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Enable Ireland's National Assistive Technology Training Service hosts this dedicated site which showcases various Assistive Technologies and resources.

It also provides information on further training course and resources and looks at the latest developments in the Assistive Technology world.

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Read, learn and share how assistive technology can help

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See below for further resources for those who would like to learn more about digital inclusion and accessibility.

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Image of two hands, one holding a question mark and the other holding a light bulb

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A partnership between St. John of God Community Services Liffey and Fighting Blindness, DigiCoach is funded by Rethink Ireland and inspired by the SAID and VisionTech projects.

Open to local groups and organisations such as community centres, clubs, and charities, Community Workshops are available to all who want to improve digital inclusion in their activities.

The workshops explore inclusive technology that makes events, services, and communication more accessible. Participants try tools like magnifiers, speech-to-text, and accessible presentation software, and learn practical steps for creating welcoming, accessible spaces,  both online and in person. Each workshop is tailored to the group’s needs for immediate, real-world impact.

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Photo of a young person sitting at a desk. There are various types of technology on the desk including a tablet and some other colourful items. Another person is showing them how to use it.

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Clear communication may be difficult for those with intellectual disabilities, language processing disorders, or atypical speech.

The resources below can aid with communicating in the digital world.

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Illustration of two women facing one another. They have blank speech bubbles coming out of their mouth indicating that they are speaking with each other. 

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Some people with neurodivergent conditions such as Autism or Sensory Processing Disorder, can become overwhelmed by sensory stimulation that they process differently to neurotypical people.

The below resources can provide support to access digital tools and services in a more comfortable way.

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Illustration of a person sitting on the floor with hands over their face, indicating distress. Around them, symbols representing the five senses swirl around.

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Those with certain conditions such as ADHD and autism may experience difficulty with certain executive functions such as planning, organisation, time management, and focus.

The digital resources listed below can support strategies to manage these challenges.

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Illustration of a human head from the side . The head is seemingly transparent, showing a simple drawing of a brain inside it.

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The resources listed below may support digital access for those with literacy barriers such as dyslexia, dysgraphia, or intellectual disabilities, processing or language barriers, or difficulties with comprehension.

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Graphic showing an open book with a pencil and a lightbulb

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Simplify the interface of Apple devices to make them easier to understand and navigate. It features large icons and high contrast elements.

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A free, built in tool in Microsoft 365 apps designed to improve reading, comprehension, and accessibility.

Includes read aloud function and learning aids.

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Provides full screen view of any on-screen text and has a read aloud function.

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How to use Accessibility Reader on Apple devices

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It’s a highly customizable reader view with text-to-speech.

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Smartphones can be difficult to navigate. A dedicated launcher designed to simplify the interface, reduces cognitive load, and transforms the device into a clearer, and more user‑friendly tool.

Here are a few of the most simplified launchers:

Big Launcher - free and paid for versions available. Paid version costs approximately USD$10

BaldPhone - open source free launcher. Not available in Google play.

This website discusses the features and useability of different launchers and how to choose the one that's best for your needs.

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Colourful image of a smartphone interface feature a variety of app icons.

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This is a highly customisable app for iOS (iPhone/iPad) that allows users to create widgets for their home or lock screen to instantly launch apps, call contacts, send messages, or trigger actions with a single tap.

It can create simplified actions for users who may find locating the right app difficult.

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Launcher with Multiple Widgets App - App Store

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Download Launcher with Multiple Widgets by Cromulent Labs on the App Store. See screenshots, ratings and reviews, user tips and more games like Launcher with…

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Enables commonly used actions (such as calling a favourite contact) to be simplified by clicking one icon on the home screen, represented by a name or an image.

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Action Blocks makes it easier for people who have a cognitive disability to use Android phones and tablets. With Action Blocks, you add common actions to your Home screen with a name or image. Then you can activate the Action Block-for example, a photo-to trigger the corresponding action, like calling a loved one.

Step 1: Check requirements

The Action Blocks app is currently available for English, French, Italian, German, Spanish and Japanese.

Before using Action Blocks, make sure that your phone or tablet meets these requirements:

Android version 5.0 or later. Learn how to check your Android version.

The Google Assistant. The Action Blocks app uses the Google Assistant to make it easy to perform common actions. Learn how to set up the Google Assistant.

Google app version 10.73 or later. To check your Google app version, open the Google app . Select More Settings About. The version of the app is listed under "Version."

Internet connection.

Note: The Action Blocks app isn't yet available for children's Google Accounts.

Step 2: Download Action Blocks

Download Action Blocks on Google Play.

Step 3: Set up your first Action Block

You can set up an Action Block to perform a task in just one step: call a loved one, watch your favorite show, control the lights, speak a phrase, and more. You can decide what Action Blocks to create, depending on your needs or the needs of your loved one.

Set up an Action Block for a common action

You can create Action Blocks that use the Google Assistant to perform common actions. Learn what you can ask the Google Assistant.

1. Open the Action Blocks app .

2. Select Create Action Block.

3. Choose one of the common actions from the list, such as Make phone call.

4. If you want the device to speak the command aloud when the Action Block is pressed, select Speak action out loud. If the action includes sensitive information, consider deselecting the checkbox.

5. If you want the device to vibrate when the Action Block is pressed, select Vibrate.

6. To try the Action Block, select Test action, then select Next.

7. Add an image, name, or both:

Image: To choose an image from your Photo Library, Camera, or Symbol library (including Picture Communication Symbols), tap Select . If you choose an image from your Photo Library or Camera, you can crop it, or select Always show whole image to make sure that the entire image always appears on the Home screen. To create a text-only Action Block, select No image.

Action Block name: Enter a name for the Action Block. To create an image-only Action Block, leave the name empty.

8. Select Save Action Block.

9. Follow the prompts on your screen to add the Action Block to your Home screen.

Note: In some cases, you need to give the Google Assistant permission to work with other services on your device. In your device settings app, select Apps & notifications Assistant See all assistant settings Services. Select the services that you want to use with Action Blocks. Learn more about choosing what to share with your Google Assistant.

Set up an Action Block to say something out loud

You can create Action Blocks to say something out loud, such as "Hello my name is." Your text will be sent to Google to convert to a voice file.

1. Open the Action Blocks app .

2. Select Create Action Block.

3. Select Say something out loud, then choose one of the common phrases from the list. If you'd like to enter your own phrase, select Create custom phrase.

4. In the Voice menu, choose a voice to speak the phrase.

5. To hear the voice, select Test speech, then select Next.

6. Add an image, name, or both:

Image: To choose an image from your Photo Library, Camera, or Symbol library (including Picture Communication Symbols), tap Select . If you choose an image from your Photo Library or Camera, you can crop it, or select Always show whole image to make sure that the entire image always appears on the Home screen. To create a text-only Action Block, select No image.

Action Block name: Enter a name for the Action Block. To create an image-only Action Block, leave the name empty.

7. Select Save Action Block.

8. Follow the prompts on your screen to add the Action Block to your Home screen.

Step 4: Use Action Blocks

After you create an Action Block and place it on your Home screen, simply select the Action Block to perform the action.

Manage Action Blocks

After you set up Action Blocks, you can make adjustments so that the setup works better for you or your loved one.

