Keep your notes secure with password-protection

You can secure the notes that contain your most personal data—such as financial details, medical info, or website logins—with a password or fingerprint.

The Notes app lets you lock any note that you want to keep private from anyone else that might use your device. Notes uses a single password for all of the notes that you want to protect, on all of your devices. And if you have an iPhone or iPad with Touch ID, you can use your fingerprint to open your locked notes.

Before you begin

• Update your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to iOS 9.3 or later, and your Mac to OS X 10.11.4 or later.
• Make sure that you upgrade your notes.

Set up your notes password

Before you can lock your notes, create a password that you can easily remember. If you're concerned about forgetting your password, make sure that you give yourself a password hint and that you set up Touch ID. If you forget your password, Apple can't help you reset it.

If you access your iCloud notes on more than one Apple device, you'll use the same notes password to lock and unlock all of them.

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch

You can create a password in your device Settings or directly in the Notes app. Then you can turn on Use Touch ID on your iPhone or iPad, so that you can use your fingerprint to unlock your protected notes.

Create a password in Settings

1. Go to Settings > Notes.
2. Tap Password.
3. Enter a password, then give yourself a password hint.
4. Tap Done.

Create a password in Notes

1. Open a note that you want to lock.
2. Tap  > Lock Note.
3. Enter a password, then give yourself a password hint.
4. Tap Done.

On your Mac

You can create a password on your Mac directly in the Notes app. In the menu bar, click Notes > Set Password. Enter a password, then give yourself a password hint and click Done.

Use Notes password-protection

Whether your note has an image, sketch, map, URL, or list of important information, it's simple to keep it safe with password-protection. And when you need to access your secure notes, you can tell which ones are locked directly from the Notes list. Just look for the  next to the note. Until you enter your password or use Touch ID, you only see the title and the last date that it was edited.

You can't password-protect notes that you share with someone else. If you want to stop sharing a note, open , then tap or click Stop Sharing.

     

Lock a note

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:

1. Open the note that you want to lock.
2. Tap  .
3. Choose Lock Note.

After you lock your note, it stays open and you'll see  at the top of the screen. You can hide the note's contents when you tap .

On your Mac:

1. Open the note that you want to lock.
2. Click .
3. Choose Lock Note.

You can only lock notes on your device and notes in iCloud. You can't lock notes that have PDFs, audio, video, Keynote, Pages, Numbers documents, or notes that use IMAP to sync (like Yahoo!, Gmail, and Hotmail).

     

Open a locked note

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:

1. Tap the locked note.
2. Tap View Note.
3. Enter your password or use Touch ID.

On your Mac and iCloud.com:

1. Click the locked note.
2. Enter your password.

Your locked notes stay open for up to three minutes, making it easy for you to jump to another note, copy and paste information from other apps, and more. If you close the Notes app or your device goes to sleep, the note locks again.

     

Remove a lock

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:

1. Tap the locked note.
2. Enter your password or use Touch ID.
3. Tap .   
4. Choose Remove Lock.

On your Mac:

1. Click the locked note.
2. Enter your password.
3. Click .   
4. Choose Remove Lock.

When you remove a lock from a note, it's removed on all of the devices that you're signed in to with the same Apple ID.

Change your password

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:

1. Go to Settings > Notes > Password.
2. Tap Change Password.
3. Enter your old password, then enter a new password and password hint.

On your Mac:

1. Open Notes.
2. In the menu bar, choose Notes > Change Password.
3. Enter your old password, then enter a new password and password hint.
4. Click Change Password.

If you forgot your notes password

You can unlock a note only when you enter the password that it's locked with. If you forgot your password, Apple can't help you regain access to your locked notes.

You can reset your password, but this won’t give you access to your old notes. It will, however, let you password protect any notes that you create from that point forward with the new password. This could lead to you having multiple notes with different passwords.

If you have multiple passwords, you can't tell which password you should use when you look at your notes in the Notes list. When you open a note locked by your old password but enter your current password, you'll see an alert that you entered the wrong password with a hint for your old one. If you then enter the correct old password, you get the option to update that note's password to your current one.

Reset your notes password

When you reset your Notes password, it doesn't delete or change the password of your notes that are already locked. If you have a note that uses an old password, you can update it to the new password when you enter the old password, remove the old password, then apply your new password to the note.

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:

1. Go to Settings > Notes > Password.
2. Tap Reset Notes Password.
3. Enter your Apple ID password.
4. Tap Reset Notes Password again.
5. Enter your new password and password hint.

On your Mac:

1. Open Notes.
2. In the menu bar, click Notes > Reset Password > OK.
3. Enter your Apple ID password.
4. Click Reset Password.
5. Enter your new password and password hint.

Assistive Technology Blog: Apple's New Features For People With Disabilities

Assistive Technology Blog: Apple's New Features For People With Disabilities: 

Just yesterday, Apple announced several new features that will bring in lots of additional functionality and convenience across all products in this coming fall. However, what are some of the features that can be used by people with disabilities?

It seems like a lot of new features will enable people who have visual impairment, impaired motor skills, muscular dystrophies/atrophy, and other similar disabilities to interact with the devices just with their voice and get desired results very quickly and efficiently. Using the new features with an additional eye tracking device for those who need it can definitely enhance their experience as well.

iOS

iOS for iPhone and iPad get the most features in the upcoming release. By just talking to Siri, a user would be order a ride, send money to someone, order food, and do similar activities.

Contextual prediction is being introduced which means that iOS will predict what a person is trying to type by making suggestions in various contexts. For example, if someone is typing "I am available today at", the free time on their calendar will pop up as an option. Similarly, when typing "John's phone number is", John's phone number will be pulled from the address book and displayed as an option.

Search has been enhanced to use  artificial intelligence. iOS can detect objects in photos, and a user can now search for just the photos that were taken at the beach, for example.

Apple Pay is coming to various shopping websites so no need to type in a credit card number and other information every time a user goes to a shopping website. Purchases can now be made with just a click of a button in a secure manner.

