Terms of Service
1. Purpose and Limitations
Raise the Shade is a wellness and safety tool. While we strive for 100% uptime, you acknowledge that this service depends on internet connectivity, server availability, and third-party message delivery (email and SMS), and is therefore a secondary safety net, not a replacement for professional medical monitoring or emergency services.
We believe that a digital safety net is only as strong as the human connections behind it. This is not a replacement for human interaction. We built this to supplement, not substitute, regular conversation with your friends and family. We encourage users to maintain active social ties; this app is simply the "shade" that signals when a routine is missed.
2. Two-Tiered Alert System
The service provides two distinct functions:
- Passive Check-in: A periodic "heartbeat." If you do not acknowledge your scheduled check-in, your designated Notification Contacts will be alerted.
- Active Alert: A manual "Alert My Contacts" button for when you require non-emergency assistance. This is a way to say "I could use a hand" — without triggering an emergency response. This is not a 911-equivalent service.
Notification vs. Alert Contacts: You have the flexibility to define how your contacts are reached. A contact may be designated as:
- Notification Contact: Receives an alert only if you miss a scheduled check-in.
- Alert Contact: Receives a message when you manually trigger the "Alert" button.
- Dual Role: Receives both types of communications.
3. Accessibility Statement (WCAG 2.1 AA)
We are committed to making safety accessible to everyone. We believe clarity of design is a fundamental right. We have built Raise the Shade to meet WCAG 2.1 AA standards, including:
- Properly labeled interactive elements for screen readers.
- Logical tab orders for keyboard navigation.
- High-contrast, clearly defined visual elements.
- If you encounter a barrier, please contact us via the link on our Info page.
4. Contact Responsibility
By adding an Alert Contact, you represent that you have a relationship with that individual. We will notify them of their role and provide a clear opt-out mechanism. They have the absolute right to opt out at any time.
5. Limitation of Liability
To the fullest extent permitted by Maryland law, Raise the Shade and its developers are not liable for any failure of the system to trigger an alert, nor for any actions (or lack thereof) taken by your contacts.
6. Check-in Time Accuracy
Because the app relies on your specific check-in time, you are responsible for ensuring your Timezone is set correctly. A safety net is only useful if it triggers at the right time. If you are using a VPN, the app may not automatically reflect your local time; you must manually adjust the dropdown menu to avoid untimely or accidental alerts.
7. Termination
You may stop using the service at any time. We reserve the right to terminate accounts that send unsolicited or harassing messages to contacts, or that attempt to circumvent security or rate-limiting measures.