10 Apple accessibility solutions everyone should know

…

The great thing about the accessibility tools inside Apple products is that they make those products better for everyone. Here are some accessibility solutions every Apple user needs to know.

You are the great Dictation

Macs, iPads, iPhones — even the Apple Watch — all support dictation. You can use this to dictate messages, emails, notes, even whole documents. You can also use Siri for some of these tasks.

Don’t ignore VoiceOver

… VoiceOver … – … free, built into every Apple product.

… Not only does it tell you what is happening on your device, but it also lets you control your device using your voice.

… Find out more about it here.

Speak up

You can ask your Mac or iPhone to speak selected text for you. …

… On an iPhone or iPad, open Settings>General>Accessibility and turn Speak Selection on. …

…

Hear the call silently

Make your iPhone’s torch flash when a call or notification comes through in Settings>General>Accessibility, toggle LED Flash…

Enable different vibration alerts

… Open Contacts, find the person you want to create a unique vibration pattern for, tap Ringtone>Vibration>Create New Vibration and tap the correct pattern out.

Make your own gestures with AssistiveTouch (iOS)

Designed for those who have problems using a touch screen, Assistive Touch lets any user create their own set of control gestures.

Enable AssistiveTouch in Settings>General Accessibility>AssistiveTouch. Once enabled, you’ll see a new control on your screen. …

You can also create your own by tapping the plus button, … or to use your device if the Home button is broken. (There are a couple more useful iPhone accessibility tools described here.)

Zoom into the action

Don’t underestimate the value of Apple’s built-in display zoom tools for any user. …

Apple Watch: The zoom feature on this device lets even people with relatively limited vision make use of the apps, maps, and everything else on the device.

Enabled in Settings>Accessibility and then summoned into use with two taps on the display, you can move around the watch using the Digital Crown.

…

Do you use Accessibility Shortcuts?

Available on an iPhone and enabled via … triple-clicking the Home button.

… When I triple-click the button, I can then easily initiate one of the actions just by tapping it in the list.

Even HomeKit helps

So, you don’t think HomeKit is an accessibility product? Think again — from being able to use Siri to close your blinds, to turning the lights on and off, to changing the temperature…

Facetime

Source: 10 Apple accessibility solutions everyone should know | Computerworld