WatchOS

In the upcoming release, apps will load much faster. A user would also be able to add minutes to a parking meter, order their food, and make other similar purchases using Apple Pay on their watch. 

The fitness aspect of the watch has included a wider audience now - wheelchair users! Wheelchair users will be able to track their physical activity through various pushing techniques for various speeds and terrains. Wheelchair specific workouts have now been included, and notifications will be sent every hour for "time to roll" when a person has been sitting and not moving for a long time, to encourage them to be active.

Pressing the side button initiates a call with local emergency services anywhere in the world. It can also be used to send a quick text to a user's emergency contacts.

Wearing an Apple Watch will also work as an authentication mechanism for a user's Mac. When a user wearing an Apple Watch approaches their Mac, the Mac senses their presence and logs them in automatically. No need to type the password for  unlocking the computer.

The new "Home" app will also let users control connected (Internet of Things) devices around the house using their phone, tablet, watch or TV. Location based automation can also be set up using the Home app - if a user is approaching the house, turn on the lights, pull up the blinds, and set the thermostat to 68 degrees.

MacOS (formerly OS X)

Siri is now coming to Mac. Siri can locate files for a user ("Show the pdfs in my Downloads folder", "Show my photos from yesterday"), add and modify events ("Add Laura to my 10 AM meeting"), search for images from the internet ("Show me images of Lake Tahoe"), play music, check weather, and do lots of other things.

These are some of the features that people with disabilities can use that will make things easier for them. We should hopefully see a full list of accessibility features from Apple in the near future.

Source: Apple

Image Sources: Appleacross all pro...

How Apple Saved My Life By James Rath

Born legally blind, the 20-year-old Rath says he was severely bullied as a child and had difficulty learning. He attempted suicide when he was 11 years old, and was diagnosed with depression at the same age.

But when he got his first MacBook Pro on his 14th birthday, he found that the computer's accessibility features allowed him to see things he otherwise wouldn't have been able to see. He could read his schoolbooks and zoom in on software that allowed him to edit video.

"My whole outlook on life changed after I got my first Mac," Rath told CNNMoney. "I stopped doubting myself."

Assistive technology is any kind of technology and/or tool that can be used to enhance the functional independence of a person with a disability.

Apple just keeps making it better for those who are blind or visually impaired. iOS 8 comes with more features to make it easier for people with low vision or no vision to get the most from their iOS devices. Following you will find misc. information about using the iDevices as assistive technology. I hope you find this guide helpful as you take this journey into the iWorld. Please note: There are new apps coming out every day. This is not a complete guide but more of a jumping off point.

Built-in Accessibility/Functions to explore:

Built-in accessibility features and the development of thousands of specialized apps have made Apple’s iPhone extremely popular among persons with disabilities. Assignable ringtones create an audible caller ID for the blind;  This section explores the IOS accessibility features, including VoiceOver and Zoom, and reviews blind or low vision-specific apps.

There are many built-in features on iDevices that accommodate those with low vision or no vision and help improve productivity. The iPhone and the iPad have some differences here so it is important that you get the tools that best fits your needs. Apple provides a section just on accessibility option worth exploring but also check out the details of many of those built-in accessibility options in the iOS Technology.

Here are the functions we will be covering.

Guided Access,VoiceOver,VoiceOver with Zoom,Zoom,VoiceOver with Maps,Text Completion,Siri,Siri’s ability to launch apps,White-on-Black,Hands Free,Alternate alerts,Custom vibration patterns for alerts

Word highlights in speak selection.

 Accessibility Options for the blind

You can find these functions in accessibility. 

VoiceOver,  

VoiceOver, the screen reader for blind and low-vision users, is now integrated with Maps, AssistiveTouch, and Zoom.VoiceOver is a revolutionary screen reader that lets you know what’s happening on your Multi-Touch screen — and helps you navigate it — even if you can’t see it. Touch the screen to hear what’s under your finger, then use gestures to control your device. VoiceOver works with the apps that come with your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. 

Learn more about VoiceOver

Siri

Siri, Apple’s intelligent assistant, helps you do the things you do every day.1 All you have to do is ask. Say something like “Tell Jay I’m running late” or “Remind me to make reservations for Saturday.” Siri can send messages, place phone calls, schedule meetings, and even turn on and off VoiceOver, Guided Access and Invert Colors. And because Siri is integrated with VoiceOver, you can ask where the nearest sushi restaurant is and hear the answer read out loud.

Speak Selection

If you have a hard time reading the text on your iOS device, use Speak Selection to read your email, iMessages, web pages, and books to you. Highlight text in any application, tap Speak, and Speak Selection reads the selected text aloud. You can adjust the voice’s dialect and speaking rate, and have words highlighted as they’re being read.

Dictation

Dictation lets you talk where you would type. Tap the microphone button on the keyboard, say what you want to write, and your iOS device converts your words (and numbers and characters) into text. So it’s easy to type an email, note, or URL — without typing at all.

Zoom

Zoom is a built-in magnifier that works wherever you are in iOS, from Mail and Safari to the Home and Lock screens. And it works with all apps from the App Store. A simpledouble-tap with three fingers instantly zooms in 200 percent, and you can adjust the magnification between 100 and 500 percent. While you’re zoomed in, you can still use all of the familiar gestures to navigate your device. And Zoom works with VoiceOver, so you can bettersee — and hear — what’s happening on your screen.

Font Adjustments

When you activate Larger Dynamic Type, the text inside Calendar, Contacts, Mail, Messages, Notes, and even some third party apps, is converted to a larger, easier-to-read size. And you can choose bold text to make the text heavier across a range of built-in applications.

Invert Colors and Grayscale

If a higher contrast helps you better see what’s on your display, iOS lets you invert the colors onscreen. Once you set your colors, the settings apply systemwide, even to video, so you get the same view no matter what you’re seeing.

