Since the iPhone arrived on the market in 2007, smartphones and tablets have revolutionized how we use and consume technology. These tools are now ubiquitous and are used by billions of people every day. Within these tools, however, are many accessibility features that have been built to modify the device’s operation and looks. These accessibility features are beneficial for people with disabilities, who may otherwise not be able to access certain content or perform certain actions while using the device. These features allow devices to “enhance the performance of individuals with disabilities by enabling them to complete tasks more effectively, efficiently, and independently than is otherwise possible” (Roblyer & Hughes, 2019, p. 314). This is very important in education, because “technology is used to make the curriculum accessible,” allowing students with disabilities [to] have the same opportunities to learn as their peers” (Roblyer & Hughes, 2019, p. 316).
This blog post reviews the following capabilities of accessibility tools for iOS 14: VoiceOver, Speech to Text, magnifier, keyboards, hearing (headphone sound adjustments and sound recognition), and general features that don’t fit neatly in any category. I present a workshop to our new staff members during orientation in August that deals with these tools.
VoiceOver allows the device to “read” everything that is displayed on the screen. Go to Settings, then Accessibility then VoiceOver. This fundamentally changes how your iOS device operates by requiring you to double-tap everything to perform the same action that used to require only one tap before. VoiceOver can adjust the rate of speech and can modify the voice used to read the screen content. For blind or visually impaired students, this is a great tool, but with the ability to turn every page of text into an audiobook, reluctant readers also benefit from this feature.
Speech to Text can be used to dictate any information to any app that pulls up the keyboard. Click on the microphone icon on the left side of the space bar, and dictate away! This ability is perfect for individuals with reduced mobility or physical impairments, and can also be used by reluctant writers or slow typists, as well as by folks who are in a hurry and who dictate a lot of messages. I personally use this feature every day when sending text messages back and forth with my team members, because I can dictate while walking, without needing to look at the screen. You need to learn how to dictate your punctuation, but that doesn’t take much effort before it becomes second nature.
Magnifier is one of the most awesome tools for anyone who has ever had trouble reading something with small font or needing to look at something in great detail, or who requires high contrasts in colors. Go to Settings, then Accessibility, then Magnifier and turn it on. A new icon will appear on your home screen. Click on this icon to use Magnifier. This tool is great for visually impaired students, as well as for those who can benefit from differently colored information. Magnifier performs better than Camera, and does not clutter your photo library with extra shots.
Keyboards allow you to add extra keyboards and gain access to accent marks. This is a great tool for students of foreign languages, and for those who like to spell my name correctly. Go to Settings, then General, then Keyboard. Find another language, then tap on Add Keyboard. You can now cycle between languages by clicking the globe icon to the left of the microphone and the space bar. Note that Speech to Text will also switch to the keyboard language. I can dictate a quick message in English to one of my team members, then hit the globe, switch to my French keyboard, and dictate a message in French to my mother. Both messages will be dictated and spelled correctly in the language of choice, often leading to hilarious messages when I forget to switch back to the other language and dictate a message. For example, “Je vous appelle ce soir,” which translates as “I will call you tonight,” renders as “Show who is apples as well,” which sort of sounds like what I said in French, but is supremely incorrect.
Headphones can be modified to provide enhanced sound quality on supported devices like Airpods. Go to Settings, then Accessibility then Audio/Visual, the user can alter sound frequencies, and is “intended to be an accessibility feature for those who are hard of hearing, it will really improve sound quality for millions of people” (Cross, 2021b, p. 54).
Another accessibility tool is Sound Recognition. Go to Settings, then Accessibility then Sound Recognition. This allows the user to let the phone detect one of a dozen sounds and deliver a vibration and on screen notification. This tool is “meant to help deaf users be better aware of sounds they may need to react to in their environment, but anyone who likes to use headphones while they work or chill out at home will probably appreciate it” (Cross, 2021a, p. 46).
Zoom is a great tool to increase the size of everything on an iOS device. Go to Settings then Accessibility then Zoom and select your size preference. It takes some time to get used to the controls, but it’s a great way to increase the size of everything on the screen, and is another tool for visually impaired students, or anyone who has trouble reading a small phone screen.
Along with Zoom, you can modify the display text by going to Settings then Display and Brightness then Text Size. You can also access more options by going to Settings then Accessibility then Display and Text Size, which contains a ton of extra options, once again perfect for visually impaired students.
References
Cross, J. (2021a, February). Three great iOS accessibility features everyone will want to use. Macworld - Digital Edition, 38(2)2, 44–46.
Cross, J. (2021b, March). iOS 14: 5 great hidden features you should know about. Macworld - Digital Edition, 38(3), 53–56.
Roblyer, M.D., & Hughes, J.E. (2019). Integrating educational technology into teaching (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson.
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