The accessibility features on iPad and Mac support students with specific needs. By customising a student’s individual learning experience according to their vision, hearing, literacy and motor skills preferences, ensuring every student’s learning is maximised.
The device settings are just one piece of the puzzle. An endless list of accessibility specific apps can be downloaded to further a successful educational experience on an Apple device. See some of our favourite features below.
Speak Selection
With speak selection switched on you can highlight text and have iPad or Mac read it out to you. This simple functionality can help students to decode words or counteract visual impairments by turning the text in to audio.
Guided Access
Guided access can help to keep students on tasks and eliminate the chance of individuals accidentally leaving applications. Through password-protected settings, a teacher can lock students into individual apps for a predetermined time and dictate what areas of the app can or cannot be accessed. It’s the perfect tool for any students with poor fine motor skills.
Reduced Motion
The inherent zooming and fast-moving transitions of an iPad interface can be very distracting for students with ADHD or Autism. Reduce Motion enables individuals to slow down the screen and reduce the number of distracting transition graphics. For example, navigating from one app to the next is conducted with a simple cross fade rather than a zooming transition.
Invert Colours and Colour Filters
Altering the screen is made possible for visual impaired learners or for young people with dyslexia through the Accessibility features. Individuals can completely invert all of the colours on the touch screen resulting in a much bolder visual experience. Alternatively, you can customise the colour preferences of the screen by adding a coloured filter that prioritises one colour over the others.
Dictation
Mac has never been better at turning your voice in to text. However, through the Accessibility features, you can learn a wide range of document related commands so that you can write, format, edit and save entire assignments. The dictation tool is so good that anyone can create documents regardless of their motor skills.
Zoom
Through the Accessibility features on Mac any learner can zoom in to specific areas of the screen. Using simple keyboard commands an individual can toggle in or out on the screen to reveal small text or get closer to a small computer icon. This simple tool can help children with visual impairments gain access to all sorts of learning material.
