The iPad and Physical Disabilities

This week’s topic was physical disabilities. It is difficult to talk about which apps are best without discussing how to make the iPad accessible in the first place. I did a lot of research for this topic and found a terrific resource, RJ Cooper & Associates.  I’ve broken the solution into the 4 S’s, Speakers, Stands, Styluses, and Switches.

The first thing to consider is the speaker of the iPad. I wish I would have thought about this a little more in the week I did communication (click here to read that blog). If you have ever used an iPad you know that the speaker quality is not the greatest. Yes, alone in your living room it is functional, but trying to use it as a voice output device in a crowded space and you are going to have some major difficulties being heard. There are several options for additional speakers that can easily be attached to the case of your iPad so that it can be a more effective voice output device.

Next, you will need to consider stands. The iPad is a great resource for many students but it needs to be accessible for students to use it properly. Again, there are numerous stands out there that will allow users to adjust the exact location of the iPad. There are stands that attach to wheelchairs and ones that will attach right to a table top. I liked how RJ used Super Velcro to attach his stands to surfaces. I have never heard of Super Velcro but it sounds pretty strong, you have to use a credit card or old cd to pry the two sides apart. 

Next, you may have to consider the usage of a stylus to access the iPad. Some individuals with physical disabilities may have difficulty with the fine motor skills necessary to navigate the iPad. There are several styles of styluses to assist in the fine motor gestures needed to navigate the iPad. There are ones that attach to the head, are inserted in the mouth, or attach to hands/wrists with velcro. 

Finally there are switches to make selections on the iPad. The iPad will scroll through a series of choices and the user will press a button (switch) to make that selection. The major drawback with this is that very few apps are switch accessible. There is a way to use the iPad’s voice over control, built into the accessibility features, and switch made specifically for this function to navigate apps. I was impressed with the ingenuity of this piece of equipment and amazed at the lengths that people will go in order to make the iPad accessible to everyone. 

Again with this blog is the disclaimer that you have to make the decision of which adaptations are going to be best for your needs. You may find that a simple stand is going to work for you instead of the high-priced one. Please, go out and shop around and see what is out there.