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I saw this and had to share it. I thought about our videos we created!! Enjoy!

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I learned how to use the voice reader. I would like to learn how to use Apple TV.

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Everything I've learned is awesome and overwhelming! It will take practice and help from fellow colleagues

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I learned that Apple Watch can be used as a switch for mobility impaired students. I think I need time to play with all of the features before I could successfully implement them

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I learned about the different accessibility features that are available.

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I learned how to use guided access and voiceover!!!

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I learned about the

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I learned

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I learned about the voice over. I am planning on using it in my classroom. I enjoyed the presentation today.

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I learned

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I learned more about the accessibility features that are there to help our kids. What I would like to learn more about is the accessibility for the more severe kids and the younger ones that are only 3 and 4

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I learned more about how to use accessibility features and how to access more resources on this padlet.

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I learned so much today.

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I learned so much today. I plan to use my iPad more for lessons instead of just education
Apps.

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I enjoyed learning about how to use the voice over and seeing the Braille used.

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Love the page reader

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Reflection: The importance of access is fundamental for all students. As Apple technology grows so does access. Although at this point there may not be access for specific students it will be coming to us soon.   Apple technology was made for Special populations it focuses on their strengths!

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I learned about some features such as zooming and audio reading.

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I

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I

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lOVE explain everything
App

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Today I learned about the many ways to modify the accessibility of apple products.  I would like more practice with using these tools.

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Today I learned about the many ways to modify the accessibility of apple products.  I would like more practice with using these tools.

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Explain Everything™ Interactive Whiteboard by Explain Everything sp. z o.o.

https://appsto.re/us/mCs08.i

Doceri Interactive Whiteboard by SP Controls, Inc.

https://appsto.re/us/BswLy.i

ShowMe Interactive Whiteboard by Learnbat, Inc.

https://appsto.re/us/NWYHA.i

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K-12 Education Development Executive
E-Mail: ibike@apple.com
Twitter: @G3aredUp
www.apple.com/education

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Proloquo2Go - Symbol-based AAC by AssistiveWare

https://appsto.re/us/Kmvys.i

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Go Stephanie !!

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Rock in' Mr. B

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Winnie

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Wallace!

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Valerie!!!!

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Courtney!

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Mr. B

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Kristi!

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T Brown

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Mr. B

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Mr.

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Article: Accessibility for iPhone and iPad: Ultimate guide

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Article: Accessibility for iPhone and iPad: Ultimate guide

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Accessibility - also referred to as inclusivity - is all about making the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad work for as wide a range of people as possible. That can include the very young, the very old, people brand new to computers and mobile devices, and also people with disabilities and special needs. With iOS, Apple has added features to specifically help those with visual impairments, including blindness, color blindness, and low vision; with auditory impairments including deafness in one or both ears; physical or motor skill impairments, including limited coordination or range of motion; and learning challenges, including autism and dyslexia. It also includes general features, like Siri and FaceTime which can provide significant value for the blind or the deaf. Many of these features can be found in Settings, all of them can be found on the iPhone and iPad.

How to use voice control with Siri for iPhone and iPad

VoiceOver is an accessibility feature that makes the iPhone and iPad easier to operate for blind people or people with low vision. With VoiceOver, anyone with a visual impairment can have their iPhone or iPad's screen read to them, including buttons, icons, links, and other interface elements, and use gestures to navigate and select options. Because VoiceOver is included in Apple's UIKit framework for developers, any app using default controls gets VoiceOver support built right in.

How to magnify your screen with zoom for iPhone and iPad

Zoom is an accessibility feature that makes everything from text to icons to interface elements bigger and easier to see on the iPhone and iPad. Zoom magnification defaults to 200% but can be set from 100%-500% to help anyone with low vision of any level. When in zoomed mode, all the standard navigation and selection gestures - tap, swipe, and pinch - work just like normal. Zoom can even work alongside VoiceOver to provide even greater assistance for those with visual impairments.

Note: Designers use zoom as well to help check pixel-level details on-screen.

How to use your camera as a magnifying glass on iPhone and iPad

Display Accommodations is an accessibility feature that makes the iPhone and iPad easier on the eyes for some people with a sensitivity to brightness, easier to distinguish for some people with color blindness, and easier to make out for some people with low vision. It can even be used in combination with zoom to greatly increase legibility for anyone with a visual impairment.