Braille Displays for iOS  It’s easy to use a braille display with your iOS device. More than 40 Bluetooth wireless braille displays work right out of the box with iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. And iOS includes braille tables for multiple languages. Learn more about iOS braille displays         

Apps for Visually Impaired:

 It is always good to do a little research on an app before purchasing it. Do a search and see if you can find some reviews or talk to others to see if they have tried it. This could save you a lot of money as some apps are just not appropriate or what you might be hoping for. Watching YouTube videos of the app in action i always worth while. 

explored and found, what I feel to be, a couple of great resources for apps for the Visually Impaired:

Apps for the Blind and Visually Impaired -  highlights some of the most innovative apps available.

Gradients of Sight has provided a listing and review of each.

 Magnification and Vision Support listing by Spectronics.com is also a good guide.

spectronics.com has a listing of apps for people who have low vision, and teachers of students who have a vision impairment.

 iPhone iPad apps for the blind and visually impaired blog highlights some of the most innovative and entertaining apps available to the vision impaired.

Not assistive technology but may be worth exploring is: Apps that can aid in Visual Skills

Voice Dream Reader app  provides text-to-speech that lets you listen to any articles, blog posts, reports, papers, and books. It reads the text using the best available text-to-speech technology. You can add it to your Book share account easily. VDR allows for many color options, the Text-To-Speech can be set for wpm, and I think you will like the reading screen feature. 

ViA is a new app from Braille Institute that fills a real need for families with children with visual impairments... it helps you find apps that are accessible and appropriate for blind users! 

Please note that many of the apps in this section would not be considered LV but more instructional.

App Writer US  is an app which is a text editor for the iPad with word prediction, text-to-speech, OCR, and a special font for people who are Dyslexic.

PaperPort allows you to import pictures, documents, items from dropbox, etc. and then either type, write or use speech recognition into text boxes. A digital note taking tool, allowing the user to combine documents, web content, audio, typed text, and handwritten notes into a single document that can be shared.

SoundNote is an iPad alternative to smart pens like LiveScribe, but without the need to purchase a special pen. (It is specific to the iPad and is not available on the iPhone.) It allows you to record audio while you hand write notes with your finger, stylus, or keyboard to take notes during classes, conferences, meetings, etc. When you are finished, simply go to the section of your notes that you want to review and you are immediately taken to that section of the audio as well. 

Voice Dream Reader app  provides text-to-speech that lets you listen to any articles, blog posts, reports, papers, and books. It reads the text using the best available text-to-speech technology. 

Reading Supports to research:

There's a lot reading supports available from resources such as-

iBooks (come with iDevices)

Audible.com

Book share

iBooks for Textbooks (This will be big!)

Learning Ally

Talking Books from the National Library Service

Apps that offer highlighting while speaking the text:  Speak It. A great reading app called Voice Dream Reader can be used with Pocket (or Instapaper). With a webpage, save it to pocket then open Voice Dream Reader which imports all webpages saved in Pocket. Voice Dream Reader ighlights the line which is being read aloud. VVoice Dream Reader uses Acapela voices.

Voice Dream Readerapp  provides text-to-speech that lets you listen to any articles, blog posts, reports, papers, and books. It reads the text using the best available text-to-speech technology. 

Apps for Organization and Productivity:

This is a huge category and there are many, many apps to provide support in these areas. This is one of the main supports I (and many others) use my iPad and iPhone for. I often wonder how I ever stayed organized before my iDevices became part of my life. 

The built in calendar with reminders is probably the most important tool you can use. You can set it to remind you of your appointments in various time increments. It will beep, give you a visual cue...remind you more than once!! It is crucial to use this wonderful tool if you are someone who has any type of life with things you need to remember!

Evernote is perfect for taking quick voice, text, and image notes to use later. The app can also sync with Evernote’s desktop and web versions. Evernote gives whole new meaning to the word “synchronized.” This software uses technology to help organize various types of information from several different sources into one, central, web-based location. The product also allows you to clip web pages and archive them for later reference, store screen shots, photos and text notes, all within a customizable storage system. Evernote will organize things for you by the date a note or other document was created.It is a must have.

Note taking Apps: 

(That sync audio and notes at the individual note level- clicking within text or a drawing, jumps to that place in recording so that the listener does not need to listen to the whole recording playback.) 

Audi olio

AudioNote

Audiotorium Notes

Notability

NoteBook for iPad

PaperDesk

PaperPortNotes

SoundNote

Here is more links.were you can find more apps and videos for the  blind and visually impaired.

My blog iPhone iPad apps for the blind and visually impaired gets updated once or twice a week. If you'd like to get updates please use the follow by e-mail feature. Or use the contact form provided and let me know if you would like to receive updates. http://iphoneandipadappsfortheblind.blogspot.com/search/label/iPad

My Pinterest pin board changes weekly so keep your eye out for more pens.https://www.pinterest.com/chelseaastark/iphone-and-ipad-apps-for-blind-and-visually-impair

Also check out The History of Apple i Phone's blog.

http://thehistoryofappleiphones.blogspot.com/

You can also join the Facebook group titled iPhone iPad Apps for the Blind VisuallyImpaired it is a fun Group to ask questions and learn new things. We are always happy to add new members.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/iPhoneiPadAppsfortheBlindVisuallyImpaired/

Navigating your iOS Device

Navigation Basics

Now that you’ve taken your first step into the iOS world with multitouch gestures, it’s time to learn how to navigate your device. We’ll go over where your apps are stored, how to organize them, search for them, and delete them.

The Home screen: When you first turn on your device, you’re brought to the Home screen. Here, you’ll see an assortment of icons grouped into rows, and several more icons grouped in the silver Dock along the bottom of the screen. The Home screen is where your apps live, and where you can launch them. Because only 16 apps will fit on one Home screen (20 on the iPad), you can have multiple app pages or screens for organizing your apps (up to 11). Above the Dock, you’ll see a series of dots, with one highlighted in white; these dots signify the number of app pages you have. Swipe left or right to go from page to page.

The Dock: The silver translucent bar along the bottom of your Home screen is called the Dock. If you’ve tried swiping between app pages, you’ll notice the icons in the Dock don’t change. That’s because the Dock is for apps you most frequently use; instead of having to swipe from page to page to find an app, you can drop it directly into the Dock for easy access. You can store up to four apps in the Dock.