Assign an adaptive switch to an Action Block

This feature may be useful to people with motor impairments who prefer to use adaptive switches.

1. Connect a switch to your phone via USB or Bluetooth. Make sure that the switch isn't already assigned to another Action Block or another app.

2. Open the Action Blocks app .

3. Select the Action Block that you want to use with a switch, then select Edit.

4. Select Assign to an external switch. You might be asked to enable the Action Blocks Accessibility service. Select OK.

5. Press the switch that you'd like to use for the Action Block.

6. Select Save to save your switch assignment.

7. To enable the on-screen keyboard, go to the Settings app System Languages & input Physical keyboard. Turn on Show virtual keyboard.

8. Press the switch to use your Action Block.

Edit or delete Action Blocks

1. Open the Action Blocks app .

2. Select an Action Block to view options, including Edit, Delete, and more.

Note: If an Action Block is labeled "Not placed," it's inactive. To make an Action Block active, add it to the Home screen following the instructions in the next section.

Add an Action Block to the Home screen

You can add Action Blocks to the Home screen in two ways:

On your Home screen, touch and hold until a menu pops up. Select Widgets, then find Action Blocks in the list of widgets.

In the Action Blocks app, select the Action Block. In the menu, select Place on Home screen. (This option isn't available on all devices.)

Move an Action Block on your Home screen

1. Touch and hold the Action Block on your Home screen.

2. Slide the Action Block to where you want it. Lift your finger.

Resize an Action Block on your Home screen

1. Touch and hold the Action Block on your Home screen.

2. Lift your finger. You'll see an outline with dots on the sides.

3. To resize the Action Block, drag the dots.

4. When you're done, tap outside the Action Block.

Troubleshooting

If you see one of these error messages, follow the steps below.

"Can't connect to the Google Assistant"

1. Check that you have the Google app installed.

2. Check that the Google Assistant is turned on, with an account signed in.

3. Try tapping the Action Block again.

4. If you see the error again, restart the Google app, or restart your phone.

"Action unavailable" or "Can't complete this action"

1. Check that the Google Assistant is turned on, with an account signed in.

2. Try tapping the Action Block again.

Send feedback

For help using Action Blocks, contact the Disability Support team at g.co/disabilitysupport.

To send feedback about Action Blocks:

1. Open the Action Blocks app .

2. In the top right corner, select Help .

3. At the bottom of the page, select Send feedback.

Action Blocks activity

Google collects certain data related to your use of Action Blocks in order to provide and improve the service. While this data will not be shown in My Activity, it will be deleted after you uninstall or stop using Action Blocks.

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Action Blocks makes it easier for people who have a cognitive disability to use Android phones and tablets. With Action Blocks, you add common actions to your Home screen with a name or image. Then you can activate the Action Block-for example, a photo-to trigger the corresponding action, like calling a loved one.

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Create shortcuts on home screen to simplify actions in one tap.

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A shortcut is a quick way to get one or more tasks done with your apps. The Shortcuts app lets you create your own shortcuts with multiple steps. For example, build a “Surf Time” shortcut that grabs the surf report, gives an ETA to the beach and launches your surf music playlist.

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Simplifies the home screen of Samsung devices, making it easier to navigate.

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Your Samsung Galaxy Comes With a Hidden Easy Mode

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Easy Mode on your Galaxy phone leads to a stripped-down simplified interface that may suit you, your kids, or your parents.

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Select items on your screen and hear them read or described aloud.

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Some of these steps work only on Android 11.0 and up. Learn how to check your Android version.

You can select items on your screen and hear them read or described aloud with Select to Speak for Android.

Step 1: Turn on Select to Speak

1. Open your device's Settings app .

2. Tap Accessibility, then tap Select to Speak.
Note: If you don't see Select to Speak, go to Google Play to download the latest version of Android Accessibility Suite, then try these steps again.

3. Turn on Select to Speak shortcut.

4. Optional: To change your shortcut, tap Select to Speak shortcut. Learn about accessibility shortcuts.

Step 2: Use Select to Speak

Hear descriptions of things on your screen

1. To start Select to Speak, use your Select to Speak shortcut: 2-finger swipe up (3-finger swipe if TalkBack is on), or tap the Accessibility button .

2. Tap an item on your screen, like text or an image.

3. To hear multiple items, drag your finger across the screen.

4. To hear everything, tap Play .
Tip: When the player is open, use the buttons to pause or play, skip forward or backward, and to increase or decrease speed.

Read selected text aloud

Your device can read text aloud on web pages and applications that support selected texts. You don't have to turn on Select to Speak to use this feature.

Important: This feature only works on text that can be read, like text from a web page.

1. Select the text you want to have read aloud.

2. From the pop-up menu, tap More Read aloud.

Point your camera at pictures or text

You can point your camera at pictures or text to hear them read or described aloud with OCR.

This feature is available for Catalan, Danish, Dutch, English, Finnish, French, German, Hungarian, Italian, Latin, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Spanish, Swedish, Tagalog, and Turkish.

1. Tap the Google Camera app .

2. Point the camera at an image or text.

3. To start Select to Speak, use your Select to Speak shortcut: 2-finger swipe up (3-finger swipe if TalkBack is on), or tap the Accessibility button .

4. Drag your finger across the screen, highlighting the text you want to read.

Read in the background

You can do other things while Select to Speak is reading in the background. For example, scroll down or switch to another app while Select to Speak reads.

To let Select to Speak read in the background:

1. Open your device's Settings app .

2. Tap Accessibility, then tap Select to Speak.

3. Tap Settings.

4. At the top, turn on Read in background.

Tip: Select to Speak might not work with every mobile web browser.

Get help

For more help with Android Accessibility, contact the Google Disability Support team.

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Some of these steps work only on Android 11.0 and up. Learn how to check your Android version. You can select items on your screen and hear them read or described aloud with Select to Speak

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Have iPhone read the entire screen or a specific selection. Or hear what you type spoken out loud, character by character or word by word.

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Hear iPhone speak the screen, selected text, and typing feedback

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Even if VoiceOver is turned off, iPhone can speak the entire screen, selected text, or what you type.

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Some users will prefer darker themes on their screens as they may find bright colours uncomfortable or overstimulating.

Here's how to activate this setting.

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Turn on Dark theme and colour inversion - Android accessibility Help

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Some of these steps only work on Android 11.0 and up. Learn how to check your Android version. You can change your display to a dark background by using Dark theme or colour inversion. Dark theme

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Some older Android devices may not have Dark Mode as an option in settings. Instead, download the Dark Mode app to access this option.

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Dark Mode - Enable Dark Mode - Apps on Google Play

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Enable Android Dark Mode. Darken most Google apps, Instagram & more Social apps

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Some text-to-speech software may not work on graphics or images of text, such as screenshots or pdfs, so Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software can be useful for this purpose. This works by scanning the screen and deciphering the shape of each individual letter. The text will then be read aloud.

OCR apps include:

KNFB Reader

‎Prizmo Scan (iPhone)

Scan Things (iPhone)

Google Lens

Lookout - Assisted vision (Android)

Seeing AI (Android and iPhone versions available)

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Graphic of a text document. A magnifying glass is over one section, magnifying the letters OCR

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This setting allows users to increase the duration of time that temporary displays stay on a screen e.g. volume control, notifications, messages etc. This gives the user more time to think and respond to a prompt or action.

