The latest updates of your iTechnology have made huge advancements in built-in accessibility features. There's nothing shiny, colorful, or cute to share with you today, but if you're an iTech iOS10 user with visual, motor, hearing, or learning disabilities these features are exciting!
VoiceOver, Speak Selection, Dictation, FaceTime, Guided Access, Siri, iBooks, Safari Reader, Dictionary, PhotoBooth, Camera, Word Prediction, Zoom, Invert Colors, Close Captioning, Assistive Touch, Switch Control...
Wow! There's much to consider when you unpack that new iPad or iPhone before you can make it really work for you! The apps you download are only useful if the person using them can access the content fully! When we look at the need for accessibility features, considering the skills of the user is critical. What supports do you/your student need in order to get at what you want to know or do? Luckily, the new built-in accessibility features may make your iPad work better for you, at no added cost!
We all use Siri to dial favorite contacts, hear the weather, and find humor in her responses to inane questions. But what if you needed to rely on Siri for basic, everyday tasks because of a disability? Adding appointments to your calendar, homework reminders, and setting timers can all now be done through dictation. This is game-changing for users with diverse needs!
Apple has expanded the voice output features (text-to-speech) with settings like VoiceOver, Speak Selection, and Typing Feedback to bring the benefits of auditory feedback to more users. Whether you need to use Speak Selection because of a vision impairment or reading disability, you'll now be able to hear your friend's text message, work email, or favorite iBook! Computer programs like Co:Writer and ReadWrite offer similar text-to-speech functions, but these are paid programs that only operate within their apps. Having accessibility features built-in to the iOS operating system will now open these features up to users across apps, web content, and messaging forums.
Switch Control is an amazingly powerful feature for people with motor disabilities who may not otherwise be able to access what is on their screen - switch access and/or scanning settings are user-specific and can be customized in the Switch Recipes setting.
There is much to consider when you look closely at iOS 10. Check out these resources and try some new settings out!