Making the Most of the iPad Accessibility Tools You Never Knew You Had

This was me six years ago when I switched positions from 4th grade teacher to technology coach.  I had an iPad.  Heck... I was pretty adept at using it too, but I had no idea of its capabilities beyond using apps and websites, etc.  

In my second year, I was asked to do a share session with the special education teachers on how they could use iPads to benefit their students, I naturally did some research so I could plan effectively.  I was so extremely excited by what I found!  Fabulous tools built right into the iPad that, in my opinion, can be used for all students in the classroom.

My absolute favorite of the accessibility tools is the assistive touch feature.  This puts a small, moveable dot on your homepage.  When you tap it, a small window opens with options that you customize to meet your needs.  How does this help?  It makes it super easy for students to take a screenshot, lock rotation, turn volume up or down, etc.  Little fingers can have trouble pressing and coordinating the iPad buttons and this cuts out all the frustration and gives them a sense of confidence and independence.

Another great accessibility tool for the classroom is guided access.  This allows you to set up students in one app and lock it so they cannot leave or be distracted by other apps on the device without it being unlocked.  Very useful for stations when you may need to be working with other students or for specific students who may have difficulty staying on task.

The iPad has specific features for students with vision challenges and/or hearing challenges.  It can read a page or a selection out loud for students, magnify the screen, enlarge the app buttons, and more. However, it would be a very long blog post if I described every accessibility feature available so instead I'm adding a link to the website that describes them all.  Click here or on the photo below for details about how other accessibility tools can support your students and your instruction.  

I know that my teachers are loving these features and I personally commend iPad for offering such great services.