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Change time to take action - Android Accessibility Help

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This option is available on devices using Android 10.0 or later. You can choose how long to show messages that ask you to take action, but are visible only temporarily.  Open your device’s S

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Instruct Siri to allow more time for a person to speak to their iphone before a response or action is generated. This is useful for those who need more time when formulating sentences.

Other Siri accessibility settings include having Siri listen for atypical speech patterns, audibly share notifications, and announce and end calls.

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Change Siri accessibility settings on iPhone

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Change Siri accessibility settings on iPhone to best suit your needs.

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Adaptive Listening on Amazon smart speakers

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Adaptive Listening on Amazon smart speakers

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The Adaptive Listening setting can learn to recognise different speech patterns and increase the listening period before responding.

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With Adaptive Listening, you have more time to finish speaking before Alexa starts to respond.

To turn Adaptative Listening on or off from the Alexa app:

1. Open the Alexa app .

2. Open More .

3. select Settings .

4. Select Accessibility.

5. Select Adaptive Listening Mode.

6. Select the device or devices that you want to use Adaptive Listening mode on.

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With Adaptive Listening, you have more time to finish speaking before Alexa starts to respond.

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Get your Amazon smart speaker to read Kindle books aloud with this useful setting.

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Kindle Assistive Reader is designed to support customers with disabilities to read Kindle books. Kindle Assistive Reader is available on all Alexa-enabled devices and uses Alexa's underlying Text-to-Speech capabilities.

To turn on Kindle Assistive Reader, simply ask Alexa to read a book. You can also turn the feature on or off in the Alexa app by going to: More > Settings > Accessibility.

While Alexa reads, you can ask Alexa to do things like:

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Turn on Kindle Assistive Reader to read books with Alexa and control Alexa's reading with your voice.

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Here are the full accessibility settings for your Amazon Alexa and Echo devices.

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Accessibility for Alexa - Amazon Customer Service

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Support for accessibility features on Alexa and Echo Devices.

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Find all accessibility features for Google smart speakers here.

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Google Nest or Home speakers or displays, and the Google Home app include features that can be helpful for customers with accessibility needs.

Use your voice or the Google Home app to do the actions below. Note that each feature may differ in what you can do with your voice and through the app.

Control your appliances

When you link your smart devices to your speaker or display, you can control them with your voice or through the Google Home app. Google Assistant works with over 50,000 smart home devices, including smart plugs, smart light bulbs, smart thermostats, and even a smart bed.

To find devices that work with speaker or display, explore the Google Assistant partners.

Make phone calls and broadcast messages

You can contact your family and friends and make phone calls on your speaker or display with just your voice. Google Assistant can call anyone in your Google contacts. It can also search businesses and services online and call the one you choose. Learn how to make calls on your speaker or display.

You can receive calls on your Google Nest display when you and your contacts set up Google Duo. Learn how to make and receive calls on Google Nest displays.

To contact someone in another room, you can use your speaker or display to broadcast a message to any other speaker or display that is on the same Wi-Fi network and signed in to the same Google Account. Learn how to broadcast messages on your speaker or display.

Important: You cannot call emergency numbers through your speaker or display. You must use your phone.

Entertainment

You can use your voice or the Google Home app to play your favorite music from Google Assistant partner music services. You can also play a podcast, select a movie, or adjust the volume on your smart speaker or Chromecast-connected TV. Learn how to play media with your speaker or display.

Google Assistant knows many jokes and games. Ask Google to tell a joke or play a game.

Explore Google Assistant's entertainment partners.

Manage your tasks

Use your voice and the Google Home app to keep track of what you need to do.

To keep track of your schedule, use a Google calendar. You can add events with your voice and ask Google Assistant about anything on your calendar in the future.

To remember what to do, use your voice or the Google Home app to set a reminder. Your speaker or display will remind you at the scheduled time and whenever you ask. You can also ask Google Assistant to remember important information for you.

To make your tasks more simple, set up Routines. A Routine allows you to make your speaker or display do many things with just one voice command. For example, if you need to turn off your lights, set your alarm, lock your door, and adjust your thermostat when you go to bed, you can set up a bedtime Routine. Then just say "Hey Google, bedtime," and Google Home will do all these things.

Explore how to get things done and manage tasks.

How to get started

What you need

Google Wifi or another Wi-Fi router (preferably, a mesh network for maximum coverage).

A Google Nest or Home device.

Phone or tablet with Android or iOS.

Any desired smart devices. Explore Google Assistant partners to find smart devices that work with your speaker or display.

What to do

1. Set up your Google Wifi or other Wi-Fi router, if you haven't already done so.

2. Set up your speaker or display.

3. Set up your other smart devices according to the device maker's instructions.

4. Connect your devices to your speaker or display.

For more help

Contact Google Nest Help
Contact Google Disability Support

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Accessibility features on Google Nest or Home devices

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Google Nest or Home speakers or displays, and the Google Home app include features that can be helpful for customers with accessibility needs. Use your voice or the Google Home app to do the actions below. Note that each feature may differ in what you can do with your voice and through the app.

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See all Apple Home Pod accessibility settings here

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The person who set up HomePod can use the Home app on their iPhone or iPad to change HomePod settings.

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Non-speaking users or those with atypical speech experience barriers using voice activation for apps and devices. One solution which may help would be to introduce a simple assistive device such as a Talking Tile which plays a pre-recorded message when pressed. This can be used to initiate voice commands.

E.g. a family member or support worker could record the message “Hey Google, what is the weather forecast today?” or “Alexa, play my playlist”. The user can then press the button near their phone or smart speaker independently to get the answer.

(Remember to add separate buttons with commands such as “Alexa stop” or “Alexa volume up / down” to ensure the person has more control over the speaker actions.)

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Changing these settings on your Apple device can help those with speech barriers to communicate with Siri.

Settings include:

- instructing Siri to recognise atypical speech patterns,

- allowing a longer listening time before generating a response or action, enabling those with speech impairments more time to formulate sentences

- typing instructions to Siri, rather than speaking them

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Change Siri accessibility settings on iPhone

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Change Siri accessibility settings on iPhone to best suit your needs.

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Adaptive Listening on Amazon smart speakers

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Adaptive Listening on Amazon smart speakers

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The Adaptive Listening setting can learn to recognise different speech patterns and increase the listening period before responding.

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With Adaptive Listening, you have more time to finish speaking before Alexa starts to respond.

To turn Adaptative Listening on or off from the Alexa app:

1. Open the Alexa app .

2. Open More .

3. select Settings .

4. Select Accessibility.

5. Select Adaptive Listening Mode.

6. Select the device or devices that you want to use Adaptive Listening mode on.

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With Adaptive Listening, you have more time to finish speaking before Alexa starts to respond.

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Here's how to access Dark Mode on your Apple device.

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Use Dark Mode on your iPhone and iPad - Apple Support (IE)

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Dark Mode delivers a great viewing experience.

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Doro have a range of smart phones that are designed to be easier to use with user-friendly interface design and large clear displays. They also include an in-built assistance button for people to call for help easily.

