Qalam's publications gain accessibility features
On International White Cane Day, Qalam Media Group turned on text settings, article audio, video subtitles and better screen reader and keyboard support across six of its publications.
On 15 October 2026, International White Cane Day, Qalam Media Group turned on a set of accessibility features across the websites of six of its publications: Zoomit, Zoomg, Kojaro, Pedal, Filmzi and Zoomon. The aim is to let more people read, watch and listen to them regardless of physical ability or how they connect to the web.
The features are available on all six websites, and they are not only for blind and low-vision readers. People with limited mobility, Deaf and hard-of-hearing readers, older readers, and anyone using the web in difficult conditions benefit too: in a noisy room, in bright sunlight, or where sound cannot be played.
Settings readers control
The accessibility button at the top of every page opens three settings, saved on the device. Two more features sit in the article page and the video player:
- Text size: enlarge text up to 150 percent.
- Text spacing: more space between lines, words and paragraphs.
- High contrast: for readers who find text at normal contrast hard to read. It turns on automatically when the operating system’s increased-contrast setting is on.
- Listen to the article: play the recorded audio version of articles that have one.
- Video subtitles: subtitles in the video player, with the chosen language remembered for later videos.
Changes to how the websites are built
- Keyboard navigation: the header, main menu, article, comments and players work without a mouse, with a visible focus indicator and a “skip to main content” link at the top of every page.
- Screen reader support: landmarks and headings screen readers recognise, Persian names for icon-only buttons, and announcements for changes such as search results. A “simple editor” for comments reads Persian text mixed with numbers or Latin words in the right order.
- Alternative text: text descriptions for images in articles, cards and advertising banners.
- Text contrast: body text meets the AA contrast level in both the light and dark themes.
- Reduced motion: when the operating system’s reduce-motion setting is on, smooth scrolling and most decorative animation stop.
How it was evaluated
In the months before the launch, Qalam combined technical review with conversations with people who have accessibility needs, and watched how they used the websites. The yardstick is the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) published by the W3C, with level AA of version 2.2 as the target. Qalam thanks Omid Hashemi for help in reviewing the websites and finding accessibility problems.
Known limitations
Not every barrier has been removed. These are known:
- Some small text does not grow when the text size is increased.
- Some states, such as user badges and reactions, are shown only by colour, and some buttons are small.
- Links inside article text are distinguished from the surrounding text only by colour.
- Content embedded from other services, such as social media posts, is outside Qalam’s control.
The accessibility page and feedback
Details of each feature, a changelog and the plan for further work are on the Qalam Media Group accessibility page (in Persian). Readers can try the reading settings there and use its contact form to report a problem or suggestion from any of the six websites.
