Technology and disability
People interact with their devices in many different ways, and many disabled people use alternative methods or assistive technology to do so. Assistive technology (AT) refers to devices or systems that help maintain or improve a person’s ability to do things in everyday life.
Different ways to interact with a device
Video content: AbilityNet consultant Adi Latif tries to book a flight on different airline apps using the screen reader on his iPhone.
-
Visually impaired people often use AT called screen readers, which read aloud the content on the page. They also inform users when they’re on different types of elements – like headings, buttons and links – so the user can interact with the element in the appropriate way. Other people find screen readers useful too, like people with dyslexia or reading difficulties.
Video content: Why operating a computer using only the keyboard is important, from the series Web Accessibility Perspectives by the W3C.
-
Some people don’t have the ability to use a mouse or a track pad, and navigate a website by only using the keyboard. Hitting the “tab” key moves the user through the interactive elements on the page, and they can activate them by hitting “enter”. People often choose to navigate by keyboard as it can be faster, especially when filling in online forms.
Video content: How to use Voice Control on an iOS phone.
-
Voice Control allows people to navigate and interact with their device using their voice to tap, swipe, type, and more, just like they would perform an action by touch. Using voice to interact with technology is becoming more and more common, with the wide use of smart speakers and virtual assistants, like Alexa and Siri.
Video content: Controlling an Android device with Switch Access.
-
People with very limited dexterity can use a switch device (a form of AT) to interact with digital content. They can customise the switch to perform any action they want it to, and they can use multiple switches to perform different functions.
There are many more methods of interaction which Scope explains well in their article: Assistive technology devices: How disabled people use the web.
Accessibility settings on devices
Computers and phones have a huge range of accessibility settings users can turn on to make their devices work in the best way for them.
Some examples of the many accessibility settings available are:
Screen reader (VoiceOver on iOS and MacOS, TalkBack on Android)
Zoom
Reduce motion
Enlarge text
Increase contrast
Switch control
Voice control
Closed captions
-
Accessibility features on iPhone
Accessibility features on Android phone
Guidance for using devices with specific needs – AbilityNet’s My Computer My Way
