iPad Accessibility Features
Complete accessibility documentation can be found on the Apple Support Website.
iPad Accessibility Features and Instructions
Vision
Reduce or stop motion effects or screen movement.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Motion and toggle on or off the following:
- Reduce Motion
- Prefer Cross-Fade Transitions
- Auto-Play Message Effects
- Auto-Play Video Previews
- Limit Frame Rate
To assist with low visual acuity, you can zoom in on the screen up to 200%. The Zoom can also be set for 100-500% while leaving gestures and navigation intact.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Zoom toggle to turn on
- Adjust Zoom
Tap three fingers to activate the Zoom feature.
Use this tool to enhance visual acuity, enlarge text from a book, newspaper, or objects using the camera.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Magnifier toggle to turn on (adds to Accessibility shortcut)
- Tap Auto-adjust to automatically adjust the brightness based on ambient lighting
Hear audio descriptions for video content.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Audio Descriptions toggle to turn on
This gesture-based screen reader is for those who cannot see their screen. It allows the user to hear a description of everything happening on their screen while they use their finger to navigate the iPad.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Voice Over toggle to turn on
- Adjust speaking rate
Practice the gestures provided.
Enables the iPad to read aloud text that has been selected. The text can also be highlighted while being read to allow the user to follow along. Speed and dialect can also be adjusted.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Spoken Content toggle to turn on
- Select preferred options:
- highlighting content as it is spoken
- voice choices
- speaking rate adjustment
Swipe down from the top of the screen using two fingers to activate.
Text is read aloud when typing and the spacebar is used.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Spoken Content
- Tap Speak Words toggle to activate
- Customize to preferences, including
- Word predictions
- Auto correction
- Character and character hints
Pull up a control bar and have all contents on the screen aloud.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Spoken Content
- Tap Speak Screen toggle to activate
- Customize to preferences, including
- Highlighted spoken content
- Voice choice
- Speaking rate adjustment
Swipe down from the top of the screen using two fingers to activate a control and the speaking screen.
For those with sensitivity to brightness, low vision, color blindness, use color overlays for everyday reading, or for those who want to reduce glare with nighttime reading.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Display & Text Size
- Tap Brightness to reduce white point, increase contrast, and invert colors
- Tap Color Filters to choose color filters, create tint, adjust intensity and hue
Make fonts bigger, thicker, and heavier to ease the strain on eyes.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Display & Text
- Tap Larger Text and choose preferred size.
Increase contrast to make easier reading, tapping and comprehension.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Display & Text
- Tap Increase Contrast
Hearing
Allows Bluetooth connection with audio assistive devices that are Bluetooth enabled. This also allows for “Live Listen” to help users pick up conversation and sound around their environment using the iPad's mic.
- Open the battery door on each hearing device
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Bluetooth toggle to turn on
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Hearing Devices
- Tap MFi Hearing Devices
- Close the battery doors on your devices
- When their names appear in the list of devices (this could take a minute), tap the names and respond to the pairing requests
Pairing can take as long as 60 seconds—don’t try to stream audio or otherwise use the hearing devices until pairing is finished. When pairing is finished, you hear a series of beeps and a tone, and a checkmark appears next to the hearing devices in the Devices list.
You need to pair your devices only once. After that, your hearing devices automatically reconnect to iPad whenever they turn on.
You can adjust audio and visual settings such as mono audio, audio balance, and LED Flash for Alerts.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Audio/Visual and toggle to turn on, adjust the following:
- Mono Audio
- Balance
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Subtitles & Captioning and toggle to turn on
- If you prefer closed captioning or subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing when available, turn on Closed Captions + SDH
- Tap Style, then choose an existing caption style or create a new style based on the following:
- Font, size, and color
- Background color and opacity
- Text opacity, edge style, and highlight
Mobility
Assistive touch is for those who need extra help with motor control, including shortcuts and less button tapping. This feature can also be mounted to third party devices such as wheel chairs ensuring they remain functional and accessible.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Touch
- Tap AssistiveTouch and toggle to turn on
- Customize by tapping:
- Customize Top Level Menu
- Single-Tap, Double-Tap or Long Press
- Create New Gesture
- Idle Opacity
To turn Assistive Touch off, triple-click the top button or triple-click the Home button.
Triple-click the home button to quickly access your accessibility features without having to open settings.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Touch
- Tap Assistive Touch and tap the toggle to turn on
- Tap Customize Top Level Menu and choose the shortcuts you want easy access to
For those with motor impairments, turn on to make touch interaction with the screen easier and less frustrating.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Touch
- Tap Touch Accomodations
- Customize any of the following:
- Touch Duration
- Ignore Multiple Touches
- Respond to First or Last Touch
Control the iPad with your voice: edit text as you dictate, navigate with voice commands and gestures, see numbers or names next to screen elements.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Voice Control and tap toggle to turn on
- Tap Customize Commands
- Tap categories to customize
For those with motor impairment, Switch Control allows the user to scan between items, select specific points, or use hardware and software on the device. An external adaptive switch may be used.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Switch Control and tap the toggle to turn on
- Tap Scanning Style and choose from the following:
- Auto Scanning
- Manual Scanning
- Single Switch Step Scanning
Learn more about the Switch Control customization and operation.
Neurodiversity
If you prefer to use the iPad in a different language change these settings.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap General
- Tap Language & Region
- Select your preferred language
- Confirm your selection
Siri is the intelligent assistant that can send messages, place phone calls, schedule meetings, also activate or deactivate voice over, guided access, and invert colors.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Siri & Search toggle to turn on
- Toggle on Listen for Hey Siri
- Choose Language
- Choose Siri Voice
- Select Voice Feedback
- Open the Settings app
- Go to Touch ID and Passcode
- Enter your passcode if prompted
- Scroll to Control Center toggle to turn on
- Open the Settings app
- Go to Touch ID and Passcode
- Enter your passcode if prompted
- Scroll to Control Center toggle to turn on
- Tap "Customize Controls"
- Locate "Accessibility Shortcuts," tap plus sign to add
Accessibility features selected (as described below) will be listed here.
- Open the Settings app
- Go to Touch ID and Passcode
- Enter your passcode if prompted
- Scroll to "Allow Access When Locked"
- Locate Control Center toggle to turn on
This feature helps you stay focused on the app or task open on the screen. It will prevent you from navigating to other activities and limits time on the app. Great for teachers, parents, and therapists.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap Accessibility
- Tap Guided Access toggle to activate
Triple click the home button in the app you want to use.
Say what you want rather than type it.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap General
- Tap Keyboard
- Tap Enable Dictation and tap toggle to turn on
Uses word prediction to provide suggestions for the next word you might want to type. Text replacement allows short cuts to be established for frequently used phrases.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap General
- Tap Keyboard
- Tap Text Replacement and add your own
- Tap Predictive Text and tap toggle to turn on
To hear it spoken while typing, hold down the predictive word the user wants to hear out loud.
This mode helps reduce brightness of the background by providing a black background with white writing.
- Open the Settings app
- Tap "Display & Brightness" to choose brightness and customize a schedule for when modes activate