Search in Spotlight: You can search for every email message, webpage, and app on your device, or search through Google or Wikipedia, by swiping right on your Home screen until you reach Spotlight. (If you're on the first Home screen page, pressing your Home button also summons the Spotlight screen.) To search, just type your query in the text box at the top.

Open and close an app: Want to launch an app? To open it, all you have to do is tap its icon. Once it’s open, you can return to the Home screen at any time by pressing the Home button.

Tap and hold on an app icon to enter edit mode, where you can rearrange apps, add them to folders, and delete third-party programs from your device.

Rearrange and delete apps: To rearrange the order of your icons, tap and hold any icon on the Home screen. After a few seconds, all your app icons, including the one you’re holding, will start to wiggle, and a small black X will pop up in each icon’s top left corner. Once they do this, you can rearrange any apps on the Home screen, or even drag them into or out of the Dock. If you’ve installed a third-party app you don’t want anymore, you can tap the X to delete it (you cannot delete the apps that came preinstalled on your device). When you’re finished, press the Home button, and your icons will stop wiggling and stay in their new location. You can also rearrange your icons and Home screen pages through iTunes when you connect your device to your computer.

Note that you’re not able to delete the built-in apps that come with your iOS device. These include Camera, Photos, YouTube, Clock, Weather, and the all-new Newsstand folder, among others. You’ll be able to tell which apps you can’t delete—they don’t sport the black X. You are able to move around these built-in apps to your liking, however.

Use folders: Having a bunch of apps scattered on your Home screen is OK if you don’t have too many, but when you start amassing a collection, you can use app folders. A folder is a group of apps, represented by a single icon, on your Home screen. Each folder sports miniature icons representing the apps inside, along with an overall name. When you tap a folder, the Dock fades and slides down, making room for a view of the folder’s contents. Within, you’ll find the name and icon for each app. Tap any app to launch it, or tap anywhere outside the folder to return to the Home screen.

Drag an app icon on top of another app icon to create a folder.

To create a folder, start by tapping and holding any app icon to enter edit mode; after the icons begin to wiggle, drag an app on top of another app. When you release the app, you’ll create a folder, which will open and display both apps. By default the folder is named based on the App Store category for one of the first two apps in the folder. If you want to customize this name, just tap inside the field (while still in edit mode) and enter something new. When you’re done, press the Home button to exit edit mode.

To add another app to the folder, reenter edit mode and drag the desired app onto the folder icon. Repeat until you’ve added all the apps you want (up to 12 per folder on the iPhone or iPod touch; 20 on the iPad), and then press the Home button to exit edit mode.

To edit the folder itself, its name, contents, or the layout of the apps inside, you can either enter edit mode and then tap the folder, or, while the folder is open, tap and hold any icon inside. You can then tap the folder’s name to change it, drag apps within the folder to rearrange them, drag an app out of the folder to return it to the Home screen, or tap an app’s Delete button to completely delete it from your device. Unlike apps, folders don’t have a Delete button; to delete a folder, you must remove all the apps from it.

You can rearrange your apps, add folders, and remove programs through iTunes.

Manage folders from iTunes: iTunes has long allowed users to manage installed apps when syncing, and you can edit your folders too, using your mouse and keyboard. When your device is connected to your computer, the Apps tab in iTunes lets you choose which apps to sync, as well as decide how to organize these apps. Drag an app onto another app and, after a slight delay, a folder is created—just as if you’d performed the same action on your device. You get the same editable folder name, and you can rearrange icons within the folder. Since you’re using a computer, you don’t need to click and hold to enter the jiggling-icon edit mode; you can click and drag anytime. Similarly, to edit an existing folder, just double-click it.

Multitask on your iOS device

Opening and closing an app is easy: Tap the app to open it, and then press the Home button to close it. But when you exit, you’re not actually shutting down the app: You’re freezing it in place, or sending it to run in the background. This means you can have multiple active apps running at any one time, and you can even switch between active apps without returning to the Home screen.

Double press the Home button to pull up your device's multitasking bar.

Frozen apps versus background apps: Sometimes you need an app to keep doing something when it’s not in the foreground. For that reason, Apple allows apps to perform tasks in the background using several tools. One of these tools is the push-notification system; another allows music apps to keep playing while the user switches to another app; yet another allows tasks, such as photo uploads, to continue running in the background even if you switch out of the program performing the upload. If your third-party app doesn’t incorporate one of these background features, it will “freeze”, which is to say it will remember whatever you were just doing when you re-open it, but will not process any data in the background.

The multitasking bar: You can quickly switch between apps by bringing up the multitasking bar. To do so, quickly double-press the Home button; a bar below the Dock will rise up from the bottom of the screen, showing off the apps most recently run. To switch to a different app, tap its icon.

Multitasking shortcuts: In addition to holding a list of your most recently used apps, the multitasking bar has a couple of other neat shortcuts for your device. 

If you swipe up from the bottom with one finger, you’ll bring up a secondary set of controls. On the iPhone or iPad, you can control the music currently playing on your device,  (it defaults to the Music app, but you can also control music from third-party apps). 

device's brightness, slider for controlling volume.  Airplane mode, wi-Fi, bluetooth, do not disturb, AirDrop, flashlight, Calculator, camera, lock.

Apple IOS Excess ability for the disabled.

Apple just keeps making it better for those with special needs. iOS7 and IOS8 comes with more features to make it easier for people with vision, hearing, learning, and mobility disabilities to get the most from their iOS devices.


Assistive technology is any kind of technology and/or tool that can be used to enhance the functional independence of a person with a disability. Often, for people with disabilities, accomplishing daily tasks such as communicating with others, going to school or work, or participating in activities can be a challenge. Assistive Technology devices are tools to help overcome those challenges and enable people living with disabilities to enhance and have access to a quality of life, that may otherwise not be known, and lead more independent lives.



