Are You Taking Advantage of Apple's iOS Accessibility Features To Promote Student Learning?

Apple has included a variety of powerful assistive features that are built into the iPad itself to complement one's vision, hearing, motor skills, learning, and literacy. I am sharing some of these features below.  All of this information has been gathered from Apple's website.  Technology is constantly changing and improving with each iOS update.  Apple offers free sessions at many of its stores on the topic of Accessibility and how its technology can play a beneficial role in one's life, especially those with special needs. To learn more, visit https://www.apple.com/today/. You will need to change your location and search for sessions that focus on "Accessibility." You can also call your local Apple Store and ask to speak to the manager to inquire about setting up a session.  Further, Apple has a 24/7 Accessibility Hotline where one can receive free support for Accessibility Features. That number is 1-877-204-3930.  You can find some resources that include an iPad User Guide with Accessibility Features by visiting https://support.apple.com/accessibility/iphone-ipad.

To accommodate users in the area of vision, Apple has built-in features that include but are not limited to: VoiceOver, Audio Descriptions, Display Accommodations, Zoom, Font Adjustments, Magnifier, Speak Screen, and Dictation.

VoiceOver Image Recognition

VoiceOver can now describe images to you, such as telling you if a photo features a tree, a dog, or four smiling faces. It can also read aloud text in an image — whether it’s a snapshot of a receipt or a magazine article — even if it hasn’t been annotated. And in the Photos app, you can touch to explore the facial expressions of people in your photos. Just tap the image with three fingers to have VoiceOver describe what’s there.

Speak Screen

The Speak Screen feature can be used to read one's email, iMessages, web pages, and books if one has a hard time reading the text on the iPad. Turn on Speak Screen and swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers, or just tell Siri to Speak Screen and have all the content on the page read back to you. You can adjust the voice’s dialect and speaking rate, and have words, sentences, or words within sentences highlighted as they’re being read.  To learn more in detail about the various features that Apple offers to complement one's vision, visit https://www.apple.com/accessibility/ipad/vision/.

In iOS 12, Apple has included features to complement hearing to support various apps/tools on the iPad. For instance, one can actually ask Siri a question by using the onscreen keyboard to ask questions, set up reminders, issue commands, and more. This option is called "Type to Siri" and can be found in the Accessibility area of the Settings.

Closed Captions

Watch movies, TV shows, and podcasts with closed captions. Just look for the CC icon to buy or rent captioned movies from the iTunes Store or find captioned podcasts in iTunes U. Download straight to your iPad to watch on the go. iOS also supports open captions and subtitles. You can even customize captions with different styles and fonts, including styles that are larger and outlined for better legibility. For those who are deaf-blind, iPad lets VoiceOver users access closed caption and subtitle tracks through their braille displays.

Hearing Aids Made for the iPad

Apple has worked with top manufacturers to create hearing aids and sound processors designed specifically for iPhone and iPad. These advanced hearing devices provide outstanding sound quality, offer many helpful features, and are as easy to set up and use as any other Bluetooth device. You can quickly access the features and settings of your paired hearing device by triple-clicking the Home button. Glance at the battery status or change the left and right volume, together or separately. And quickly apply your audiologist’s environmental presets as you go outdoors or enter noisy locations, like restaurants, without having to rely on additional remotes.  Additional information on Apple Accessibility features for Hearing can be found by visiting https://www.apple.com/accessibility/ipad/hearing/.

Switch Control

Built directly into iOS, Switch Control is a powerful accessibility technology for anyone with extensive physical motor limitations. Switch Control allows you to navigate sequentially through onscreen items and perform specific actions using a variety of Bluetooth-enabled switch hardware. It also has features like expanded word prediction and a media playback menu to make it easier to use. And Switch Control is customizable for both beginners and advanced users — you can simplify existing actions or create your own.

Assistive Touch

The iPad is remarkably intuitive and easy to use. AssistiveTouch lets you adapt the Multi-Touch screen to your physical needs. So if you need to change some gestures, like pinch, you can make them accessible with just a tap of a finger. You can create your own gestures and even customize the layout of the Assistive Touch menu. And if you want an alternative to pressing the Home button, you can activate it with an onscreen tap. So if your iPad Home button is not working, this features comes in extremely handy! Gestures like rotate and shake are available even when your iPad is mounted on a wheelchair. And iOS devices support a number of third-party assistive devices that help you interact with your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.

You can learn about additional features in the area of Physical and Motor Skills by visiting https://www.apple.com/accessibility/ipad/physical-and-motor-skills/.

Reading Support

The more senses that students use to learn new concepts and skills, there is a greater chance that they will process the material and be able to retain it at a deeper level. If you learn better when you can hear what you’re reading or writing, features like Speak Screen, Speak Selection, Typing Feedback, and Predictive Text can help by adding an auditory component to text. Turn on Speak Screen and swipe down from the top of the screen with two fingers, or just tell Siri to Speak Screen, to have all the content on pages read back to you. Or use Speak Selection to highlight the specific range of text you want to hear, in colors that you can customize. Then follow along as highlighted words, sentences, or words within each sentence are read aloud. And with Typing Feedback activated, each letter you type on the keyboard is spoken aloud as well. You can also use Predictive Text, which suggests word options that you can listen to and choose from to get help with spelling.

Guided Access

Guided Access helps people with autism and/or other attention and sensory challenges stay focused on the task (or app) at hand. With Guided Access, a parent, teacher, or therapist can limit iPad to stay on one app by disabling the Home button and limit the amount of time spent in an app. You can even restrict access to the keyboard or touch input on certain areas of the screen, thereby limiting the amount of possible distractions.

Safari Reader

For some students, navigating the web can be a sensory overload.  Safari Reader reduces the visual clutter.  It strips away ads, buttons, and navigation bars, allowing you to focus on just the content you want.  And Safari Reader works with Speak Selection and VoiceOver to provide auditory reinforcement for what you’re seeing.  You can learn about additional features in the area of Learning and Literacy by visiting 

https://www.apple.com/accessibility/ipad/learning-and-literacy/.

Want to know more information about various accessibility features and how to use them on the iPad? Check out my Thinglink below.