Third-party developers add enormous value to Apple products in so many ways, and accessibility is no exception. These features allow more people to use Apple devices more effectively and serve as a foundation for other assistive apps to build on.
#Accessibility apps for mac computer mac#
Many developers and organizations including Apple have done a tremendous job of integrating accessibility features into their apps and services, opening up a world of possibilities for people with disabilities. Every new iOS device or Mac comes standard with accessibility features built-in. With these integrated technologies and apps, people with disabilities can have access and more readily use their abilities instead of being held back by their disabilities.
#Accessibility apps for mac computer how to#
Dictation allows me to fully express myself in the way I want withouthaving to rephrase an entire sentence because I don't know how to spell words I want to write. Both text-to-speech and dictation are integrated into iOS and OS X. Coming this fall with iOS 8, Apple will also be introducing a predictive keyboard that will help with poor spelling by suggesting words based on the first few characters. Instead of struggling through reading, Speak Selection allows me to listen while I follow along with the words. On iOS, Speak Selection even highlights words as they are being spoken to help me follow along. Speak Selection on iOS and OS X allows me to quickly highlight text and have the text read back to me using text-to-speech. With it, I can read webpages, newspaper articles, emails, and more. Text-to-speech technologies that allow me to listen to text let me explore topics that I find interesting. Assistive technology allows us to do this independently it is our lifeline to the world of information. While this approach may not be considered "real reading," by some, when I and others like me listen to words being read aloud, the end result is the same - we get information from printed text.
It's the way we get meaning from the printed word - by listening to it being read aloud. Others find methods to help them succeed.įor me, and many like me, reading using our ears is the method we use. Deciphering unfamiliar words on a page can be extremely difficult, if not impossible. So what do people who have dyslexia do when they encounter printed text? Some simply avoid it or give up.
It does, however, make figuring out what sounds go with which letters difficult.
It doesn't cause people to read backwards or see words upside down. Despite this, dyslexia does not impact intellectual ability. Spelling and written expression can also be very difficult. Dyslexia makes reading a simple paragraph, let alone textbooks, a tedious and frustrating process.