At the school I teach at the students have access to the iPad cart to use in class to complete assignments or activities. Richie (2016) defines accessibility as the ability make the technology work for a wide range of people as possible. There are various features to make technology more accessible for students who need accommodations. Accessibility features in the iOS operating system include:
Vision
- VoiceOver
- Zoom
- Invert Colors
- Grayscale
- Speech: Speak Selection, Speak Screen, Speak Auto-text
- Larger Text
- Bold Text
- Button Shapes
- Increase Contrast
- Reduce Motion
- On/Off Labels
Hearing
- Hearing Aids
- LED Flash for Alerts (iPhone only)
- Mono Audio
- Phone Noise Cancellation
Media
- Subtitles & Captioning
- Video Subscriptions
Learning
Interaction
- Switch Control
- Call Audio Routing
- Home-click Speed
- Reachability (iPhone 6 and later)
Teachers or students have the ability to manage these features with the iTunes shortcuts. Step-by-step instructions for managing these features on any Apple device is available in the Apple Support link on their website. Apple also provides more information in the Accessibility section of the user guide on each iOS device.
The vision features are specifically designed to accommodate for users that have visual impairments that include blindness, color blindness, and low vision. Apple provides options to increase the size and boldness of font to enhance clarity for low vision users. This feature, once changed, will work across the device and in the apps as long as they include the dynamic type framework (Ritchie, 2016). Users can change the contrast to make the screen more clear. VoiceOver is a gesture-based screen reader that allows students with visual impairments to hear the device explain what is happening on the screen.
The auditory features are specially designed to accommodates users that may have deafness in one or both ear. Apple allows users with hearing aids to connect their aids Some general features include both help for the visual and auditory impaired, like Siri and Facetime.
Other features available are for users with physical or motor skill impairments, which include limited coordination or range of motion (Ritchie, 2016). Assistive Touch is a feature the user can enable on their iPhone or iPad. Touch accommodations makes it easier for users with motor control, coordination, or other forms of physical impairment to make the touch screen easier to use and less frustrating. Overall, any of these features could be used in a variety of ways in the classroom to help students with various accommodations. AssistiveTouch gives students with limited motor abilities full control of their device and can be adapted for students with wheelchairs and is customizable with joysticks (Devaney, 2013).
Lastly, features can help reach users who have learning challenges that may include autism or dyslexia. Bookshare provides textbooks with text-to-speech option to help readers who struggle with dyslexia. Apple also has iBook with interactive features for readers including media, video, 3D images, etc. Guided Access is a feature that helps students with autism by disabling the Home button and limiting access to multiple apps. This helps the students stay focus on the task at hand, avoiding intentional or accidental, screen taps that could take the student to another app (Devaney, 2013).
For more detail on specific resources Apple has a website with apps and services specifically for special education. Apple Education: Special Education
Resources
Devaney, L. (2013). 10 special-ed iOS features for students. Retrieved November 14, 2016, from http://www.eschoolnews.com/2013/08/30/special-ed-ios/
Ritchie, R. (2016). Accessibility for iPhone and iPad: Ultimate guide. Retrieved November 14, 2016, from http://www.imore.com/how-to-accessibility-iphone-ipad
Use Accessibility features in iOS. (2016). Retrieved November 14, 2016, from https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204390
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