Note: Some people invert screen colors as a pseudo-dark theme or nighttime reading mode for when they want to greatly reduce light and glare from the display.

How to have text read with speak selection on your iPhone and iPad

Guide access is an accessibility feature that lets you lock the iPhone or iPad to a single app. For as long as guided access is enabled, only that one specific app can be used, and there's no way to exit it for the Home screen or any other app. Guided Access can be extremely useful in education settings, to help kids focus for learning math, language, and other skills, and for working with people on the autistic spectrum. Whether it's a writing app, drawing app, music app, math app, or a story, video, or reading app, guided access helps make sure that all attention remains on that app.

Note: Guided access can also be used by kiosks, restaurants, store, and other businesses to create a dedicated information or transaction device, and it can even be used to create a "guest mode" so you can hand your device to someone and let them use Safari, iBooks, Video, or a game without having to worry about them snooping through your personal information.

How to enable AssistiveTouch on iPhone or iPad

The triple-click Home button shortcut is an accessibility feature that lets you rapidly access one or more features without having to dive into Settings each time. With the short cut, a quick triple-click of the Home button can put your iPhone or iPad into VoiceOver or Zoom, can invert colors or enable AssistiveTouch, or can even bring up a menu so you can choose from several options. If you don't want one or more accessibility features on all the time, but you use them often enough that you want to access them easily at any time, or different members of the family or group who share a device have different accessibility needs, the triple-lick Home button shortcut is for you.

Questions?

Do you have a question about Accessibility on iPhone or iPad? Let us know in the comments and we'll do our best to help!

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Accessibility for iPhone and iPad: The ultimate guide

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Accessibility - also referred to as inclusivity - is all about making the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad work for as wide a range of people as possible. That can include the very young, the very old, people brand new to computers and mobile devices, and also people with disabilities and special needs.

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Article: When it Comes to Accessibility, Apple Continues to Lead in Awareness and Innovation

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Article: When it Comes to Accessibility, Apple Continues to Lead in Awareness and Innovation

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Apple is often credited with upending and reinventing product categories by creating breakthrough devices that define their respective markets for years thereafter.

The introduction of the iPod in 2001 did this for MP3 players and digital music, but the canonical example is indisputably the original iPhone in 2007.

With its Multi-Touch user interface and, as Steve Jobs described it,"desktop-class software," the first iPhone set the bar for smartphones, establishing itself as the phone against which all others are judged. It was a true revolution.

Tech writers and analysts tend to associate these revolutions, the Next Big Things, with hardware. The iPhone epitomizes this, but a strong argument can be made that Apple has also led a software revolution equally as transformative but without nearly the bang in terms of press coverage. With iOS, Apple has created a rich and diverse set of tools for people with disabilities that enable them to use an iPhone with as much ease and delight as their non-disabled peers.

It's for this reason the accessibility features on iOS are widely regarded as the best in the industry. This is no small feat, one that shouldn't be overlooked, especially if you remember what cell phones were like before the iPhone came along.

Consider someone with low vision. He or she may have struggled to use a "dumbphone" with a display the size of a postage stamp, and a Multi-tap keyboard. But then they buy an iPhone, and their whole world changes. They now have a phone with a touchscreen and tech like Zoom, features which make it easier to use the device.

Suddenly, they're texting with family and friends, looking up directions, and more with a fluidity like never before. Thus, it isn't hyperbole to say iOS's accessibility features have been every bit as game-changing for the disabled as the iPhone was to the mass phone market.

Apple surely is aware of its impact here - customers tell them about it. So, as it does with everything it touches, Apple continually iterates and refines on iOS's accessibility features over time.

The company's investment in this area is emblematic of its ethos to make products for everyone; it's also a prime example of Tim Cook's oft-repeated mantra that Apple strives to create products that "enrich people's lives."

The accessibility software on all of Apple's platforms empower those with disabilities, myself included, to partake in the experience Apple intends for all users. Put another way, Apple products are inclusive by design.

"We see accessibility as a basic human right," said Sarah Herrlinger, Senior Manager for Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives at Apple.