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Age should never be a reason for not being able to enjoy all that a modern smartphone has to offer. Our stylish smartphones bring you not only the Android® experience and an elegant design, but also unique features that make them easier to use the older we become.

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Doro also have a smart watch to pair with the easy to use phone. The watch has been designed to be easier to read and use and comes with an assistance button to easily call for help.

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See all accessibility settings for your Android Smart TV here

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Make Android TV more accessible - Android TV Help

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You can use the built-in screen reader, closed captions, and more to make your Android TV experience more accessible. Important: The features and options you find on your device may differ depending o

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Make your Apple TV more accessible and easier to use with these settings

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See the full range of accessibility settings here for Amazon Fire TV

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Note: Feature availability and language support may vary depending on your Fire TV device.

VoiceView

The first time you turn on VoiceView, a tutorial provides tips on the feature and how to locate buttons on your Fire TV remote. Currently, VoiceView only works with the Fire TV remotes; VoiceView doesn't support the Fire TV Remote App.

To learn more, go to About VoiceView for Fire TV.

Explore Your Remote

Turn on Explore Your Remote to have the names of your Fire TV remote buttons spoken when you press them.

Note: You need to turn on VoiceView on your Fire TV device to use Explore Your Remote.

To turn on Explore Your Remote:

1. Turn on VoiceView.

1. Go to Settings from your Fire TV menu.

2. Select Accessibility.

3. Select VoiceView.

2. Press and hold the Play/Pause button first, and while holding it, press the Select or OK button . On your remote, Play/Pause is the middle button located on the bottom row of three small buttons. Select or OK button is the large round button near the top, inside the directional keypad ring.

3. Wait until you hear, "Explore Remote."

4. Press any button on your remote to have the button name spoken.

To turn off Explore Your Remote, press and hold the Play/Pause button first, and while holding it, press the Select or OK button again.

Closed Captions

Turn on closed captions during video playback to display on-screen text for the dialog in movies and TV shows.

Prime Video titles with closed captions typically feature a "CC" symbol in the video details.

Most videos with closed captions include English text, but you can often find other languages available. To access the available languages, open the video details for a movie or TV show and find the Subtitles section.

There are two ways to turn on closed captions: while watching a Prime Video movie or show, or using the device accessibility setting.

To turn off Subtitles:

1. Open Subtitles.

2. Set Subtitles back to Off.

Alexa Captions

You can turn on Alexa Captions on your Fire TV device to display Alexa's responses when available.

To turn on Alexa Captions:

1. Select Accessibility.

2. Select Alexa Caption.

3. Select ON/OFF for the Alexa Caption option.

Tip: Use the available options to customize the text style to your preference.

Audio Descriptions

Audio Descriptions are available for select Prime Video titles and provide narration for compatible movies and TV shows. They describe actions, characters, scene changes, on-screen text, and other visual content.

There are two ways to turn on Audio Descriptions: while watching a movie or show, or using the device accessibility setting.

To turn Audio Descriptions while watching a movie or show:

1. Open Audio.

2. Select the audio track with the [Audio Descriptions] tag.

Screen Magnifier

To turn on Screen Magnifier:

Select ON or OFF for the Screen Magnifier option.

You can also use the Fire TV remote to manage Screen Magnifier:

1. To turn on or off, hold Back and Fast Forward .

2. To turn on or off zoom, press Menu and Play/Pause .

3. To zoom in, press Menu and Fast Forward .

4. To Zoom out, press Menu and Rewind .

5. To pan in a different direction, press Menu and Up, Down, Left, or Right .

6. To enter the Single Press Magnifier, press and hold Menu for 1 second.

Note: A yellow arrow appears on the top left of the TV screen when you activate Single Press Magnifier.

1. To zoom in or out, press Fast Forward or Rewind .

2. To pan in different directions, press Up, Down, Left, or Right .

3. To activate or deactivate zoom, press Play/Pause .

4. To exit Single Press Magnifier, press and hold the Menu for 1 second or press Back or Select .

Note: Most video content isn't compatible with the zoom feature.

Text Banner

Text Banner displays a white box on the screen with the title of the currently focused item and related text. This feature is especially important for customers with visual impairments and limited vision range. This feature allows you to customize colors, box, and text size.

To turn Text Banner on or off with your Fire TV remote, press and hold Rewind and Fast Forward for two seconds.

High Contrast Text (Experimental Feature)

Fire TV devices feature a high contrast text experimental feature, designed to help make text easier to read. It changes most of the text on-screen to black or white and adds a border of the opposite color. To turn High Contrast Text on or off:

Select High Contrast Text.

Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids and Devices

Audio Streaming for Hearing Aids and Devices (ASHA) lets you pair your compatible Bluetooth hearing aids directly to your Fire TV device for private listening.

On Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series TVs, you can stream audio to paired hearing aids while others listen through the TV's built-in speakers. Visit the following help page to learn more: Use Dual Audio on Your Fire TV Smart TV.

Note: Compatible Starkey hearing aids, Widex hearing aids, and Cochlear hearing devices are supported on:

Fire TV Cube (2nd Generation)

Fire TV Cube (3rd Generation)

Fire TV Omni Mini-LED Series

Fire TV Omni QLED Series

Fire TV Omni Series

Fire TV 4-Series

Fire TV 2-Series

To pair your hearing aids and devices with Fire TV:

Note: "Hearing aids" refers to ASHA-compatible Bluetooth hearing devices like:

Hearing aids

Cochlear implants

Bone-conduction hearing devices

Note: If you're using a right and left hearing aid, you need to pair them both separately.

If you're having issues with pairing your hearing aids, visit the following help page: Troubleshoot Hearing Aid and Device Connectivity with Fire TV.

To control the volume:

Once you pair your hearing aids, you can control the volume using the volume control buttons available on your remote control. If your remote doesn't have volume control options:

Use your remote to increase or decrease the volume bar.

Auracast Streaming for Bluetooth Low Energy Audio Devices

Auracast streaming lets you pair multiple Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) audio devices to your Fire TV Smart TV for private and multi-user listening experiences.

To pair your BLE compatible Hearing Aids with your Fire TV Smart TV and tune into Auracast, go to Pair BLE or Auracast Headsets to Your Fire TV Smart TV.

Preferred Speaking Rate

Note: Preferred Speaking Rate is only available in English.

You can adjust Alexa's speaking speed to make it more comfortable for you to understand. Simply use voice commands to adjust how fast or slow Alexa talks.

1. To decrease speed, say "Alexa, speak slower."

2. To increase speed, say "Alexa, speak faster."

3. To return to normal speed, say, "Alexa, speak at your default rate".

Adaptive Listening Mode

Note: Adaptive Listening Mode is only available in English.

Adaptive Listening gives you more time to finish speaking before Alexa responds to you.

To turn on Adaptive Listening for your Fire TV device:

1. Open the Alexa app .

2. Select Accessibility.

3. Select Adaptive Listening Mode.

4. Select the device or devices where you want to use Adaptive Listening.

Dialogue Boost Mode

Note: Feature availability varies across Fire TV devices.

The Dialogue Boost feature helps to improve dialogue volume and clarity relative to the background music and effects.