Apps and Specific Accesshibility Options

APPS

Special Education has its own app category in the iTunes store. If you go to the App Store, go to Education and you will see a category for Special Education Apps, which is then broken down into categories. It is always good to do a little research on an app before purchasing it. Do a search and see if you can find some reviews or talk to others to see if they have tried it. This could save you a lot of money as some apps are just not appropriate or what you might be hoping for. Watching YouTube videos of the app in action i always worth while.

 Options

Guided Access helps students with disabilities such as autism remain on task and focused on content. It allows a parent, teacher, or administrator to limit an iOS device to one app by disabling the Home button, as well as restrict touch input on certain areas of the screen.

VoiceOver, the screen reader for blind and low-vision users, is now integrated with Maps, AssistiveTouch, and Zoom. And Apple is working with top manufacturers to introduce Made for iPhone hearing aids that will deliver a power-efficient, high-quality digital audio experience. (For more on iOS7 and iOS 8 and accessibility.) In iOS 7 and iOS 8 you can also set it up so that it speaks selection - text is read back as it is highlighted. You can find the setting in accessibility.

The Following you will find misc. information about using the iDevices as assistive technology. I hope you find this guide helpful as you take this journey into the iWorld. Please note: There are new apps coming out every day. This is not a complete guide but more of a jumping off point.

Apps for Visually Impaired:
iDevices are becoming increasingly accessible to blind and visually impaired users through screen-access technology (VoiceOver) and a magnification program (Zoom) built into the iOS operating system and a growing number of accessible apps. I explored and found, what I feel to be, a couple of great resources for apps for the Visually Impaired:
Apps for the Blind and Visually Impaired -  highlights some of the most innovative apps available.
Gradients of Sight has provided a listing and review of each.
Indiana AT Act has a nice listing of low vision apps.
Join Me provides a a quick, easy way for instant screen sharing allowing a student the ability to see what is on the whiteboard by manipulating and enlarging the screen as needed on their iPad. (For more information, see iPads and Visually Impaired Students.)
Magnification and Vision Support listing by Spectronics is also a good guide.
Optomatry Students has a listing of their top 8.
Spectronics has  a listing of apps for people who have low vision, and teachers of students who have a vision impairment.
Eric Jerman has provided a nice document to support students with visual impairments.
Apps for the Visually Impaired highlights some of the most innovative and entertaining apps available to the vision impaired.
Not assistive technology but may be worth exploring is: Apps that can aid in Visual Skills
Voice Dream Reader app  provides text-to-speech that lets you listen to any articles, blog posts, reports, papers, and books. It reads the text using the best available text-to-speech technology. You can add it to your Bookshare account easily. VDR allows for many color options, the Text-To-Speech can be set for wpm, and I think you will like the reading screen feature.

For more apps for Visually Impaired check out: appadvice.com/applists/show/apps-for-the-visually-impaired

ViA is a new app from Braille Institute that fills a real need for families with children with visual impairments... it helps you find apps that are accessible and appropriate for blind users!

Apps for Deaf and Hard of Hearing:
To better facilitate communication and make it possible to place and receive audio and/or video calls, the iPhone has provided extra support. Many apps are available for signing programs. There are not a lot of listings for apps specifically for this population other than the signing programs. Here are the few that I felt were worth mentioning:
Accessibility Features for DHH users
ATLA - concentrating mostly on iPhones but many of the apps mentioned can also be used on the iPad.
iHelp for Special Needs has provided a listing of their top recommended sign language apps.
IP-Relay: - enables people with hearing challenges to use an iPhone to quickly and easily call people who are hearing. Like an instant message, you type your side conversation. A certified operator receives it and voices everything you type to the hearing person. When the hearing person responds, the operator types their words. You watch the entire conversation live, right on your iPhone.
Sign Language - There are literally dozens and dozens of Sign Language Translators, Dictionaries and Tutorials for learning to Sign.Explore the various ones to choose the one that best suits your needs and learning style. I like iSign.
SpeakIt - Text to Speech - with this app the user can type their message and then have the app speak it for them. Great possibilities with those who struggle with speech.
TapTap - is designed specifically to help bridge the gap to the audio world. Loud noises trigger TapTap to notify you with vibration and a flashing screen. Alone at night in your quiet home? Turn TapTap's sensitivity all the way up and it will respond to the slightest sounds.

For more, visit Apps for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Apps to Support Literacy:
(Please note that many of the apps in this section would not be considered AT but more instructional.) The availability and range of Apps for the iDevices that support the literacy needs of people who struggle with reading and writing is growing. When it comes to literacy, the use of these supports allow for the implementation of differentiated learning materials and instructional practices into a learning environment, ensuring that all learners are able to access the same content within a truly inclusive environment.
Apps for Reading Support - is provided by Spectronics.
The Family Center on Technology and Disability has a listing of Apps for Literacy Support.
Pacer has a PDF listing covering 5 areas of literacy: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency and Comprehension.
Spectronics listing of Apps for Literacy Support is a wonderful listing that is always being updated. With this guide, no other is really needed.
App Writer US  is an app which is a text editor for the iPad with word prediction, text-to-speech, OCR, and a special font for people who are Dyslexic.
PaperPort allows you to import pictures, documents, items from dropbox, etc. and then either type, write or use speech recognition into text boxes. A digital note taking tool, allowing the user to combine documents, web content, audio, typed text, and handwritten notes into a single document that can be shared.
SoundNote is an iPad alternative to smart pens like LiveScribe, but without the need to purchase a special pen. (It is specific to the iPad and is not available on the iPhone.) It allows you to record audio while you hand write notes with your finger, stylus, or keyboard to take notes during classes, conferences, meetings, etc. When you are finished, simply go to the section of your notes that you want to review and you are immediately taken to that section of the audio as well.
Voice Dream Reader app  provides text-to-speech that lets you listen to any articles, blog posts, reports, papers, and books. It reads the text using the best available text-to-speech technology.