The accessibility software on all of Apple's platforms empower those with disabilities, myself included, to partake in the experience Apple intends for all users. Put another way, Apple products are inclusive by design.

"Building into the core of our products supports a vision of an inclusive world where opportunity and access to information are barrier-free, empowering individuals with disabilities to achieve their goals," said Herrlinger.

It's crucial, then, that accessibility be a regular and engaged part of the conversation surrounding Apple. Although people with disabilities represent a small subset of Apple's total user base, it isn't an insignificant group. This is why Apple's work in raising awareness of and advocating for accessibility is so noteworthy and appreciated.

Apple's massive reach lets the accessibility community be recognized and share the spotlight, and deservedly so. It's in this spirit that Apple celebrates Global Accessibility Awareness Day by showcasing accessibility-minded apps, movies, accessories, and more.
Braille on iOS and Meeting Haben Girma
iOS has supported Braille for several years. iOS supports Braille tables in more than 25 languages, and even has a Braille keyboard built in.

This obviates the need for a separate Braille keyboard for text entry. In addition, iOS is compatible with more than 50 models of refreshable Braille displays. (It's worth noting, too, that Apple now sells Braille displays and other accessibility-focused third-party accessories, like switches.)

In broad terms, Braille displays work by converting regular text into Braille characters and then sending the output to the display, usually over Bluetooth. It's possible to pair a Braille display with an iOS device, and then be able to control, say, your iPhone using VoiceOver.=

I recently had an opportunity to meet with Haben Girma, herself a Braille display user, to discuss, among other things, Apple's accessibility efforts and the tools we use on our devices.

Girma is a deaf-blind lawyer and disability rights advocate.

She holds the distinction of being the first deaf-blind graduate of Harvard Law, and she last year introduced President Obama at the White House at an event commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).

Girma is a huge fan of Apple products, having used them since 2009. She says "they're really fun," and regularly uses a Mac, iPhone, and Apple Watch.

As for Apple's accessibility features, Girma is especially fond of VoiceOver. VoiceOver, she says, has "revolutionized how the blind community accesses information." Looking up street names and texting with friends is made easy with the screen-reading technology.

"Apple's dedication to VoiceOver has played a crucial role in my success in law school and beyond," Girma said.
Accessibility Featured in the App Store and iTunes
Aside from the accessible accessories Apple now sells on its online store, the company also recently announced two new additions to the App Store and iTunes Store meant for people with disabilities. For the App Store, Apple has updated its Apps for Accessibility collection with more apps that span a wide range of needs.

Apps are categorized by need, including vision, hearing, speech, and what Apple calls "Accessible Home with Siri." Like it does with its other app collections, Apple refreshes the accessibility one periodically. Importantly, these updates help spread the word about developers who offer great, albeit specialized, apps. This new collection features apps by companies such as AssistiveWare and Voice Dream.

While these apps are esoteric, it reinforces the idea that a big part of the iPhone's (and iPad's) value proposition is accessibility, made possible in part by the App Store ecosystem. Regarding iTunes, there's a new section that features a number of films that are enhanced with support for descriptive audio. (In fact, iOS supports this as well for video. There's a toggle under Accessibility > Media > Audio Descriptions to turn it on/off.) Titles include Star Wars: The Force Awakens, The Martian, and Inside Out.
Third-Party Developers Have a Role, Too
For as much as this article praises Apple for leading the way in assistive technology, they're not alone in this.

Indeed, developers with apps in the App Store have just as much responsibility to ensure their software is available to people with disabilities. Fortunately, with help from Apple's tools, developers can be sure their apps are approachable to anyone.

As with Apple's apps, developers' apps should be built with accessibility in mind right from the start. Here's one example of a highly accessible app. I love podcasts, and my favorite app for listening to them is Marco Arment's Overcast.

What makes Overcast so great for accessibility is it has great VoiceOver support, Dynamic Type, and gigantic buttons on the Now Playing screen. Marco has long been a proponent for accessibility, and Overcast's design is clearly evident of it. (Full disclosure: I've been part of the beta since before 1.0 was released in 2014.)