You can also manage Dialogue Boost mode from your Fire TV Display & Sounds settings.

For more help, try our Amazon Fire TV forum.

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Learn about accessibility features available for Fire TV devices.

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If you prefer to communicate via typing, here's how to do that on an Apple smart TV

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Type instead of speaking to Siri on Apple TV 4K

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On Apple TV 4K, you can turn on Type to Siri to enter queries using a keyboard.

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Colour coding a planner or calendar can enhance visual organisation and clarity and support prioritisation and task management.

This article has some good tips on how to colour code for best results.

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Start by assigning 5-7 specific colours to major life areas-blue for work, green for personal, red for urgent tasks. You'll instantly recognise patterns and priorities without squinting at tiny text. Use colour gradients to show urgency levels: light yellow for casual events, deep orange for can't-miss deadlines. Maintain consistency across all your planning tools, whether digital or paper. This visual system reduces mental processing time and changes overwhelming schedules into clear roadmaps -stick around for advanced techniques that'll revolutionise your organisation.

While many people treat their planners like monochrome task dumps, you're missing a powerful organisational tool that's been hiding in plain sight: colour-coding. This simple visual system transforms chaotic calendars into crystal-clear roadmaps that your brain can process instantly.

Start by limiting yourself to 5-10 core colours-any more creates cognitive overload that defeats the purpose entirely. Assign specific colours to major life areas: blue for work commitments, green for personal tasks, red for urgent deadlines, and yellow for health appointments. The key isn't being creative; it's being consistent.

Once you've established these categories, stick with them religiously across all your planning tools. Your brain craves visual patterns, and colour-coding delivers exactly what it needs.

When you glance at your planner, distinct colours act as visual anchors that reduce mental processing time. Instead of reading every single entry, you'll instantly recognise patterns and priorities. Red items demand immediate attention, whilst green tasks can wait until you've cleared urgent work.

Digital planners offer unlimited customisation options that paper simply can't match. Google Calendar, for instance, lets you layer multiple coloured calendars simultaneously. You can view work commitments alongside personal obligations without losing track of either category.

Use colour gradients to indicate urgency levels-light yellow for casual notifications, deep orange for approaching deadlines.

For maximum effectiveness, create broader categories rather than micro-managing every detail. Post-university life typically revolves around finances, fitness, social connections, and professional growth. Establishing these larger life areas prevents overwhelming your visual system whilst ensuring comprehensive coverage of your responsibilities. Don't waste mental energy distinguishing between "grocery shopping" and "household errands"-just make them both green and move on.

Consistency becomes essential when you're working with teams or family members. Everyone needs to understand that navy blue means meetings, regardless of who's updating the shared calendar.

Maintain identical colour names across different platforms and resist the urge to rename categories seasonally. Your historical data becomes worthless if you can't track patterns over time. A high-quality planner with hardcover durability ensures your colour-coding system remains intact throughout months of regular use.

Smart implementation means thinking beyond basic categorisation. Use colour families to group related activities-light and dark shades of the same hue work perfectly for primary and secondary priorities within each category. Grouping similar colours under families aids in performance tracking as you monitor which activities receive the most attention and effort. The monthly overview pages provide excellent space for implementing broad colour themes that distinguish different types of commitments at a glance.

Time-blocking becomes infinitely clearer when morning workouts appear in bright purple whilst evening gym sessions show up in deep violet.

Regular maintenance prevents your system from becoming cluttered and ineffective. Audit your colour assignments monthly, removing unused categories and introducing new ones as your priorities shift. That bright orange you assigned to your side project six months ago?

If you haven't used it recently, retire it. However, maintaining this system requires consistent maintenance that can become time-consuming as professional responsibilities increase. A well-designed digital planner with 581 pages of structured layouts can provide the framework needed to support comprehensive colour-coding systems.

The real magic happens when colour-coding becomes automatic. You'll stop consciously thinking about which pen to grab or which calendar layer to select. Your visual system will guide decision-making processes, helping you balance commitments and identify scheduling conflicts before they become problems. These colours act as mental bookmarks that accelerate information retrieval when reviewing your schedule. High-quality paper prevents ink bleeding that can compromise your carefully planned colour-coding system. Teachers particularly benefit from colour-coding systems when using class lists to track different subjects, activities, or student groups across their weekly schedules.

Transform your planner from a simple list into a sophisticated command centre that actually works with your brain instead of against it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What Colours Work Best for People With Colour Blindness or Visual Impairments?

Use blue/orange, blue/red, or purple/yellow combinations instead of red-green. Choose high contrast ratios above 4.5:1. Test with colour-blind simulators. Add patterns or labels alongside colours for better accessibility.

How Many Different Colours Should I Use to Avoid Overwhelming My Planner?

You should stick to 3-5 colours maximum to maintain clarity and avoid cognitive overload. Start with three for basic categories like work, personal, and deadlines, then add one or two more only if absolutely necessary.

Can I Change My Colour-Coding System After I've Already Started Using It?

You can absolutely change your colour-coding system after starting. Phase changes gradually, use dual systems temporarily during shifts, and update your colour key reference pages to maintain consistency throughout your planner.

What if I Run Out of the Specific Coloured Pens I Use?

You've got several backup options when your coloured pens run out. Use highlighters, washi tape, or planner stickers as temporary substitutes. Switch to digital apps with colour-coding features, or buy similar shades to maintain consistency.

Should I Use the Same Colour-Coding System Across All My Planners?

You should maintain core colours for shared categories like work and health across planners, but customise subcategories for each planner's specific needs. This creates consistency whilst allowing personalised organisation.

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How Do I Use Colour-Coding In My Planner For Clarity?

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Transform chaotic schedules into instant visual clarity with strategic colour-coding that eliminates decision fatigue and reveals hidden productivity patterns you never noticed.

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The Pomodoro technique is a time management method that is popular with those who may have difficulty maintaining focus on a task, such as those with ADHD.

This timer can help by breaking work into timed intervals of focus and breaks.

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A simple Pomodoro Timer app that works on a desktop & mobile browser. Pomofucus will help you manage your time and let you focus on any tasks such as study, writing, or coding.

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You Tube features a range of Pomodoro focus videos with themed ambience, visuals, and music.

This may enjoyable for those with specialist interests such as

Harry Potter

Minecraft

Taylor Swift

Disney

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Study at the Hogwarts ✧˖°Pomodoro 25/5 🔔  2 hours🦉Harry Potter inspired

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Grammarly is a free AI-powered communication assistant that helps users improve their writing by checking for grammar, spelling, punctuation, clarity, and tone errors

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Generative AI assistance for any writing challenge Try It for Free ⟶

Instantly generate clear, compelling writing while maintaining your unique voice.

Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos

Works Where You Do

Get suggestions from Grammarly while you write in desktop applications and sites across the web-as you move between apps, social media, documents, messages, and emails.

Beyond Grammar and Spelling

From grammar and spelling to style and tone, Grammarly's suggestions are comprehensive, helping you communicate effectively and as you intend.

Everyone Can Write With Confidence

"Grammarly allows me to get those communications out and feel confident that I'm putting my best foot forward. Grammarly is like a little superpower, especially when I need to be at 110%."