Reading Supports to research:
There's a lot reading supports available from resources such as-
iBooks (come with iDevices)
Audible.com
Bookshare
iBooks for Textbooks (This will be BIG!)
Learning Ally
Talking Books from the National Library Service
Apps that offer highlighting while speaking the text:  Speak It and Claro Speak
A great reading app called VoiceDream Reader can be used with Pocket (or Instapaper). With a webpage, save it to pocket then open Voice Dream Reader which imports all webpages saved in Pocket. Voice Dream Reader highlights the line which is being read aloud. Voice Dream Reader uses Acapela voices.
Voice Dream Reader app  provides text-to-speech that lets you listen to any articles, blog posts, reports, papers, and books. It reads the text using the best available text-to-speech technology.

Apps for Organization and Productivity:
This is a huge category and there are many, many apps to provide support in these areas. This is one of the main supports I (and many others) use my iPad and iPhone for. I often wonder how I ever stayed organized before my iDevices became part of my life.
The built in calendar with reminders is probably the most important tool you can use. You can set it to remind you of your appointments in various time increments. It will beep, give you a visual cue...remind you more than once!! It is crucial to use this wonderful tool if you are someone who has any type of life with things you need to remember!
Evernote is perfect for taking quick voice, text, and image notes to use later. The app can also sync with Evernote’s desktop and web versions. Evernote gives whole new meaning to the word “synchronized.” This software uses technology to help organize various types of information from several different sources into one, central, web-based location. The product also allows you to clip web pages and archive them for later reference, store screen shots, photos and text notes, all within a customizable storage system. Evernote will organize things for you by the date a note or other document was created. A must have! (Be sure to download this comprehensive guide on using Evernote.)
Remember the Milk  – users can download for full-featured task management on the go. Bonus features include the ability to swipe to complete tasks quickly, and sort task by priority, due date, or task name.
Time Timer - this is a popular tool used with kids in special education classes but I have had friends who are easily distracted use this too. Time Timer delivers an innovative and practical way to address the universal question of, “How much longer?” It's disappearing red-disk allows individuals to actually see time, making the passage of time obvious and tangible. Simply set the Time Timer to the length of your activity. And as time elapses, the red-disk gradually gets smaller.

Remember, apps change daily. This is my list for today.

Notetaking Apps:
(That sync audio and notes at the individual note level- clicking within text or a drawing, jumps to that place in recording so that the listener does not need to listen to the whole recording playback.)
Audiolio
AudioNote
Audiotorium Notes
Notability
NoteBook for iPad
PaperDesk
PaperPortNotes
SoundNote

Remember, apps change daily. This is my list for today.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Supports:
Because of the war and all of the veterans who have come back with brain injury, there has become quite a focus in this area. Here are a few to explore-
Brainline.Org has a listing of 27 Life Changing Apps for People with Brain Injury.
No Limits to Learning blog has a section that focuses just on TBI supports.
Apps for organization, reminders, reading supports... whatever the specific needs are should be explored with that focus. TBI affects people differently so try exploring the problem, not the label.

For more, visit: Indiana's AT Act.

Apps that can be Accessed through the use of a Switch:
A list of Switch Accessible Apps compiled by Jane Farrall with Alex Dunn  from Inclusioneersavailable through this link...

Accesshibility Options

Built-in Accessibility/Functions to explore:
Built-in accessibility features and the development of thousands of specialized apps have made Apple’s iPhone extremely popular among persons with disabilities. Assignable ringtones create an audible caller ID for the blind; TTY and closed caption support benefit deaf and hard of hearing users; voice dialing and a hands-free speakerphone aid the mobility impaired. This section explores the iPhone’s accessibility features, including VoiceOver and Zoom, and reviews disability-specific apps.

There are many built-in features on iDevices that accommodate learning disabilities and help improve productivity. The iPhone and the iPad have some differences here so it is important that you get the tools that best fits your needs. Apple provides a section just on accessibility option worth exploring but also check out the details of many of those built-in accessibility options in the iOS Technology.
Just to name a few:
Guided Access
VoiceOver
VoiceOver with Zoom
Zoom
VoiceOver with Maps
Text Completion
Siri
Siri’s ability to launch apps
White-on-Black
Hands Free
Alternate alerts
Custom vibration patterns for alerts
FaceTime over 3G (for signing)
New Made for iPhone hearing aids
Word highlights in speak selection


Are you considering a tablet for your students to use. Jim Nuttall provided this great food for thought - Just a little comparison to consider:



"The Following you will find misc. information about using the iDevices as assistive technology. I hope you find this guide helpful as you take this journey into the iWorld. Please note: There are new apps coming out every day. This is not a complete guide but more of a jumping off point."


Apps for Visually Impaired:
iDevices are becoming increasingly accessible to blind and visually impaired users through screen-access technology (VoiceOver) and a magnification program (Zoom) built into the iOS operating system and a growing number of accessible apps. I explored and found, what I feel to be, a couple of great resources for apps for the Visually Impaired:
Apps for the Blind and Visually Impaired -  highlights some of the most innovative apps available.
Gradients of Sight has provided a listing and review of each.
Indiana AT Act has a nice listing of low vision apps.
Join Me provides a a quick, easy way for instant screen sharing allowing a student the ability to see what is on the whiteboard by manipulating and enlarging the screen as needed on their iPad. (For more information, see iPads and Visually Impaired Students.)
Magnification and Vision Support listing by Spectronics is also a good guide.
Optomatry Students has a listing of their top 8.
Spectronics has  a listing of apps for people who have low vision, and teachers of students who have a vision impairment.
Eric Jerman has provided a nice document to support students with visual impairments.
Apps for the Visually Impaired highlights some of the most innovative and entertaining apps available to the vision impaired.
Not assistive technology but may be worth exploring is: Apps that can aid in Visual Skills
Voice Dream Reader app  provides text-to-speech that lets you listen to any articles, blog posts, reports, papers, and books. It reads the text using the best available text-to-speech technology. You can add it to your Bookshare account easily. VDR allows for many color options, the Text-To-Speech can be set for wpm, and I think you will like the reading screen feature.

For more apps for Visually Impaired check out: appadvice.com/applists/show/apps-for-the-visually-impaired

ViA is a new app from Braille Institute that fills a real need for families with children with visual impairments... it helps you find apps that are accessible and appropriate for blind users!