Overcast's accessibility was made even better in the 2.5 update, which shipped in mid-March. The marquee feature was a new dark mode. I like dark mode so much that I use it all the time. It looks great, but what sets it apart for me is the boost in contrast. Text jumps off the screen, making it easy for me to read titles, show notes, and even how much time is left in an episode. Couple dark mode with Dynamic Type, and Overcast provides a first class experience for my eyes. It's delightful.

Another great App Store app for accessibility is Be My Eyes.

The idea is simple: give people who are blind or low vision another set of eyes. Imagine this scenario: a blind person goes into the kitchen for a glass of milk. The milk smells kind of funky, but there's no way to read the expiration date on the carton.

The person can open the Be My Eyes app on their phone to connect with a sighted volunteer via video chat, who can see the date and tell the person what it is. It's a very clever solution.Be My Eyes

Be My Eyes is available to everyone, as a sighted person who'd like to help can sign up as a volunteer within the app.

When someone needs help, the app will send a push notification alerting the helper. If that helper isn't available at the moment, the app will route the call to another person.
Final Thoughts
Advocating for accessibility isn't just about standing up for people who need accommodation. If you step back and look at the big picture, the reason why raising awareness is so critical is because it educates everyone else.

Doing so dispels misconceptions about what people with disabilities do, and improves society's understanding of who we are. It's why Global Accessibility Awareness Day exists.

Haben Girma puts it well: "As more communities strive for inclusion, they struggle with the question, 'How?'

How does a deaf family share a conversation over the phone? How does an app developer ensure that blind clients can access her content?

Apple provides solutions that answer many of these questions. Tools from FaceTime to VoiceOver have created numerous opportunities. It's exciting to imagine what's next! Keep exploring, keep innovating, and keep moving us towards a world where everyone has equal opportunities."

On a personal level, Apple's dedication to accessibility is a huge reason why I'm a fan of the company. Products like the iPhone are not only cool, but as a person with disabilities, it's clear to me Apple cares about the experience I have.

Given Apple's stature as the biggest company in the world, sitting on a war chest of unfathomable size, that they do this work in spite of "the bloody ROI" is truly admirable. In many ways, Apple's efforts in accessibility captures the essence of being at the intersection of technology and liberal arts. I like to think Steve Jobs would be proud of how Apple has continued to push humanity and technology forward.

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When it comes to accessibility, Apple continues to lead in awareness and innovation

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Apple is often credited with upending and reinventing product categories by creating breakthrough devices that define their respective markets for years thereafter. The introduction of the iPod in 2001 did this for MP3 players and digital music, but the canonical example is indisputably the original iPhone in 2007.

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Article:  Make Text Larger & Other Useful iPhone Accessibility Features

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Article:  Make Text Larger & Other Useful iPhone Accessibility Features

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Make Text Larger & Other Useful iPhone Accessibility Features

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Did you know your iPhone's accessibility features are legendary?

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Article: Looking Back at iOS Accessibility's Biggest Milestones

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Article: Looking Back at iOS Accessibility's Biggest Milestones

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Editor's Note: This is a guest post by my friend Steven Aquino. He is a freelance tech journalist based in San Francisco, CA, where he covers all things Apple accessibility. His work has appeared in iMore, TechCrunch, Macworld, and more.
The iPhone has been such a revolutionary, life-changing device that remembering what life was like before it existed feels almost like trying to imagine the Stone Age. The advent of the iPhone in 2007 was a seminal moment in technology history; it's truly a once-in-a-lifetime product that redefined not only smartphones but computers in general. Almost ten years later, it still never ceases to amaze me that everyone nowadays carries with them a lightweight, always-connected supercomputer everywhere they go. A supercomputer, to paraphrase John Gruber, in our freaking pockets!

Everyone knows how big the iPhone is, but for as much impact as it has had on society and culture at large, I've long believed it's been equally as game-changing for people with disabilities.

The combination of its Multi-Touch interface and iOS software - particularly its Accessibility features - has opened up a world of possibilities like never before.

As a person with disabilities, I can attest to the iPhone's influence on my life. iOS has empowered me to do more than I ever did on a traditional computer, even a Mac. The 12.9″ iPad Pro is my "laptop" of choice for these reasons. Put simply, tap-and-swipe beats point-and-click for me.

