Accessibility in iOS 8

One of the best things about iOS is Apple’s commitment to accessibility. For instance, Apple has made the iPhone useable for the visually impaired. But everyone can benefit from iOS 8’s accessibility features, many of which make things easier for all. An example is AssistiveTouch, which can help you work around broken buttons ①.

① AssistiveTouch is just one of many ways that iOS’s accessibility features help us all.

Accessibility for Everyone

Several accessibility settings are useful for almost anyone. You can find them in Settings > General > Accessibility:

Larger Text: To adjust text size, tap Larger Text. Drag the slider to shrink or enlarge text. If you enable the Larger Accessibility Sizes switch, you can make text even larger.
Bold Text: Many users complain that the text in iOS 7 and later is too light. To fix this, enable the Bold Text switch. Tap Continue when asked whether it’s okay to restart your device. Once iOS restarts, all system text will be bold ②.

② With the text size turned up, and Bold Text enabled, readability is dramatically improved. (Compare to the figure below, which shows the standard text size with Bold Text off.)

Button Shapes: Tired of buttons that are ill-defined text labels? You can add a traditional button outline by enabling Button Shapes ③.

③ Button shapes make otherwise vague textual labels easier to detect. (Compare to the figure above, where Button Shapes is off.)

On/Off Labels: Are you having a hard time telling whether setting switches are enabled or disabled? Turn on On/Off Labels. Disabled switches show a circle, while enabled switches contain a vertical line ④.

④ On/Off labels make it more obvious if a setting is enabled or disabled.

AssistiveTouch: Do you have an issue with a repetitive strain injury, arthritis, or perhaps a broken button on your device? Tap AssistiveTouch and turn on AssistiveTouch to place a virtual button on your screen to simulate the Home button; bring up Notification Center, Siri, or Control Center; emulate gestures like pinches; and many other things.

Note: Learn more by reading my TidBITS article Work Around a Broken iPhone Button with AssistiveTouch.

Reduce Motion: iOS has a lot of neat animations, but they make some people physically ill and other people find them distracting. You can turn off extraneous animations with the Reduce Motion switch.
New! Grayscale: Do you need a little less color in your life? Toggle Grayscale on.

Tip: You can combine Grayscale with Invert Colors. Try it! It can be useful for reading in dark rooms.

iOS 8 for the Visually Impaired

A few of the options already described in this chapter might prove useful to those who have trouble seeing, but the choices noted here, all available in Settings > General > Accessibility, should be especially helpful:

VoiceOver: You don’t have to be able to see to use iOS, thanks to VoiceOver, which reads individual screen elements to you. Enable it by tapping VoiceOver. Turn on the switch and configure the special options.
If you are setting up VoiceOver because you need it, refer to Apple’s VoiceOver page to get an idea of what VoiceOver can make possible. For comprehensive guidance, you’ll want a copy of the book iOS Access for All, by Shelly Brisbin.

(Generally, with VoiceOver on, tap an element to have your device speak its name to you. Double-tap an element to activate it. Use three fingers to scroll.)

Quick On, Quick Off

A triple-press of the Home button can turn an accessibility switch on or off. To set this up, open Settings > General > Accessibility > Accessibility Shortcut. Select the options you want available through a triple-press. If you select more than one, triple-pressing the Home button brings up a menu.

New! Speak Screen: In addition to describing individual interface elements, iOS can now read an entire screen of text if you tap Speech and enable Speak Screen.
With Speak Screen on, swipe down with two fingers from the top of the screen to have iOS begin speaking. A Settings box appears to let you control playback. Tap the x to stop the talking and dismiss the box.
Invert Colors: If you’re colorblind or having difficulty perceiving contrast, enabling Invert Colors may help.
Zoom: By enabling Zoom, you gain a virtual magnifying glass that makes screen elements much larger.

New! Zoom in iOS 7 had no options, but it has many in iOS 8, including multiple lens modes, magnification choices, and the option to not magnify the keyboard.

iOS 8 for the Hard of Hearing and Deaf

Hearing Aids: You can connect to Bluetooth-enabled hearing aids in Settings > General > Accessibility > Hearing Aids, and enable a special Hearing Aid Mode to reduce radio interference.
Indicator Lights: The iPhone doesn’t have an indicator LED, but it can use the iPhone and iPod touch’s camera flash instead if you enable LED Flash for Alerts in Settings > General > Accessibility. Whenever you receive a call or other notification, the LED will light up briefly.

Other Accessibility Options

Guided Access: If you ever need to lock a device into a single app—so the user (like a young child) can’t exit that app—you can do so in Settings > General > Accessibility > Guided Access.
Subtitles: You can enable subtitles in iTunes Store movies by tapping Settings > General > Accessibility > Subtitles & Captioning and then enabling Closed Captions + SDH.
Switch Control: One of the more interesting settings in Settings > General > Accessibility is Switch Control, which lets you navigate your device by tilting your head in view of the front-facing camera, with an external Bluetooth switch, or by tapping the screen.
See the Apple article iOS: Switch Control helps you navigate your iOS device for more information.

Note: ATMac is well-known resource for accessibility-related information for Apple technology. The site has a helpful article, iOS 8 Accessibility Roundup.

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