Apps for Deaf and Hard of Hearing:
To better facilitate communication and make it possible to place and receive audio and/or video calls, the iPhone has provided extra support. Many apps are available for signing programs. There are not a lot of listings for apps specifically for this population other than the signing programs. Here are the few that I felt were worth mentioning:
Accessibility Features for DHH users
ATLA - concentrating mostly on iPhones but many of the apps mentioned can also be used on the iPad.
iHelp for Special Needs has provided a listing of their top recommended sign language apps.
IP-Relay: - enables people with hearing challenges to use an iPhone to quickly and easily call people who are hearing. Like an instant message, you type your side conversation. A certified operator receives it and voices everything you type to the hearing person. When the hearing person responds, the operator types their words. You watch the entire conversation live, right on your iPhone.
Sign Language - There are literally dozens and dozens of Sign Language Translators, Dictionaries and Tutorials for learning to Sign.Explore the various ones to choose the one that best suits your needs and learning style. I like iSign.
SpeakIt - Text to Speech - with this app the user can type their message and then have the app speak it for them. Great possibilities with those who struggle with speech.
TapTap - is designed specifically to help bridge the gap to the audio world. Loud noises trigger TapTap to notify you with vibration and a flashing screen. Alone at night in your quiet home? Turn TapTap's sensitivity all the way up and it will respond to the slightest sounds.

For more, visit Apps for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing.

Apps to Support Literacy:
(Please note that many of the apps in this section would not be considered AT but more instructional.) The availability and range of Apps for the iDevices that support the literacy needs of people who struggle with reading and writing is growing. When it comes to literacy, the use of these supports allow for the implementation of differentiated learning materials and instructional practices into a learning environment, ensuring that all learners are able to access the same content within a truly inclusive environment.
Apps for Reading Support - is provided by Spectronics.
The Family Center on Technology and Disability has a listing of Apps for Literacy Support.
Pacer has a PDF listing covering 5 areas of literacy: Phonemic Awareness, Phonics, Vocabulary, Fluency and Comprehension.
Spectronics listing of Apps for Literacy Support is a wonderful listing that is always being updated. With this guide, no other is really needed.
App Writer US  is an app which is a text editor for the iPad with word prediction, text-to-speech, OCR, and a special font for people who are Dyslexic.
PaperPort allows you to import pictures, documents, items from dropbox, etc. and then either type, write or use speech recognition into text boxes. A digital note taking tool, allowing the user to combine documents, web content, audio, typed text, and handwritten notes into a single document that can be shared.
SoundNote is an iPad alternative to smart pens like LiveScribe, but without the need to purchase a special pen. (It is specific to the iPad and is not available on the iPhone.) It allows you to record audio while you hand write notes with your finger, stylus, or keyboard to take notes during classes, conferences, meetings, etc. When you are finished, simply go to the section of your notes that you want to review and you are immediately taken to that section of the audio as well.
Voice Dream Reader app  provides text-to-speech that lets you listen to any articles, blog posts, reports, papers, and books. It reads the text using the best available text-to-speech technology.

Reading Supports to research:
There's a lot reading supports available from resources such as-
iBooks (come with iDevices)
Audible.com
Bookshare
iBooks for Textbooks (This will be BIG!)
Learning Ally
Talking Books from the National Library Service
Apps that offer highlighting while speaking the text:  Speak It and Claro Speak
A great reading app called VoiceDream Reader can be used with Pocket (or Instapaper). With a webpage, save it to pocket then open Voice Dream Reader which imports all webpages saved in Pocket. Voice Dream Reader highlights the line which is being read aloud. Voice Dream Reader uses Acapela voices.
Voice Dream Reader app  provides text-to-speech that lets you listen to any articles, blog posts, reports, papers, and books. It reads the text using the best available text-to-speech technology.

Apps for Organization and Productivity:
This is a huge category and there are many, many apps to provide support in these areas. This is one of the main supports I (and many others) use my iPad and iPhone for. I often wonder how I ever stayed organized before my iDevices became part of my life.
The built in calendar with reminders is probably the most important tool you can use. You can set it to remind you of your appointments in various time increments. It will beep, give you a visual cue...remind you more than once!! It is crucial to use this wonderful tool if you are someone who has any type of life with things you need to remember!
Evernote is perfect for taking quick voice, text, and image notes to use later. The app can also sync with Evernote’s desktop and web versions. Evernote gives whole new meaning to the word “synchronized.” This software uses technology to help organize various types of information from several different sources into one, central, web-based location. The product also allows you to clip web pages and archive them for later reference, store screen shots, photos and text notes, all within a customizable storage system. Evernote will organize things for you by the date a note or other document was created. A must have! (Be sure to download this comprehensive guide on using Evernote.)
Remember the Milk  – users can download for full-featured task management on the go. Bonus features include the ability to swipe to complete tasks quickly, and sort task by priority, due date, or task name.
Time Timer - this is a popular tool used with kids in special education classes but I have had friends who are easily distracted use this too. Time Timer delivers an innovative and practical way to address the universal question of, “How much longer?” It's disappearing red-disk allows individuals to actually see time, making the passage of time obvious and tangible. Simply set the Time Timer to the length of your activity. And as time elapses, the red-disk gradually gets smaller.

Remember, apps change daily. This is my list for today.

Notetaking Apps:
(That sync audio and notes at the individual note level- clicking within text or a drawing, jumps to that place in recording so that the listener does not need to listen to the whole recording playback.)
Audiolio
AudioNote
Audiotorium Notes
Notability
NoteBook for iPad
PaperDesk
PaperPortNotes
SoundNote

Remember, apps change daily. This is my list for today.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Supports:
Because of the war and all of the veterans who have come back with brain injury, there has become quite a focus in this area. Here are a few to explore-
Brainline.Org has a listing of 27 Life Changing Apps for People with Brain Injury.
No Limits to Learning blog has a section that focuses just on TBI supports.
Apps for organization, reminders, reading supports... whatever the specific needs are should be explored with that focus. TBI affects people differently so try exploring the problem, not the label.

For more, visit: Indiana's AT Act.