With the final release of iOS 10 drawing near, it's fun to marvel at just how mature the operating system has become since its inception. The App Store, app extensions, third-party keyboards, widgets, and more - these all are features that have come since the early days of "iPhone OS 1.0." As someone who's been using iOS every day for the last nine years, it's been exciting to watch the OS evolve over time.

As iOS has evolved, so too has its accessibility features. What started as a small feature set has grown into a comprehensive suite that has won Apple critical acclaim as the best in the industry for its remarkable breadth and depth.

With this sentiment in mind, here's a look at what I consider to be five milestone iOS accessibility features.

VoiceOver

VoiceOver is perhaps the canonical accessibility feature. It's the most well-known and typically the first that third-party developers support in their app(s).

VoiceOver has been around for a long time, but it hasn't been around since the beginning. Believe it or not, the first two generations of iPhone, the original and the 3G, had no accessibility features whatsoever. It wasn't until the iPhone 3GS shipped in June 2009 (with VoiceOver) that iPhone OS started becoming accessible. Along with VoiceOver, iPhone OS 3 also included features such as Zoom and Mono Audio.

Although VoiceOver was included with the iPhone 3GS, its roots trace back to the buttonless iPod Shuffle.

Launched in March 2009, a mere three months prior to the iPhone 3GS's debut, Apple described the third-generation iPod Shuffle as "the first music player that talks to you" by way of its "revolutionary new VoiceOver feature."

In short, VoiceOver was able to read song titles and names of artists and playlists.

Given VoiceOver's importance and reverence, it's hard to believe the screen reader has only been around for seven of the iPhone's nine years of existence. While I don't need to use it, I have a ton of respect for VoiceOver. It's great, and Apple deserves all the kudos for continually supporting and improving on such a crucial part of iOS for so many people.

Guided Access

Guided Access, a feature whereby certain interface elements (e.g., the Home button) can be disabled in order to restrict user input in apps, is notable in two ways.

First, it's one of the few accessibility features to receive prominent stage time at an Apple keynote. (The other, to my knowledge, is watchOS 3's "wheelchair mode" at WWDC this year.) Guided Access was introduced by Scott Forstall at WWDC 2012 as a "tentpole" feature of iOS 6. Forstall explained Guided Access as being two things: (1) a tool for children with autism; and (2) a de-facto "single app mode," useful in situations such as test-taking and using kiosks in museums.

Secondly, I can directly relate to Forstall's comment about children with autism. As someone who spent nearly a decade working with preschoolers with special needs, I spent many days using an iPad to augment the curriculum with our students, many of whom were on the autism spectrum. Before iOS 6, keeping students focused and on-task was difficult because oftentimes they would "escape" to play Angry Birds or some other game. Thus, Guided Access was our savior.

Once set up, we could provide students a structured, predictable environment - something that's essential to anyone with autism, but is especially true of young children - while simultaneously keep them engaged in learning in a fun and interactive way.

Large Dynamic Type

Introduced with iOS 7, Large Dynamic Type is a feature that allows users to set a text size that applies system-wide. The idea is it's easier to set text size globally than it is to manually fiddle with a text slider in each individual app. Apple supports Dynamic Type in several of iOS's built-in apps, including Mail, Messages, and Notes.

Large Dynamic Type is arguably my favorite feature of iOS. It's convenient, yes, but what I love most about it is there's a public API for it. That means developers can support Dynamic Type in their own apps. As a user, what that means for me is show notes and episode descriptions in Overcast are easier to read; likewise with the chatter in Slack and my to-do list in 2Do. Sadly, however, not every app supports Dynamic Type. Instagram and Uber are two apps I use regularly that don't, but really should. Dynamic Type makes the app experience appreciably better because of big text's increased legibility.

Considering the usability gains I get from Dynamic Type, I strongly believe every developer should adopt it right away if they aren't already supporting it. Text is a basic part of any piece of software, and I'm surely not the only person with low vision (or tired/aging eyes, for that matter) who benefits immensely from larger text.