Co-founder of Venture Out

Brilliant Writing Awaits

Discover the power of confident communication with Grammarly Free.

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Millions trust Grammarly's AI writing assistance to communicate with confidence and make writing faster and more delightful. Getting started is simple - download the app today.

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Grammarly is a free AI-powered communication assistant that helps users improve their writing by checking for grammar, spelling, punctuation, clarity, and tone errors

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Generative AI assistance for any writing challenge Try It for Free ⟶

Instantly generate clear, compelling writing while maintaining your unique voice.

Sorry, your browser doesn't support embedded videos

Works Where You Do

Get suggestions from Grammarly while you write in desktop applications and sites across the web-as you move between apps, social media, documents, messages, and emails.

Beyond Grammar and Spelling

From grammar and spelling to style and tone, Grammarly's suggestions are comprehensive, helping you communicate effectively and as you intend.

Everyone Can Write With Confidence

"Grammarly allows me to get those communications out and feel confident that I'm putting my best foot forward. Grammarly is like a little superpower, especially when I need to be at 110%."

Co-founder of Venture Out

Brilliant Writing Awaits

Discover the power of confident communication with Grammarly Free.

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Millions trust Grammarly's AI writing assistance to communicate with confidence and make writing faster and more delightful. Getting started is simple - download the app today.

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Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices 

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Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) devices 

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AAC devices are tools that support or replace spoken communication for individuals with speech or language difficulties. They enable users to express themselves through voice output, symbols, or text, enhancing interaction.

Here is a list of some digital AAC devices that could suit your needs:

Symbols for All

Call Scotland Communication Aids

SoundingBoard

Proloquo2Go

‎AAC Evaluation Genie App

Mind Express - Jabbla

Grid - Smartbox

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Photo of a digital AAC device, a tablet featuring different icons.  Two people are in the image, one person looking at the screen and one is pointing at the screen.

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The Assistive Technology team at Enable Ireland have put together a list of text-based AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) apps designed for individuals who can read and write but may have difficulties with verbal speech.

Text-based AAC can be particularly helpful for individuals with acquired or progressive conditions that result in loss of speech, as well as those with lifelong disabilities that affect speech clarity.

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Text-based AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) systems are designed for individuals who can read and write but may have difficulties with verbal speech. These systems allow users to ty…

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This article has some good tips on how to manage a to-do list. This can support people with ADHD who may feel overwhelmed by lists of tasks.

Some good free to-do list apps include:

Todoist

Trello

Any.do

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How to Manage ADHD Overwhelm When Your To-Do List Feels Impossible — Executive Functioning First

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How to Manage ADHD Overwhelm When Your To-Do List Feels Impossible If your to-do list feels impossibly long and you’re stuck in a cycle of avoidance, analysis paralysis, and guilt—you’re not alone. This kind of ADHD overwhelm is incredibly common, and it’s not about needing more discipline.&

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There are a range of free videos on YouTube that can help a person to return to calm after overstimulation.

People may prefer different versions, such as relaxing music, binaural beats, or calming sounds such as rainfall or ocean waves.

Note: the free version of YouTube contains adverts which may disrupt the calming nature of these videos. It may be worth upgrading to a paid premium version if the videos are beneficial.

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Relaxing Music Healing Stress, Anxiety and Depressive States, Heal Mind, Body and Soul Calming Music

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For a more immersive calming session, use a projector to project videos such as the ones above onto a wall or ceiling in a quiet room.

There are lots of freely available online videos designed to be used with a projector, such as this starscape timelapse. Choose between visual only or visual and audio projection.

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Mini Projector, 4K Support Projector for Bedroom, Portable Smart Projectors WiFi 6 Bluetooth 5.4, Auto Vertical Keystone 180°Rotatable for Laptop, PC, Mobile Phone (Android OS 14.0) : Amazon.ie: Electronics

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Fast movement and unexpected / loud sounds can trigger overload for those with sensory sensitivities. Here's how to turn off auto play on YouTube, to allow for more accessible and relaxed usage.

(Note: while turning off auto play will prevent another video from playing automatically, adverts within a video will still play in the free version of the You Tube app. These may occur before, during, or after the video's main content and may feature loud sounds or flashing images. Subscription to a premium version of the app is required to remove adverts.)

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The Autoplay feature on YouTube makes it easier to decide what to watch next. When Autoplay is on, another related video will automatically play after a video ends.

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Here's how to turn off autoplay on social media sites including Facebook, Bluesky, X, and Threads.

Unfortunately there doesn't appear to be a simple way to stop videos from auto-playing on Instagram but this article has some tips to reduce some of the sensory stimuli.

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How to turn off autoplay on your social media feeds | TechCrunch

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Here’s how you can turn off autoplaying videos and GIFs on Facebook, Instagram, X, Twitter, and Threads.

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Visual scheduling is a simplified form of a visual calendar that typically shows the current task and the next one. It helps individuals who benefit from structure by giving a concrete visual cue about what to focus on now and what comes next, easing transitions between activities.

The visual calendar is useful for those who find text based items difficult to read or comprehend.

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Bee Visual, LLC™ was founded to help improve the communication between children and caregivers. The Choiceworks and Choiceworks Calendar apps incorporate the use of picture and choice in a practical and easy-to-use format to help children learn social skills, develop self control, and complete daily routines.

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Using AAC devices to create a visual schedule

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Using AAC devices to create a visual schedule

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Visual scheduling is a simplified form of a visual calendar that typically shows the current task and the next one. It helps individuals who benefit from structure by giving a concrete visual cue about what to focus on now and what comes next, easing transitions between activities.

Existing AAC users will often have access to visual scheduling on their AAC devices and apps.

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Visual schedules are powerful tools for supporting comprehension, reducing anxiety, and helping learners with AAC needs become more independent. They can also be used to build receptive and expressive language. To do that, though, the use of daily or mini/task schedules has to be part of an interactive experience, not an independent activity. If you're willing to use schedules for language building, here are some ideas to consider incorporating.

Sentence Building: This is an easy one. If you are working with an AAC learner who communicates primarily with one word/symbol at a time, slow down and take time to model short sentences every time you check the schedule together by adding a verb (e.g., GO to LifeSkills; EAT lunch, PUT AWAY your backpack). Once you've established that routine, you can pause to elicit those same sorts of sentences from the AAC learner.

Verb Tense: As you use the schedule during the day, slow down a bit and take time for interaction. As you check the schedule, you can model past tense (e.g., You ATE lunch; We're finishED with Morning Meeting; We WENT to Music). You can also model future tense as you talk about upcoming activities (e.g., We WILL GO outside for recess; You WILL EAT lunch). Once these quick conversations become an expected part of the 'check schedule' routine, you can pause to create opportunities for the learner to use these verb tenses as they tell you about things they just completed or are about to do. Consistency helps here.

Personal Narratives: Being able to tell others about your life experiences isn't just a valuable language skill, it's a safety issue. The unfortunate reality is that when you can't tell others what has happened to you, you are at increased risk for mistreatment or abuse. Simply put, we can help AAC learners be less vulnerable by teaching them how to tell others about their lives. Schedules can be a great mechanism for building this skill, particularly when we develop consistent routines of reviewing the schedule together at the end of the day/session/activity. This doesn't need to be complicated. Just reserve a little time at the end to tell the story of that time period. Jaime's teacher makes that a regular part of the schedule, so that he has come to expect some conversation at the end of the day during 'Review Time.'