Apps that can be Accessed through the use of a Switch:
A list of Switch Accessible Apps compiled by Jane Farrall with Alex Dunn  from Inclusioneersavailable through this link...

Built-in Accessibility/Functions to explore:
Built-in accessibility features and the development of thousands of specialized apps have made Apple’s iPhone extremely popular among persons with disabilities. Assignable ringtones create an audible caller ID for the blind; TTY and closed caption support benefit deaf and hard of hearing users; voice dialing and a hands-free speakerphone aid the mobility impaired. This section explores the iPhone’s accessibility features, including VoiceOver and Zoom, and reviews disability-specific apps.

There are many built-in features on iDevices that accommodate learning disabilities and help improve productivity. The iPhone and the iPad have some differences here so it is important that you get the tools that best fits your needs. Apple provides a section just on accessibility option worth exploring but also check out the details of many of those built-in accessibility options in the iOS Technology.
Just to name a few:
Guided Access
VoiceOver
VoiceOver with Zoom
Zoom
VoiceOver with Maps
Text Completion
Siri
Siri’s ability to launch apps
White-on-Black
Hands Free
Alternate alerts
Custom vibration patterns for alerts
FaceTime over 3G (for signing)
New Made for iPhone hearing aids
Word highlights in speak selection


Are you considering a tablet for your students to use. Jim Nuttall provided this great food for thought - Just a little comparison to consider:

iPad vs. Nexus 7 Android Tablet.

This comparison and differences is not hardware but operating systems, Apple iOS vs. Android Jelly Bean.

Much of the difference is in the ability to have things read aloud to students.
Remember most Special Education students have difficulty with reading and reading aloud to them levels the playing field.
Screen Reader— VoiceOver on iPad is much more comprehensive than an Android Talks.
VoiceOver will read webpages while Android Talks will not.
VoiceOver will read books to students. Books can be purchased from iBooks, Amazon.com, or Google Play Store. On iPad over 4 million books can be read aloud. None of these books can be read aloud on Android. The exception for Android is that it can read public domain books, that's all.
VoiceOver can read email. Talks cannot.
Bookshare: Both devices can read Bookshare books. Apple iOS uses Read2Go app Android uses Go Read app. The Read2Go app offers a better control over speech rate and color of text and background.
The one place where Android shines is in the Swype Keyboard. It has word prediction. This means word prediction in any text field. Apple iOS does not have word prediction. One must buy specific apps on iOS like Co:Writter to get word prediction.
Pinch and Zoom is much better on iOS than Android. When pinch and zoom does not work iOS offer a Zoom feature that magnifies the whole screen. Android offers the Zoom feature but it only magnifies part of the screen and is less effective.
Apple iOS now has switch control build in. Android requires purchase of additional hardware for switch control e.g. Tecla Shield.
Apple iOS has Braille keyboard support. Android does not.
There are a number of apps that are the same for iOS and Android. However, over all, the apps work much better on iOS than Android. Need an App? Ever wondered if there's an app for that? Use Quixey to search for apps for Android systems by describing what you want to do.

Developing Access Skills
Just a few Apps to mention when learning to access an iDevice (Again, this is my list for today. As you know, new apps arrive daily.):
Angry Birds - works on sliding finger, controlling movement.
BubbleFree (also known as Bubble Wrap) - for working on finger isolation and a pointer finger.
Drawing programs (just a few listed here) are great for learning to point, isolate a finger, drag, etc.
Fish Fingers! 3D Interactive Aquarium - Touch the screen and watch the sharks hunt for your finger.
Oceanhouse media books - also works on sliding finger to turn page and scrolling.
Paper Toss and Skeeball - helps to develop the scroll movement.
Photos - works on sliding finger to change pictures (scroll) "Tap, pinch, and flick through your photos."
Pictello by AssistiveWare is an application for developing a viewing visual stories. Once a story has been developed, what a great way to learn some basic skills while turning pages. (Better yet, Picle is free and everyone can access it without an iDevice!! It works well for putting images and audio together to create digital stories or multimedia projects. It’s hard to imagine an app that’s easier to use.)
Shake it, Slide it, Tap it is a game that includes all these wonderful actions.
Slide 2 Unlock - simple yet and fun game which tests your speed and unlocking prowess.
Spin Art - helps to develop the tap, hold down movements along with a quick spinning motion.
Tap it, Slide it, Pinch it is a classic follow the leader game using classic iPhone gestures.
YouTube has a little video demonstration that will take you through a glimpse of 10 good cause and effect apps. For more Cause and Effect apps, check this Pinterest listing.
Customizing the iPad to accommodate the needs of diverse learners:
For students with diverse learning needs including students with special education needs, students with learning and literacy difficulties and students for whom English is not their first language technology can play a key role in removing barriers, differentiating instruction and providing tools to accommodate their learning needs and access to the school curriculum. During this workshop we explored the range of options using an iPad to assist teachers to optimize and differentiate student learning, and to support student engagement.
Home Button:
iOS 6 offers Home button lock!!! This is the Guided Access. But on the other side...

Many people have found the home button at the bottom center to be a distraction for their students. There are a couple of trains of thoughts on this. If you want the student to be locked out of all but one program, maybe you are using the wrong device? One of the main characteristics of this device is the ease of going in and out of programs. With that in mind, you may first want to try to work with switching from one program to another, appropriateness, etc. That is really the power of working with this device- having everything at your fingertips. Maybe there is a reason for your student exploring other apps. Maybe not. Something to watch and consider before just automatically locking them into one program.

For more, visit my Pinterest page for a gathering of misc. Apps for Special Needs which will always be changing..

Here is more links.were you can find more apps and videos blind and visually impaired.

http://iphoneandipadappsfortheblind.blogspot.com/search/label/iPad

https://www.pinterest.com/chelseaastark/iphone-and-ipad-apps-for-blind-and-visually-impair

Also check out The History of Apple i Phone's blog.
http://thehistoryofappleiphones.blogspot.com/

https://www.facebook.com/groups/iPhoneiPadAppsfortheBlindVisuallyImpaired/