Switch Control

Like Large Dynamic Type, Switch Control debuted in iOS 7. Switch Control allows users with limited (or no) range of motion in their fingers to control an iOS device with switches. A switch - or, as it's colloquially known in special education circles, a Big Mac, due to its resemblance to the burger - is effectively a giant button that uses a wired or Bluetooth connection. In this context, switches are used to control an iOS device, but they're capable of controlling pretty much anything electronic, including kitchen appliances like blenders.

What makes Switch Control a noteworthy addition to iOS is that its made iOS devices more accessible to a wider range of people. In the same way wheelchair mode in watchOS 3 makes the Activity app accessible to wheelchair users, Switch Control makes iOS devices accessible to people who rely on switches.

A perfect example of this is the story of Ian Mackay, a self-professed cyclist and birder, who suffered a spinal cord injury as a result of a cycling accident. Mackay recently told Mashable's Katie Dupere about how technology has helped him maintain an active lifestyle in spite of his injury. A heavy user of Switch Control, Mackay says before it came along, he was "very reliant on someone using the phone for me or navigating a GPS for me." This sense of empowerment and independence is exactly what Switch Control (and the purpose of any accessibility feature, really) is designed to do.

Magnifier

Magnifier is a new accessibility feature in iOS 10, but I want to include it here because of the noticeable effect its already had on my daily life. Because of this, I think Magnifier will be a hit with everyone, regardless of ability.

I've been using the iOS 10 public beta on my iPhone 6s Plus throughout the summer, and Magnifier is one of my favorite features. For the uninitiated, Magnifier is built into the Camera app. It uses things like the LED flash and filters to adjust the lighting and contrast, respectively, of objects as you zoom in. Apple gets knocked around at times for its software quality, but Magnifier is further proof the company remains skillful. It's exceptionally thoughtful and well done.

The reason I'm so effusive about Magnifier is the handiness of it. So often, I'm reading a restaurant menu or looking at price tags in the grocery store, and the print in set in small font. Where previously I would strain my eyes in order to see, now all I need to do is pull out my phone and triple-press the Home button to launch Magnifier. It makes my life much easier, insofar that small print is readable and that I needn't carry a physical magnifier, as I did for many years. (Yes, there are magnifier apps on the App Store, Lumin being one, but I love that there's now a built-in solution.)

While the overhauled Messages in iOS 10 gets all the glory, it's my opinion that Magnifier is right up there as one of the best enhancements to iOS this year. And I'm not alone in that view. In time, I think we'll see Magnifier as a standout addition to iOS because of its practical nature. It's beneficial to not only low vision users, but anyone who wants to get closer to anything, such as a coin collection.

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Looking Back at iOS Accessibility's Biggest Milestones

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Editor's Note: This is a guest post by my friend Steven Aquino. He is a freelance tech journalist based in San Francisco, CA, where he covers all things Apple accessibility. His work has appeared in iMore, TechCrunch, Macworld, and more.

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Article:  4 New Accessibility Features of iOS 10 You Should Know

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Article:  4 New Accessibility Features of iOS 10 You Should Know

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Apple today released iOS 10, the latest version of its operating system for mobile devices such as the iPad and iPhone. This post is a quick review of some of the most significant enhancements to the accessibility support in iOS 10, starting with a brand new feature called Magnifier.

Magnifier

With Magnifier, users who have low vision can use the great camera on their devices to enlarge the text in menus, pill bottles, and other items where they might need a little support for their vision to read the content. Magnifier is found alongside Zoom (which enlarges onscreen content) in the Accessibility Settings. Once it is enabled, you can activate the Magnifier by triple-clicking the Home button.

While a number of existing apps such as Vision Assist and Better Vision provide similar functionality, having this functionality built into the OS should improve performance (through faster focusing, better clarity made possible by accessing the camera's full native resolution, etc.). Magnifier has the following options:

a slider for adjusting the zoom level (or you can pinch in and out on the screen)

a shutter button that freezes the image for closer inspection - you can then pinch to zoom in on the captured image and drag on the screen with one finger to inspect a different part of it

a button for activating the device flash (on devices that have one) in torch mode so that you get a bit more light in a dark environment

a button for locking the focus at a given focal length

a button for accessing a variety of filters or overlays

The available filters include: white/blue, yellow/blue, grayscale, yellow/black, and red/black. For each of these, you can press the Invert button to reverse the colors, and you can do this while in the live view or with a frozen image. Each filter also provides a set of sliders for adjusting the brightness and contrast as needed.

