iPhone & iPad Apps for the Blind &VisuallyImpaired

Monday, December 15, 2014

How to de-authorize devices linked to your iTunes account

How to de-authorize devices linked to your iTunes account
Authorizing an iPhone, iPod, iPad, Mac, or PC on your iTunes account means you can uses it buy new apps, music, movies, TV Shows, and iBooks, re-download previous purchases, access iTunes Match and more. Because of licensing agreements, you can only have 10 devices total, and a maximum of 5 computers total, authorized on your iTunes account at any one time. Once you hit 10, you'll have to remove an old device to add a new one. If you give away, sell, or lose a device, you might want to remove it as well. Luckily the process it fairly straightforward and can be done right from iTunes on any Mac or PC.
  1. Launch iTunes on your Mac or PC. 
  2. Click on your name in the upper right hand corner of iTunes. In the menu, click on Account Info.
  3. Type in your iTunes password when prompted in order to continue. 
  4. When your account loads, click on Manage Devices under the iTunes in the Cloud section
  5. Click on Remove next to the devices you want to remove. 
How to de-authorize devices linked to your iTunes accountHow to de-authorize devices linked to your iTunes account

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

How to share a contact card via iMessage using the iOS Contacts app


How to share a contact card via iMessage using the iOS Contacts app





  1. Launch the Contacts app on your iPhone or iPad and find the contact you'd like to share. On the iPhone you can alternately use the Phone app if you'd prefer.
  2. Now tap on Share Contact towards the bottom.
  3. Tap on Message.
  4. Type the name of the person you'd like to share it with and select them.
  5. Now tap Send.

How to Add a contact card via after receiving it in A iMessage 

1.Tap on the contact card.

2. The contact card will pop up. Scroll down

3. If you want to create a new contact with that card choose crate new contact.

Or to  add it to a existing contact. Choose add to existing contact. And find the contact you want to add it to.

Tuesday, December 2, 2014

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/

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

How to manually trigger an iCloud backup on iPhone and iPad

How to manually trigger an iCloud backup on iPhone and iPad
While iCloud will automatically back up all the data on your iPhone or iPad every 24 hours, as long as it's plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi, you can also trigger a backup manually at any time. It's especially handy when you're upgrading to a new device, or getting a replacement for a defective device. Best of all, making sure your backups are up-to-date is easy to do!
Note: Because of the amount of data that can potentially be transferred, and the power consumption that comes with it, manual iCloud backups also require your iPhone or iPad be plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi. Make sure you do that first, or the option for manual backup will be grayed out.

How to manually back up your data to iCloud

  1. Launch the Settings app from the Home screen. 
  2. Tap on iCloud
  3. Tap on Backup
  4. Tap on Back Up Now
How to manually trigger an iCloud backup on iPhone and iPad

Thursday, November 13, 2014

How to Stop Other Devices Ringing When iPhone Gets a Phone Call

If you have multiple devices running iOS 8 and using the same Apple ID, you’ve probably noticed that an incoming phone call rings on every one of the devices at the same time. In other words, an inbound phone call will ring not only your iPhone, but also any other iPad, iOS device, or Mac too if it’s running OS X Yosemite. While this feature can be convenient and make it much less likely that you’ll ever miss a phone call, it can also be a nuisance if you have a desk full of hardware that is all buzzing simultaneously.
To stop the iPhone from ringing your other devices with an incoming phone call, you need to visit the Settings of the iPhone which has the cellular connection that originally receives the phone call. You can also choose to selectively disable the ringing feature on other devices if you’d like to just opt a single device out. Here’s what you’ll want to do:
  1. Open the Settings app on the iPhone and go to “FaceTime”
  2. Toggle the switch for “iPhone Cellular Calls” and flip it to the OFF position
  3. Exit out of Settings as usual

This puts an end to the multiple device ringing feature. 
It’s worth mentioning that if you turn this feature off you can’t make phone calls from your Mac or other iOS device by way of your iPhone cellular connection. Despite being in the FaceTime settings, it has no effect on standard FaceTime audio calls made from a Mac or FaceTime VOIP from iOS, and FaceTime video chat still works as usual too.
Separately, you can choose to disable the iPhone calling feature on the Mac as well. 
Keep in mind there is a physical proximity limit with this feature, so if you’re many miles away from your other devices, your iPhone isn’t going to ring the hardware left at your office or home. Apple hints at this in the settings with the toggle switch, describing the feature as follows: “Use your iPhone cellular connection to make and receive calls on devices signed into your iCloud account when they are nearby and on Wi-Fi.”

Friday, November 7, 2014

How to use VoiceOver for visual accessibility on iPhone and iPad


The iPhone and iPad have some great accessibility features for people with hearing and sight impairments that makes using iOS more enjoyable, and less frustrating. For visually impaired individuals, the VoiceOver feature allows your iPhone or iPad to speak selections and add custom gestures so you know exactly what you're tapping on before selecting it. You just need to enabled it first.
  1. Launch the Settings app from the Home screen of your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Tap on General.
  3. Tap on Accessibility.
  4. Under Vision at the very top, tap on VoiceOver.
  5. Turn On VoiceOver by tapping on the On/Off toggle.
  6. You can scroll down with three fingers to view VoiceOver options and customize your experience.

