Assistive Technology

Both iOS 7 and Android KitKat include the ability to customize captions. Now both major mobile operating systems include the ability to customize movie and video subtitles system wide.. For iOS, the customization settings are under Settings > General > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning. From that menu you are able to change the appearance of subtitles of any video played through the default iOS video player. There are many options for customization including font, font size, font color, and background color. Android includes a similar feature that can also be accessed in the settings menu. These options are a welcome addition to mobile devices and can make subtitles much easier to see. It is great to see both Apple and Google improving accessibility on their mobile products.

Apple’s new mobile operating system is out for iPhone , iPad, and iPod touch . iOS 7 includes many useful features for all users regardless of ability. One feature that can benefit people with visual impairments is system wide large font. With this feature enabled a user can select a larger font size for use in all compatible apps; the only caveat being that app developers must build in support for this feature. Once widely implemented by app developers this feature will make it easy to have the perfect text size in all your apps. Instead of selecting a preferred font size in each app users will be able to choose a font size once for all their compatible apps. To enable larger type go to settings > general > accessibility > larger type. Large text in NYTimes App

Apple’s new mobile operating system for iPhone , iPad , and iPod Touch includes the ability to redeem iTunes gift cards with the camera instead of manually typing long codes. To redeem a gift card with the camera go to the iTunes Store, App Store, or iBooks Store and hit redeem at the bottom of the featured page. Then choose to redeem the gift card with the camera. You can use either the front facing or rear facing camera. To redeem the gift card just point the camera at the back of the gift card and the code is automatically redeemed. This new feature makes it possible for the blind and visually impaired to redeem gift cards without sighted assistance.  Also, iOS 7 eliminates the need for sighted users to type in long and complicated codes.  iOS 7 is  available  now for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch.

iOS 7 is Apple’s new operating system for iPhone , iPad , and iPod Touch. iOS 7 includes a complete redesigned look and many new features. Siri in iOS 7 has learned some new tricks that can benefit users of VoiceOver and the other built in accessibility features that iOS offers. The feature allows you to ask Siri to turn on and off different accessibility settings using your voice. For example you can say, "turn on VoiceOver" and Siri will turn on VoiceOver in seconds. This feature will make iOS accessibility features easier to find and access. If a VoiceOver user is presented with an iOS device with VoiceOver turned off and triple click home disabled they could use this new feature to ask Siri to turn on VoiceOver. Besides accessibility settings Siri can also change other settings such as  brightness, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi.  

Apple’s newly released iOS 7 includes many new features and improvements. iOS 7 runs on the iPhone , iPad, and iPod Touch. Users will notice changes as soon as they boot up their iOS 7 device for the first time. But this release allows a group of users to use iOS for the first time. Just as VoiceOver allowed the blind and visually impaired to access the iPhone, Switch Control now allows switch users to navigate and use their iOS device. Switch users are users who are only able to activate a few large buttons and who don’t have the ability to interact with the complexities of a touch screen. For example, a quadriplegic may be able to activate switches mounted on their wheelchair with their head. Switches come in all different sizes and configurations but they give  users who are unable to interact with the touch screen the ability to control their devices.  Switch Control for iOS is similar to other switch interfaces, a cursor scans around the screen and when a switch is act...

Today Apple released iOS 7 , a new version of the operating system for iPhone , iPad, and iPod Touch. iOS 7 includes a number of new features including a totally redesigned interface. iOS 7 also includes a number of new accessibility features that will benefit users with disabilities. The operating system also builds on existing accessibility features such as Speak Selection , VoiceOver , Guided Access , Assistive Touch , and Zoom. Click on a link to learn more about the corresponding feature. It is exciting that Apple has continued its commitment to accessibility in every new iOS release. Among the new accessibility features are system wide large fonts, customizable captioning, Siri improvements, Switch Control, and more. All of these features are available to all iOS 7 users automatically. To learn more about these features as more information becomes available look for posts titled "new in iOS 7." iOS 7 is available for iPhone 4 and newer, iPad 2 and newer, and the fift...

Today Apple announced the iPhone 5s with a fingerprint sensor dubbed Touch ID. Touch ID allows users to unlock their iPhone and purchase iTunes content using just their fingerprint. The Touch ID sensor is located under the home button. This feature allows all users to secure their iPhone without typing in a passcode each and every time. This will encourage more users to secure their phone and decrease frustration when they enter the passcode incorrectly. While the new Touch ID sensor is not exclusively an accessibility feature it will have large implications for some disabled users. Blind and visually impaired users will be one group to benefit greatly. These users use the built in VoiceOver screen reader to navigate the iPhone. Without being able to see the screen typing in even a simple four digit passcode with VoiceOver  may be time consuming compared to a sighted user typing in the same passcode. (Don't take this the wrong way,  VoiceOver is a fantastic feature that giv...

Apple has confirmed previous rumors that the next iPhone will be announced on September 10 th at 10 am pacific time. Apple is widely expected to unveil two new iPhone models at the event; a cheaper plastic model and a new top of the line model. The higher end model is rumored to include a fingerprint sensor for unlocking the phone more quickly than a  pass-code   Apple is also expected to provide further details and a launch date for their redesigned iOS 7. iOS 7 will be available on most current devices and will include new accessibility features . Unlikely to make an appearance at the event are new iPad models which are expected to be announced later in the year. Be sure to check back here on Tuesday, September 10 th for analysis of all of the day’s announcements and how they impact the world of accessibility.

This year iOS accessibility did not get the prime-time attention that it did during last year's WWDC Keynote, but iOS 7 still includes many new accessibility features. When iOS 7 launches in the fall, users of all abilities will find beneficial features. iOS 7 is still in beta so Apple can always add or remove features before the final release to the public. Through the Apple Keynote and other sources a number of accessibility features have been detailed. These new features will improve on current accessibility features such as VoiceOver , Guided Access , Speech Selection , Assistive Touch , and Zoom . This post will be updated as new information becomes available on iOS 7 accessibility. Click read more to learn about iOS 7 accessibility. Customize Captioning iOS 7 will also allow users customization the font and size of subtitles. Currently the subtitles are small and can be hard to read particularly on the iPhone and iPod touch. In iOS 7 the font, size, and color of subti...

Apple's World Wide Developer Conference ( WWDC ) starts Monday June 10th. At the event Apple will detail "the future of iOS and OS X." Apple is a leader in integrated accessibility with their VoiceOver screen reader and numerous other accessibility features such as Guided Access , Speak Selection , Zoom , and Assistive Touch . That being said Apple still needs to improve their accessibility features to remain a leader. New accessibility features have routinely been added to new versions of iOS. Last year, Apple added Guided Access along with other accessibility improvements. A new version of iOS is exciting not only because of the cool mainstream features but the lesser known, but no less important accessibility features that make the devices usable for so many. Make sure to visit The Assistive Technology Blog after the Keynote for all the iOS 7 and OS X accessibility news. In the meantime check out my iOS 7 Wish List video below.