Display Accommodations

Display Accommodations is a new section in the Accessibility Settings that brings together a few existing display options (Invert Colors, Grayscale, Reduce White Point) with a couple of new ones (Color Tint and and options for three different types of color-blindness).

For those who have Irlen Syndrome (Visual Stress) there is a new option in iOS for adding a color tint over the entire display. Once you choose this option, you will be able to use a slider to specify the intensity and hue of the filter.

Speech Enhancements

In addition to word by word highlighting, the text to speech options in iOS 10 (Speak Selection and Speak Screen) will now provide sentence by sentence highlighting as well. By choosing Highlight Content in the Speech Settings you can configure how the highlighting takes place: you can have only the words highlighted, only the sentences, or both, and you can choose whether the sentence highlight will be an underline or a background color (though you still can't choose your own color).

A new Typing Feedback setting can help you if you find you are often entering the wrong text. You can choose to hear the last character or word you typed (or both). For the character feedback, you can specify a delay after which the character will be spoken and even whether a hint ("t, tango") is provided. An additional setting allows you to hear the QuickType suggestions read aloud as you hover over them, to make sure you are choosing the right prediction.

The entire Speech system also can take advantage of some additional high quality voices: Allison, Ava, Fred, Susan, Tom and Victoria for U.S. English. Some of the voices (such as Allison) have both a default and an enhanced version as has been the case with previously introduced voices, and you preview each voice before downloading it by tapping a play button. An edit button allows you to remove voices you are not using if you are running low on space (you can always download them again).

VoiceOver Pronunciation Editor and New Voices

I'm sure the team at AppleVis will do a complete rundown of VoiceOver in iOS 10, so here I will just highlight one feature that I am really happy about: the new Pronunciation Editor. After all this time, I can finally get VoiceOver to get a little bit closer to the correct pronunciation for my name (the accent in Pérez still throws it off a little).

The Pronunciation Editor is found under VoiceOver > Speech > Pronunciations. Once there, you will press the Add (+) button, enter the phrase to be recognized and then either dictate or spell out the correct pronunciation. You can restrict the new pronunciation to specific Languages, Voices and apps or choose All for each option for a more global availability.

In addition to the pronunciation editor, VoiceOver can take advantage of all the new voices for the Speech system in iOS 10: Allison, Ava, Fred, Susan, Tom and Victoria for U.S. English (each with an enhanced version). Like the Alex voice, you will have to download each of these new voices before you can use it, but you can preview each voice before downloading it.

These are just a few of the new accessibility features in iOS 10. Others include:

the ability to auto-select the speaker for a call when you are not holding the iPhone to your ear.

an option for routing the audio for VoiceOver: you can hear the speech on one channel and the sound effects in the other when wearing headphones.

Switch access for Apple TV which will allow you to navigate the interface of the Apple TV using the Switch Control feature on your iOS device.

a new option for Switch Control Recipes that will allow to create a hold on point action right from the scanner menu. Before you could only crate a tap action in this way.

And of course, there are other enhancements to the rest of the Apple ecosystem which I will cover in their own blog posts as they become available: Siri for the Mac, Taptic Time for Apple Watch, new activity settings on Apple Watch for wheelchair users, and more.

Finally, there is the new hardware Apple just announced last week, which will soon be shipping. Apple Watch has a faster processor and a better display (helpful for those with low vision), and the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus come with even better cameras (12 MP, with two cameras for 2X zooming on the larger model). As both a visually impaired photographer and as someone who focuses on accessibility features that use the camera (Magnifier, Optical Character Recognition apps to convert print into digital content) this is very exciting.

What are your thoughts on Apple's recent announcements? Are you upgrading to the new devices? Which features have you most excited?

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4 New Accessibility Features of iOS 10 You Should Know

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Apple today released iOS 10, the latest version of its operating system for mobile devices such as the iPad and iPhone. This post is a quick review of some of the most significant enhancements to the accessibility support in iOS 10, starting with a brand new feature called Magnifier.

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http://www.apple.com/accessibility/

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http://www.apple.com/education/special-education/