Accessibility on Android and Apple

Who are we?

Your Assistive Technology Specialist Team

We are a team of 3 Assistive Technology Specialists (ATS) who help clients use mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.

Goals for today:

This presentation is going to show you an overview of Accessibility Features on Android and Apple phones and tablets. If you would like to learn more detailed information or get help with setting up some of these features, please reach out to us after the session.

Specific demonstrations will be not be shown as this is an overview and each feature requires tailoring to each person’s needs.

1) Overview of the Accessibility features on Android and Apple phones and tablets

Vision
Hearing
Physical Access
Memory/Cognition
Google Assistant and Siri

2) Tech for Good informational overview

Do all smartphones and tablets have Accessibility Features?

Yes, mostly! On most Android and Apple devices, it is found in Settings, then Accessibility.

Top: Android, Bottom Apple

Do you experience barriers related to vision loss?

Android has a feature called TalkBack, whereas Apple has a feature called VoiceOver. Both allow users to navigate through the device without looking at the screen. It provides spoken feedback to let you know exactly what is displayed on your screen.

Users activate items on the screen through tapping or swiping in specific gestures.

Colours and clarity allows users to change the general display to be in high contrast, inverted colours, use specific colour filters for colour vision difficulties, and remove some system animation.

Here are two examples of high contrast keyboards with specific colour palettes based on certain vision loss needs.

This is white text on a blue key.

This is black text on a yellow key.

The size and zoom enhancements include items such as magnification, a large mouse pointer if using an external Bluetooth or USB mouse, font size and style, and general screen zoom.

Similarly, Apple allows users to change the size and boldness of the text, button shapes, contrast, and transparency to increase legibility.

Users can also change the general display to be in high contrast, inverted colours, or use specific colour filters for those with colour vision difficulties.

Magnification and Magnifier Window allows users to increase or decrease the content of entire screen or a small window.

Users can move the focus around by dragging their fingers around the screen, pinching, or expanding.

Display allows users to change from Light mode to Dark mode, change screen brightness, add a yellow filter, and a second way to find Font size and style, as well as Screen Zoom.

Night Shift (Apple) and Eye comfort shield (Android) both add a yellow tint to the screen to help ease eye strain. This is also important at night to help with sleep hygiene.

Select to Speak (Android) allows users to tap a specific accessible item on the screen to have it read aloud.

Users can drag their finger around the screen to select multiple items or tap the play button to hear everything on the screen.

Spoken Content (Apple) can be broken down into two types of features that read out text on the screen.

The Speak Selection button will appear as an option when text is highlighted.

Speak Screen will read the text or content of the whole screen from the top down if it is accessible.

Do you experience barriers related to hearing difficulties?

Left/right sound balance allows users to change sound output from stereo (split directional sound out of both speakers) to mono (same sound out of both speakers).

Live Transcribe (Android) allows users to record a conversation and have it transcribed in real time.

Conversations are not saved for privacy reasons.

Dimitri: Live Transcribe

Sound Amplifier allows users to use headphones to amplify specific sound frequencies without amplifying unnecessary frequencies.

If you use headphones during a phone call on your Android phone, the Adapt sound feature may be able to help boost certain frequencies and make phone calls easier to hear.

Sound notifications (Android) and Sound Recognition (Apple) listens to a users environment and alerts them about important sounds.

Both features can detect sounds such as smoke alarms beeping, sirens, babies crying, dog barking, doorbell ringing, knocking, water running, appliances beeping, etc.

Recordings are never saved or passed on to Google or Apple

Apple Sound Recognition iOS 16

Do you experience barriers related to physical or motor function?

Interaction and dexterity (Android) contains many settings to assist with how users physically interact with their device.

Some features include Touch and hold delay, tap duration, and ignore repeated touches.

Touch (Apple) has very similar settings and includes a feature called Reachability that helps users with limited physical movement access the whole screen easier.

Apple's basic touch features

Switch Access (Google) allows users to navigate their device using either the device screen itself, the camera, or an external, physical switch.

Some Android devices (Samsung, OnePlus, HTC, Huawei, etc.) may have different built-in switch settings such as Universal switch on Samsung.

Switch Access (Google) can be found in Accessibility Installed services and allows for advanced and customizable switch access such as using the camera to detect facial gestures.

Both Apple and Android have new switch controls that let users use the camera to control switches through facial expressions and verbal sounds.

Voice Access and Voice Control allow users to control their device hands-free by using specific voice commands.

There is a setting that keeps Voice Access active during calls. This means you can hang up calls by voice through a specific command.

Apple has finally implemented the "hang up" command in the latest update iOS 16! This can also be used through either Voice Control or Siri if you have it activated. On some Apple phones, it does require Siri-compatible headsets to work.

Do you experience barriers related to cognition and memory?

Interaction control helps users remain focused on one app by blocking the Back, Home, and Recents buttons as well as blocking notifications.

This feature can also block the side buttons of the device.

Guided Access restricts the user to using only one specified app at a time.

Other controls include Passcode Settings, Time Limits, Accessibility Shortcuts, and Display Auto-Lock.

Screen Time monitors device usage and helps to limit access to apps, shows the time spent on the device and apps, and helps block inappropriate content. This is a standard feature and not an Accessibility Feature.

Action Blocks allows users to perform multi-step actions with a single button.

Some actions may include making phone calls, playing music, opening frequently accessed links, or connecting with home automation.

There are also lots of tips and tricks using things like Google Calendar or Apple Calendar, Notes, and setting regular alarms and alerts. These basic features can help you remember appointments, medications, or other important items by sending you a notification or alert before they happen.

Do you prefer operating your device through an AI personal assistant?

Google Assistant is a personal assistant that allows users to set reminders, make calls, send text messages, search the internet, etc. by voice.

Google Assistant does not allow users to completely control their device hands-free. It has similar actions to Siri on Apple devices.

If users are looking to control their device completely hands-free, Voice Access which was discussed previously is the feature to use.

Siri is a limited personal assistant that can assist users through voice input such as searching, sending messages, answering basic questions based on web results, making phone calls, and setting alarms or reminders.

Do you have fears about falling and not being able to contact anyone?

Both the Samsung Galaxy Watch and the Apple Watch have fall detection features. While not perfect, having a device that can detect hard falls (soft or slow falls may not be detected) and also make calls, allows for a little more reassurance when thinking about personal safety.

Tech for Good

Tech for Good specializes in training and assistive technology for smartphones and tablets (ie, iPhone, Android phones, iPad, Amazon Fire, Kindle, Galaxy Tab).

Training and support varies greatly and is customized to each client's individual needs to help them optimize the use of their mobile or tablet device.

Tech for Good does not provide free smartphones or tablets; however, program participants may be eligible to be considered for financial assistance to help cover the cost of an additional assistive technology required to optimize the use of their pre-existing device. This is determined on a case-by-case basis based on the client's goals.

Contact Us

If you would like to know more information or have a training session to customize your own device, you can apply by going to the TELUS website and looking for their Tech for Good application.

Please go to: https://www.telus.com/en/social-impact/connecting-canada/people-with-disabilities/application?INTCMP=tcom_social-impact_tech-for-good_cta_to_people-with-disabilities-application

Any Questions?

Thank you for learning with us!