Name the things that feel impossible to do at the same time. Say them out loud.
Wise Crowds
15 minutes of focused peer advice on a real challenge, with the client's back turned.
🧠 Share your challenge. Look away. Your group gives you advice for 8 minutes.
Wise Crowds (Large Group)
Scale peer consultation to a full room — one client, primary team, satellite groups.
🏟️ One person shares a challenge. A team helps them. The whole room also adds ideas.
Ready to run an accessible session?
Register for a free account to unlock all tools, live sessions, and full AAC support.