Assistive Technology

Today, Apple previewed iOS 8, the next operating system for iPhone , iPad , and iPod touch. iOS 8 builds on existing accessibility features to offer some exciting new possibilities for iOS users with disabilities. Many websites will have general information about iOS 8, but this post will focus on accessibility related changes to iOS. iOS 8 includes new keyboard options, improved text-to-speech voices, improved Guided Access features, and improved Siri functionality among other accessibility related features. Apple can always add or alter features before the general release. The new operating system will be available this fall for the general public. QuickType and Keyboard Apple's iOS 8 will include a built in predictive keyboard called QuickType. This new software keyboard will predict words for the user as they type. Once the word you want to enter appears in the suggestion bar above the keyboard, you simply tap it to insert that word. This feature will cut down on key strok...

Fleksy the eyes-free typing app that originally debuted for iOS is now available in beta for Android . Fleksy uses gestures and text prediction to allow users to type without looking a the screen. Fleksy can be extremely helpful for the blind and visually impaired and can dramatically increase typing speed people who cannot see the screen. Unlike the iOS version the Android version can replace the default keyboard and be used with any app. In iOS you cannot use Fleksy in an email app or with the messages app but on Android you can. Besides integration with Android apps the Android version will be similar to the iOS version. Android users can try the Fleksy by visiting the Fleksy Beta Google+ page. Click read more below to view a video about Fleksy.

Fleksy is an app for the  iPhone and iPod Touch that allows visually impaired users to type without needing to see the keyboard perfectly. Users press on the screen approximately where they think the correct letter is located on the keyboard. Fleksy is designed only for people with visual impairments. To use the typing feature in the app VoiceOver must be off, and then when you want to share the text you have typed you must turn VoiceOver back on by tripple-clicking the home button. As the above video shows the taps on the keyboard can be fairly far from the correct letter without effecting the accuracy. If there are multiple possible words based on your taps. Fleksy will allow you to choose other likely words by flicking up and down on the screen. After each word you must flick right to tell Fleksy that you are done typing that word. After each word, Fleksy will speak the word aloud using text-to-speech . To add punctuation you can flick to the ri...