Do you use visual schedules as a way to build specific language skills? We'd love to hear about it.

Filed under: Featured Posts, PrAACtical Thinking

Tagged With: language therapy, visual schedules

This post was written by Carole Zangari

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3 Ways to Use Visual Schedules for Language Building

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Visual schedules are powerful tools for supporting comprehension, reducing anxiety, and helping learners with AAC needs become more independent. They can also be used to build receptive and expressive language. To do that, though, the use of daily or mini/task schedules has to be part of an interactive experience, not an independent activity.

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Mind mapping supports people to formulate ideas and plans by organising information in a way that best suits the user.

Information can be developed in a non-linear or visual format, helping users to process large amounts of data and improve memory recall.

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Inspiration 10 and Inspiration Maps: Visual Thinking Tools

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Inspiration 10 and Inspiration Maps: Visual Thinking Tools

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Introducing Inspiration 10 and Inspiration Maps software, simple but powerful visual thinking tools for creating concept maps, mind maps, diagrams, graphic organizers, outlines and presentations with ease!

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Audiobook and text pairing, often referred to as immersive reading, is a powerful multisensory strategy for people who struggle to maintain focus such as those with ADHD. Listening to an audio book, while reading the physical copy, helps sustain engagement, reduces the cognitive load of decoding words, and limits both internal and external distractions, resulting in better focus and retention.

Libby is a free app that allows you to borrow digital books, audiobooks, and magazines from your local library using a library card.

There are many other audiobook platforms available, however many require a subscription. Some offer free trial periods which is useful to find the one that works best for you. Some options include:

Audible

Spotify

Everand

Libro.fm

Google Play Books

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Tools such as Scholarly or ChatGPT can be used to summarise large or complex documents, making them easier to comprehend.

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Write, Study, and Create Faster with AI - Scholarly

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Create flashcards and notes in seconds using our ChatGPT powered tools. Scholarly is your copilot for education.

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Disability organisation Call Scotland have created a guide to help people who use AAC devices and those who support them.

This guide forms part of their 'A Right to Speak' initiative, designed to help raise awareness of AAC and ways of providing communication support, aimed primarily at people who have little or no previous experience of communication disability.

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A Right to Speak Supporting Individuals who use Alternative and Augmentative Communication

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Guidance to be used by people who use Alternative and Augmentative Communication (AAC), their familes, strategic and operational heads within health boards, local authority social work and education departments and the voluntary sector

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Dyslexia Ireland offers a selection of videos showcasing useful assistive technologies available on widely used devices and software. They highlight free, built‑in tools that support text‑to‑speech (read aloud), speech‑to‑text (dictation or voice typing), and other accessibility features that can benefit individuals with dyslexia.

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Technology

This section provides a range of videos which demonstrate useful assistive technology in the most commonly used devices and software. Our focus is on the free and inbuilt tools which enable text to speech (read aloud) and speech to text (dictation or voice typing) as well as some other useful accessibility features relevant for individuals with dyslexia.

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This section provides a range of videos which demonstrate useful assistive technology in the most commonly used devices and software. Our focus is on the free and inbuilt tools which enable text to speech (read aloud) and speech to text (dictation or voice typing) as well as some other useful accessibility features relevant for individuals with dyslexia.

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Bookshare is an accessible online library for people with print disabilities, including blindness, visual impairment, dyslexia, and physical conditions that make reading standard print difficult.

It offers more than 1.4 million titles in accessible formats such as audio, braille, and large print.

Bookshare Ireland is available for all students with a print disability that limits a person's ability to read standard print.

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Choose your favorite book.

Browse and download titles from the largest collection of accessible education and leisure books in Ireland.

Sign up for a Bookshare account.

Customise your reading experience with titles available in a range of formats to suit your needs, including audio, large or highlighted print, and braille.

Pick your preferred reading method.

Read on smartphones, tablets, Chromebooks, computers, and assistive technologies devices.

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Bookshare Ireland is the largest accessible digital library in the country, available for all people with print disabilities.

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Reading pens empower neurodivergent readers by promoting independence, boosting confidence, and aiding reading comprehension through portable text-to-speech technology.

The devices scan printed text, reading it aloud through earphones or a speaker, which helps individuals with dyslexia or ADHD overcome decoding difficulties, reduce reading fatigue, and engage directly with content.

Many public libraries now offer a reading pen lending service so you can try them out before buying. Contact your local library to enquire:

Dublin City Libraries

Cork City Libraries

Tipperary County Libraries

Kerry Libraries

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Eye tracking (also called eye gaze or gaze interaction) shows where a person is looking on a screen and can enable computer control using eye movement instead of a keyboard or mouse.

For people with disabilities that impair speech or movement, it provides high‑tech AAC access. Eye‑tracking speech‑generating devices enable fuller communication and independence.

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Eye tracking, also sometimes referred to as eye gaze or gaze interaction, is a technology used to see where a person is looking on a computer screen. It can also be used to control a computer with a person's eyes instead of a traditional keyboard and mouse. For people with physical and/or cognitive disabilities, eye-controlled access to computers is a form of high-tech AAC (augmentative and alternative communication). Eye tracking-enabled speech generating devices are game-changers for people with conditions such as MND and cerebral palsy, empowering them to communicate and live their lives to the fullest.

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Learn about eye trackers for AAC and how eye gaze access empowers people with conditions like MND or cerebral palsy to communicate and access computers, both indoors and outdoors, in many kinds of lighting conditions.

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Media literacy is the ability to access, analyze, evaluate, and create media in various forms, ranging from traditional news to digital content. It empowers individuals to think critically, detect misinformation/disinformation, and engage responsibly online.

This site can help you and those you support to educate yourselves on this topic.

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Skip to main content

Media Literacy Ireland (MLI) is an informal alliance of individuals and organisations who work together on a mainly voluntary basis to promote media literacy in Ireland. Facilitated by the BAI, MLI has over 250 members drawn from a broad range of sectors.

Our vision is for all Irish people to be empowered with the skills and confidence to be able to access and critically evaluate content and services across all platforms, understand and question how media and digital technology operate, identify and manage risks, and participate in the public sphere in a responsible, ethical and effective manner.

To switch to the Irish language version of this site, press the 'GA' button above. We have also developed an Irish language Glossary of media literacy terms with translations of words and terms and examples of the use of the terms in the form of sentences.

Learn more about us

Training & Development

Behind the Headlines

This programme developed by the Guardian Foundation aims to empower young people to understand, critically analyse, engage with and participate in the media. It offers resources that can be used to support and embed news and media...

Facts Matter: Building Critical Media Literacy

Facts Matter is an introductory guide for adult literacy and adult education practitioners who wish to build their students' knowledge, understanding, skills and confidence in critical thinking, media and digital literacy. It was...

What is media literacy?

MLI does not narrowly define media literacy. Instead, we look to the BAI Media Literacy Policy to illustrate what media literacy looks like in real terms for both individuals and for society. The BAI Media Literacy Policy outlines the following three core competencies and associated media literacy skills.

