Lin — Returning Accessibility User

Tier: Pro | Platform: iOS (iPhone 15 Pro Max) | Stage: Lapsed/Returning

Background

Lin is an East Asian man in his mid-50s who loves word games but has been frustrated by apps that don't work with screen readers. He uses VoiceOver, 200% text scaling, high contrast mode, and reduced animations. He's returning to Big Bad Words after a 6-month break to see if accessibility has improved, preferring the smaller 11×11 board because it's more manageable with VoiceOver navigation.

Goals

• Play a complete game using only VoiceOver — board positions announced, tiles described, scores read aloud
• Navigate the entire game without sighted assistance
• Use post-game analysis to study words in a text format that works with VoiceOver

How He Uses the App

Lin has 11 completed games on 11×11 boards, each taking about 25 minutes due to VoiceOver navigation. VoiceOver reads each tile as "Letter A, 1 point" and each board cell as "Row 5, Column 8, empty." After playing a word, VoiceOver announces "Valid word. CAT. 5 points. Your score: 5." AI turns are announced: "AI thinking... AI played HELLO for 8 points." He relies on the text-based post-game analysis to study new words.

Tier Rationale

Lin subscribed to Pro for post-game analysis — the text-based breakdown of missed words works well with VoiceOver and is how he learns new vocabulary. The accessibility-first design of the analysis screen is central to his use of the Pro tier.