How to use VoiceOver on iPhone and iPad

VoiceOver changes the gestures in iOS in order to make it easier for visually impaired individuals to know what they're tapping on before they actually select it. Here are some tips to using VoiceOver:
  • Single tap anywhere on the screen and your iPhone or iPad will speak aloud the item that you're tapping on.
  • Double tap on an item to select it.
  • To scroll through a page, use three fingers. With VoiceOver off you typically use only one finger to scroll, in VoiceOver, you'll need to use three so your iPhone or iPad doesn't misread a tap as a scroll.
  • To toggle speech commands on and off from the Lock Screen, double tap withthree fingers.
  • two finger double tap while performing an action will start or stop that action. For example, if you're on a phone call, double tapping the screen with two fingers will end the call. If you're in the Camera app, double tap with two fingers to take a photo.
  • In VoiceOver options you can customize and fine tune options such as whether or not you'd like the device to speak notifications.
For more tips and tricks regarding VoiceOver, we recommend using the VoiceOver Practice option within the VoiceOver Settings menu. This allows you to tap the screen as you'd like and the iPhone or iPad will speak aloud what that action does system wide. This will help get someone used to how VoiceOver works and what commands trigger what actions.
If you've come across any interesting VoiceOver options, feel free to share them in the comments below!



Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Customizing Yosemite for a Low Vision User


Those with vision problems will like OS X because it provides an array of features to make using it more comfortable. Visually-impaired Mac users can change the default sizes of on-screen print, and use the keyboard and mouse to give computer commands. You control most of these features from the Universal Access window in System Preferences.
When you click on the Universal Access icon, you see the Seeing pane, where you can control features that aid people who have trouble seeing. Note that the pane appears in large type to avoid the problem where someone with limited vision can’t use the tool to increase the type size because the tool’s type size is too small.

VoiceOver

VoiceOver is the remarkable screen reader that comes standard with every Mac. But it’s much more than a text-to-speech tool. It tells you exactly what’s happening on your Mac, and lets you fully interact with it using gestures, a keyboard, or a braille display. And it uses Alex, the voice of Mac, who speaks to you in a natural tone.
https://www.apple.com/accessibility/osx/voiceover/

Zoom

Zoom is a powerful built-in magnifier that lets you enlarge your screen up to 20 times, so you can better see what’s on the display. You can use it full screen or picture-in-picture, allowing you to see the zoomed area in a separate window while keeping the rest of the screen at its native size. The hardware acceleration engine lets you boost the size of everything on your screen — text on a web page, family photos, a place on a map.

Dictation

Dictation lets you talk where you would type — and it now works in over 40 languages. So you can reply to an email, search the web, or write a report using just your voice. Navigate to any text field, activate Dictation, then say what you want to write. Dictation converts your words into text. OS X Yosemite also adds more than 50 editing and formatting commands to Dictation. So you can turn on Dictation and tell your Mac to bold a paragraph, delete a sentence, or replace a word. You can also use Automator workflows to create your own Dictation commands.

Contrast Options

If a higher contrast or a lack of color helps you better see what’s on your display, OS X lets you invert colors or enable grayscale onscreen. Once you set your preferences, they apply systemwide, so you get the same view in every app. You can also turn on Increase Contrast to enhance definition and reduce transparency in some apps.

Cursor Size

OS X lets you magnify your cursor so it’s easier to see where you are and follow along as you move around your Mac. Set the cursor size once and it stays magnified even when its shape changes.

Here are  a bunch of articles about Yosemite – the new version of Mac OS X – which was released last week. 

Links and videos for helpful tips and tricks on customizing Yosemite
Display Options in OS X Yosemite - YouTube
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=m1Aa6jsqwvg

Customizing Yosemite for a Low Vision User (Yosemite Accessibility Overview) | The Website of Luis Perez
http://luisperezonline.com/2014/10/18/customizing-yosemite-for-a-low-vision-user-yosemite-accessibility-overview/

Dictation Commands in OS X Yosemite | The Website of Luis Perez
http://luisperezonline.com/2014/10/20/dictation-commands-in-os-x-yosemite/

'OK, Mac': Using Automator’s Dictation Commands, new in Yosemite | Macworld
http://www.macworld.com/article/2834532/ok-mac-using-automators-dictation-commands-new-in-yosemite.html

Top 10 Hidden Features of OS X Yosemite
http://lifehacker.com/top-10-hidden-features-of-os-x-yosemite-1646774857

OS X Yosemite for the Low Vision User - Blindpodcaster | Blindpodcaster
http://blindpodcaster.com/os-x-yosemite-whats-in-store-for-low-vision-users/

rMac OS X 10.10 Yosemite Accessibility Roundup.


Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Stop iPhone Calls Ringing a Mac in OS X Yosemite

Stop a Mac ringing from iPhone calls
Perhaps you have noticed that since updating your Mac to OS X Yosemite, when your iPhone gets an incoming phone call, so does your Mac. In fact, all of your Macs running the latest OS X and using the same Apple ID will get a phone call, creating a whole chorus of ringing, just from a single iPhone call. While many users will enjoy this feature, which lets you both make and receive phone calls from an iPhone through the Mac by using the computers microphone and speakers, it can also be a nuisance if you’d rather just use your iPhone as a phone. Fortunately, this setting is easily to adjust to suit your preferences.

Do note that by stopping the Mac from ringing with an iPhone phone call, you’ll also prevent the Mac from being able to make outbound calls using the iPhone. There’s not much of a way to get around that, aside from adjusting the notification preferences for FaceTime, which we’re not going to cover specifically here.

disable calls to your iPhone from ringing on your Mac, you need to visit the FaceTime preferences. That may sound a little strange at first, but recall that FaceTime in OS X also has VOIP voice calling ability, making it a reasonable location for the setting. 
  1. Open the “FaceTime” application on the Mac
  2. Pull down the FaceTime menu and choose “Preferences”
  3. Under the primary Settings tab, uncheck the box for “iPhone Cellular Calls” 
  4. Disable iPhone cellular calls from ringing on the Mac
  5. FaceTime
  6. This will prevent the Mac from ringing and any notifications from coming to the Mac that the iPhone has a phone call. It will not impact other FaceTime features and the ability to make FaceTime audio or video calls. 
    Realistically-aiala=alally, this feature is very useful and quite nice to have, but it’s best used on a limited basis. For example, maintaining the feature on your primary iPhone and primary Mac, but disabling it on other devices.
    Many users have noticed that after they’ve updated their Mac to the latest version of OS X, and their iPad and other iDevices to the latest versions of iOS, suddenly they have an entire symphony of ringing when just their iPhone gets a call. If you’re annoyed by this on your other devices, you can also stop other iOS devices from ringing too when the iPhone gets a call.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

How to use iOS 8 Continuity between your iPhone & iPad for calls,texts, apps & more

Wen  you updated to iOS 8, recent iPhones and iPads will play nicely with each other, allowing users to do new functions like answering a phone call or sending an SMS message via their iPhone without having to put down their iPad, or start an email on one device before finishing it on the other.  
Please note that some devices are having issues using the Continuity feature. 





Apple has dubbed this seamless integration "Continuity," and some of it works immediately once all of a user's devices are updated to iOS 8. For example, if a user has the same Apple ID and associated phone number enabled on their iPad, calls will show up on the tablet once the iPhone begins ringing.

Answering a call on an iPad automatically places the conversation in speakerphone, allowing the iPad's microphone and speakers to handle the call. Continuity requires an iPhone 5 or later, fourth-generation iPad or newer, iPad mini, or fifth-generation iPod touch.







iOS 8 also allows users to automatically enable Personal Hotspot from a nearby iPhone, in a feature Apple calls "Instant Hotspot." A Continuity-capable iPhone will appear under the Wi-Fi section of the Settings app on iPad, and selecting that device will switch Personal Hotspot on, allowing a user to access mobile data from their cellular provider when possible.




The iPad also gains the ability with iOS 8 to send traditional SMS text messages via a connected iPhone. Previously, users could only said iMessages to Apple devices. While SMS messaging was available to test in iOS 8 beta releases, it is not included in the final release, and Apple has said it will become active in October.

All of this same functionality will be coming to newer Bluetooth Low Energy capable Macs later this year with the launch of OS X Yosemite, which will also be a free update.




Additional Continuity features in iOS 8 are available by enabling the "Handoff" feature. Users can do this by opening the Settings application, choosing General, and then selecting "Handoff & Suggested Apps."

"Handoff lets you start something on one device and instantly pick it up on other devices using your iCloud account," Apple's description reads. "The app you need appears in the lock screen, app switcher, and the dock on a Mac."




For example, if a user is reading a website on their iPhone running iOS 8, they can quickly switch to their iPad by swiping up from the small Safari icon that is displayed in the lower right corner. Doing so will immediately open the same website on the iPad.

In addition to Safari, this functionality works immediately with Mail, Pages, Numbers, Keynote, Maps, Messages, Reminders, Calendar, and Contacts. Developers will be able to add Handoff into their own third-party apps as well.




The "Suggested Apps" function also utilizes a user's location to recommend applications. For example, if a user is at a Best Buy retail store, iOS 8 will display an App Store icon in the lower left corner of their iPhone lock screen. Swiping up will take the user to the App Store listing for the official Best Buy app.

If the Best Buy application is already installed, the icon for it will be displayed in the lower left corner, giving the user quick access to the app while they are in the store. This will help expand iBeacon functionality, which requires third-party applications to be installed to access unique functions.