Understand and critically evaluate broadcast, digital and other media content and services, in order to make informed choices and best manage media use.

Access and use broadcast and digital media content and services in a safe and secure manner, to maximise opportunities and minimise risks.

Create and participate via media, in a responsible, ethical and effective manner, in the creative, cultural and democratic aspects of society.

Latest News

Digital Parenting: Keeping your Kids Safe Online

The National Parents Council in collaboration with CyberSafeKids and Irish Examiner are delighted to provide access to an online event around Digital Parenting. A panel of experts including Dr. Colman Noctor (Child Psychologist), Alex...

The History of the Future: the new podcast confronting the challenges of tomorrow

Podcast hosts Mark Little and Ellie Payne Why are we so bad at predicting the future? How do we navigate the age of information overload? What does freedom look like in the digital age? These are some of the central questions...

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Join our community by signing up for our newsletter today.

Please see our privacy policy for details of how we will use your information and keep it safe and secure.

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Media Literacy Ireland - Empowering people to critically evaluate media

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Skip to main content Media Literacy Ireland (MLI) is an informal alliance of individuals and organisations who work together on a mainly voluntary basis to promote media literacy in Ireland. Facilitated by the BAI, MLI has over 250 members drawn from a broad range of sectors.

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Here are some posters that you can use to promote accessible design.

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Here's a guide on creating accessible Microsoft documents such Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and more.

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When creating content with Office, you can make it accessible to people with disabilities through some simple adjustments. You can use several built-in Office features to make sure that everybody can read and understand your documents. By increasing accessibility in your documents, you can cater to your whole audience, and not just a portion of it.

You can use Accessibility Checker to make sure that your content is truly accessible. The free tool is available in Word, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, and PowerPoint on Windows or Mac, and Visio on Windows. Accessibility Checker finds any accessibility issues in your document and explains why each might be a potential problem for someone with a disability. It also offers suggestions on how to resolve each issue.

The following table includes some best practices for creating Office documents that are accessible to people with disabilities. For detailed information on how to find and fix the problem in a specific Office application, see the applicable instructions:

Missing alternative texts in visuals

If you are using a screen reader, the alternative (Alt) text describes a visual element for those who cannot see it. Always apply effective Alt texts to all shapes, pictures, charts, tables, and SmartArt graphics to make your document more accessible. For more information on the appropriate use of Alt text, see Alternative Text.

Complex writing style

If your audience cannot understand you, your document automatically fails its purpose.

Use short sentences and simple grammar. If the content lends itself to a bulleted list, present it that way. A bulleted list is a very simple of way of enforcing short sentences.

When faced with options, always select the simplest word available, instead of impressing your audience with your vocabulary.

Table-based document layouts

Table-based layouts are popular especially in newsletters created with Word and Outlook. By creating a table with invisible borders, and placing the different newsletter articles within individual cells, you can easily create an impressive-looking document. However, your readers with accessibility issues will not thank you. Never use tables as a layout tool.

When navigating a document with a table layout, the screen readers and Braille displays read tables row-by-row across the columns: if your newsletter has been designed to be read from top to bottom column-by-column, your reader will be lost.

Aim to lay out your document without using tables. For ideas and a collection of accessible templates you can use with different Office applications, see Make your templates more accessible and Get accessible templates for Office. If you must use a table layout, make sure it is designed to be read row-by-row across the columns and try to minimize the number of Tab key presses or swipes required to reach the end.

See also

Making documents accessible

Video: Create more accessible tables in Excel

Video: Create more accessible charts in Excel

Video: Create more accessible slides in PowerPoint

Create accessible PDFs

Technical support for customers with disabilities

Microsoft wants to provide the best possible experience for all our customers. If you have a disability or questions related to accessibility, please contact the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk for technical assistance. The Disability Answer Desk support team is trained in using many popular assistive technologies and can offer assistance in English, Spanish, French, and American Sign Language. Please go to the Microsoft Disability Answer Desk site to find out the contact details for your region.

If you are a government, commercial, or enterprise user, please contact the enterprise Disability Answer Desk.

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See a list of links to information to make your Office files more accessible.

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The LibOrate app is a plug-in that can be used in conjunction with Zoom to make communication easier for those who stutter.

It displays a customisable name tag to give other people information you would like them to have. It also has more hand gestures, including one informing people that you haven't yet finished speaking.

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Accessible reading order for Power Point decks

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Accessible reading order for Power Point decks

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Put the content in your PowerPoint slides in the intended reading order so the screen readers read it correctly.

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Video: Create slides with an accessible reading order - Microsoft Support

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Here are some tips on how to create an accessible word document.

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Make your Word documents accessible to people with disabilities

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Learn how to create documents that are accessible to people with disabilities or people who use assistive technologies.

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AHEAD is an independent non-profit organisation working with and for disabled people to shape inclusive and empowering environments in tertiary education and employment.

They offer a range of free courses for educators, administrators, and support staff in digital accessibility, universal design, course design etc.

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Free Course: Whole Institution Approach to Accessibility

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Queen's University Belfast website has an excellent range of resources for digital accessibility practices.

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Learn about the importance of digital accessibility and how it promotes equality, diversity, and inclusion online.

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Disability organisation Call Scotland have created a great list of iPad apps for learners with complex needs.

Visit their website to see their 'Wheel of Apps' and download a free poster.

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A3 sized PDF poster - revision 3.0, published 2022
Description

We receive regular queries about useful iPad apps for complex learning difficulties. This poster is our response. The 'Wheel of Apps' is not comprehensive, but it attempts to identify relevant, useful apps and categorise them into the areas where we feel an iPad can be a useful learning tool. Note that some apps address a range of difficulties. The wheel features a mix of apps, some of which will be useful for Primary aged learners, some for Secondary aged learners and some with both.

To save space, we have not placed individual apps into multiple categories but listed them under a category that is particularly relevant to the app. Links on the electronic version are 'clickable' and will take you to the iTunes UK App Store, where you can find out more about the individual apps and download them onto your iPad.

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iPad Apps for Learners with Complex Additional Support Needs

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This is the latest poster in our popular 'App Wheel' series. We receive regular queries about useful iPad apps for complex learning difficulties. This new poster is our response. The 'Wheel of Apps' is not comprehensive, but attempts to identify relevant, useful apps and to categorise them into the ...

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As well as providing training in reading, writing, and maths, the National Adult Literacy Agency (NALA) offers a range of free courses covering many aspects of digital literacy including:

Computer Skills

Using Technology

Computer Literacy

Digital Media

Internet Skills

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Choose a course and start learning today. You can work on your own or if you need help we have tutors on the phone.

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Get Yourself Online is a digital inclusion campaign which offers a free self-assessment tool to evaluate current digital skills.

They also offer free learning resources in digital competencies such as Information & Data Literacy, Digital Content Creation, and Online Safety.

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Having at least basic digital skills can have a positive influence on a person's life, giving them greater access to education and job opportunities, improved access to government services and encouraging greater social inclusion. There is no better time to Get Yourself Online!...

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The Google Accessibility Help Community is a peer-to-peer support forum where users can connect, get help, and share advice about using accessibility features across Google products.