New Accessibility Features in iOS 7- Including Switch Scanning!

Apple has released their newest update to iOS, the operating system that runs their iPads, iPods touches, and iPhones last week.  For those of you keeping track, they have now updated from iOS 6 to iOS7.  If you've already downloaded the update, you've noticed that the look is very different, but the feel is still pretty familiar. (Note: Updating to iOS 7 will require some storage space on your device.  You may have to delete some things off of your device, perform the update, and then put those things you deleted back on your device.) There are several changes and additions in iOS 7, including several changes and additions to the accessibility options.  Some of my favorite are more and better voices for Speak Selection, better features in Guided Access, and, my personal favorite, Switch Scanning options!  This feature will allow people with motor impairments to access all aspects of the iPad and many of the great iPad apps.  To see a general list of what is new in iOS 7 accessibility features, click here.  To watch an excellent video overview of the new accessibility features in iOS 7, click here. 

Read on for more information about switch scanning:

Until now, many people with physical disabilities have been unable to interact with touchscreen devices, or their motor impairments have severely limited their ability to interact with the screen.  With iOS 7, these people can bypass all that junk that used to keep them back and can now access the iPad using 3 different methods:
1) using an external bluetooth switch
2) using the entire touch screen of the device as a switch
3) moving their head to the left and right (the front facing camera on the device watches your movement)
 You can also use a combination of switch options, such as using one bluetooth switch to scan through features, but using the touch screen of the iPad to go back to the home screen.

 (Note:  There is no way to plug a switch with wires into an iPad, so you will have to purchase a bluetooth switch to use with the iPad.  Click here for an earlier post about bluetooth switches and  iPad apps.)  

  You can set up the iPad for automatic switch scanning, where the iPad automatically moves the cursor from one choice to the next and you press the switch to select the option you want when highlighted.  You can also set up 2 or more switches to perform step scanning (i.e. one switch moves the cursor to the next choice and another switch chooses the highlighted option).  The head tracking option uses the front facing camera of the iPad and detects when you move your head to the right or left.  You have to move your head approximately 45 degrees either direction to get it to work.  When I played around with it, I had a hard time getting the iPad to recognize my right head movement, but the left head movement worked perfectly.  If you are trying to use this feature in extreme lighting conditions, it will not work very well either.  The switch options are highly customizeable.  You can set it up for very basic users, all the way up to neuro-typical kids with limiting motor impairments. 

I am really excited to see how these new features will open up the iPad to a whole new group of people who were previously held back just by their motor limitations.  To see an excellent video tutorial on iOS 7 switch scanning, including setting up your bluetooth switch and customizing all the settings, click here.  I would love to hear (in the comments) how your students and children are using this new feature.

Ty gives a speech in class, even though he can't talk!

Some great teachers and a fabulous SLP at one of our middle schools have worked really hard to provide meaningful opportunities for students with disabilities to interact with their non-disabled peers.  One of those students, Ty, cannot speak for himself, but his teachers have found a way for him to communicate using a Step by Step sequencer device with pre-recorded voice messages that he activates with a switch when he moves his head.  The following video is of Ty giving a speech about his favorite movie, Disney Pixar's UP!  Ty's SLP communicated with Ty, his mom, and his teachers to identify his favorite video and some of the things he liked about it.  While Ty did not write this speech himself (the SLP did), I absolutely LOVE that he is able to give the speech in front of a class of his peers, following the same format that all of them are expected to use.  It is plain to see that he really enjoys the experience, and I'm sure at least some of the students in that class gained a new appreciation for Ty and what he is truly capable of.

That is the power of assistive technology, to give a voice to people who otherwise would not have any.  Please check out the video below.  I hope you will enjoy it, and it will get you thinking about things you could do in your classroom or home.



Note: if you are unable to view the video in this blog, try clicking this link to view it in a separate page.

Switch Prompting Training Video

If you have ever worked with students with severe motor and cognitive disabilities, you have probably had some who used those colorful plastic switches to play games on the computer, speak messages, activate toys, etc.  While switches can be a great way to help students access leisure, communication, and academic activities, it is not always easy to get students to hit those switches when we want them to.

I eventually came to learn, after visiting several different classrooms and working with several different students,  that many of the things I did to try to encourage kids to use their switches was actually making them dependent on ME to prompt them through the activity, rather than doing it independently because THEY wanted to.

Our AT team made a brief (less than 6 minutes) video last year as a training tool for new people working with switch users as well as a RE-training tool for some of us who have been making mistakes along the way.  The idea behind the video is to prompt students in a way that will encourage INDEPENDENT switch activation, rather than be DEPENDENT on us.  This is a great tool to use with paraprofessionals and peer tutors.  The video will never win any film making awards, but the content is solid, and I hope it helps you evaluate the prompting we give kids. 

Switch accessible apps (and switches) for iPad

For a long time now, students with limited motor abilities have been able to use accessibility switches to access computers, speak messages, and control their environment.  Switch users can now access the iPad as well thanks to the introduction of bluetooth switches and switch interfaces. The switches and interfaces connect to the iPad wirelessly via the bluetooth settings on the iPad.   I have included links to a few different sites where you can check some of them out.  There are other products available as well if you are willing to search for them.  The three products I have listed range in price from $100 to $150.  Each has particular strengths and weaknesses that you will  have to evaluate when choosing.

RJ Cooper Bluetooth Switch Interface ($100)
RJ Cooper Bluetooth Super Switch ($150)
Blue 2 Bluetooth switch ($150, unique foot pedal design)


ONE IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT SWITCHES AND THE IPAD:
 In order to use a switch with the iPad, you must be using an app that has been designed for switch access.  There are many apps, especially those NOT designed for special needs, will NOT work with switches, so keep that in mind.  More and more apps are now being designed, however, with switch access in mind, or plan to add it in at some future point in time.  Most apps that are currently switch accesible are cause and effect games and AAC apps.

Click here for a link to a great blog post and a really, really good list of switch accessible apps.

 RJ Cooper, who manufactures some of the products featured in this post, has included a list of apps that are either switch accessible right now, or looking to add it in the future.  Click here to see his list.

How to make a Choice Making activity using Youtube and Powerpoint.

One of the challenges of working with older students with disabilities is that many computer activities that they used to enjoy when they were younger are no longer age appropriate.  One of the best places to find reinforcing content that is age appropriate for older students is YouTube.  While YouTube is a great resource, it is also difficult to navigate for many students with cognitive and motor disabilities.  

It is possible to use PowerPoint to make a choice making activity where students would click on a button on the screen and it would play their YouTube videos of choice.  This consists of  making buttons in PowerPoint that are linked back to specific YouTube videos.

Watch this video to see how to make your own:

If you prefer a step by step walk-through, click here and select the YouTube Choices activity tab: