{"id":8977,"date":"2022-01-18T09:30:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-18T09:30:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/?p=8977"},"modified":"2022-01-17T20:34:30","modified_gmt":"2022-01-17T20:34:30","slug":"accessibility-tools-on-your-device","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/01\/18\/accessibility-tools-on-your-device\/","title":{"rendered":"Accessibility tools on your device"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/web-3967926_1920.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" width=\"1024\" height=\"594\" src=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/web-3967926_1920-1024x594.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-8978\" srcset=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/web-3967926_1920-1024x594.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/web-3967926_1920-300x174.jpg 300w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/web-3967926_1920-768x446.jpg 768w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/web-3967926_1920-1536x891.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/web-3967926_1920-100x58.jpg 100w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/web-3967926_1920-150x87.jpg 150w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/web-3967926_1920-200x116.jpg 200w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/web-3967926_1920-450x261.jpg 450w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/web-3967926_1920-600x348.jpg 600w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/web-3967926_1920-900x522.jpg 900w, https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/01\/web-3967926_1920.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>At the end of 2021 I worked with a colleague who had recently developed a repetitive strain injury. This meant they were unable to navigate Canvas in their usual way and presented a real challenge for them when it came to accessing teaching resources and using marking tools. It got me thinking about the tools available to support students and staff with disabilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We have written in the past about <a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/06\/accessibility-tips-creating-accessible-resources\/\">how to design for accessibility<\/a> and TEL produced a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/accessibility\">digital accessibility toolkit <\/a>with simple principles to follow when creating teaching resources. However, following the guidance will not necessarily mean that a resource will be accessible to all. Students and staff will often use assistive technologies (AT) to further facilitate their access.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The big players in tech have made huge strides in recent years to build AT into the digital devices we all use every day in teaching and learning. PCs and Macs, iPhones and Android devices, all share similar features which enable users with visual, auditory and physical access needs, and cognitive differences. In this post I\u2019ll highlight three of these. It should be said that there are other free and paid applications which mirror or improve on the functionality of these technologies but here I will focus specifically on those which are bundled with your device.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>1. Voice Control<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>In the case I mentioned above my colleague wanted to use voice commands to avoid the need for using the keyboard and mouse. Voice control functionality is built into most devices and allows you to navigate, interact with and type on your device and the web using only your voice. To use this, you must first enable the functionality, then there is a set of specific voice commands which your device will listen for. These links will give you more information on voice recognition on the device(s) you use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/use-voice-recognition-in-windows-83ff75bd-63eb-0b6c-18d4-6fae94050571\">Voice Recognition on Windows<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-gb\/HT210539\">Voice Control on Mac<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-gb\/HT210417\">Voice Control on iPhone\/iPad<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/accessibility\/android\/answer\/6151848?hl=en\">Voice Access on Android<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>2. Screen Readers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Screen readers help non-sighted users to navigate and access content on their devices. They read out what is displayed on screen and verbally orientate you and describe actions you can take. These links will give you more information on screen readers on the device(s) you use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/complete-guide-to-narrator-e4397a0d-ef4f-b386-d8ae-c172f109bdb1\">Narrator on Windows<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-gb\/guide\/voiceover\/vo2682\/mac\">VoiceOver on Mac<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/en-gb\/guide\/iphone\/iph3e2e415f\/ios\">VoiceOver for iPhone\/iPad<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/accessibility\/android\/answer\/6007100?hl=en-GB\">TalkBack on Android<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Using a screen reader keenly illustrates the importance of the accessible design principles. Correctly structuring pages and resources makes them far easier to navigate and interpret using a screen reader. The addition of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/accessibility\/accessibility-create\">alternative text for visual elements<\/a> makes resources accessible that would otherwise not be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2>3. Colour filters<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For people with dyslexia, contrast between text and the background can be a real issue. To meet required standards the digital resources we create must use a minimum level of contrast. This is particularly important as it allows students and staff to apply these colour filters to enhance rather than reduce readability. These links will give you more information on colour filters on the device(s) you use:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.microsoft.com\/en-us\/windows\/use-color-filters-in-windows-43893e44-b8b3-2e27-1a29-b0c15ef0e5ce\">Colour filters on Windows<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.apple.com\/lt-lt\/guide\/mac-help\/mchl11ddd4b3\/mac\">Colour filters on Mac<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/mcmw.abilitynet.org.uk\/colour-filters-iphoneipadipod-touch\">Colour filters on iPhone\/iPad<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/support.google.com\/accessibility\/android\/answer\/11183305?hl=en-GB\">Colour correction on Android<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2>Getting support<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>I\u2019ll leave you with a few links which can help you to find and use other assistive technologies:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.sussex.ac.uk\/srac\/assistive-technology\">A list of assistive technologies<\/a>. The Sussex Regional Access Centre, based at the University of Sussex provide a handy list of assistive technologies.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/mcmw.abilitynet.org.uk\/\">My Computer My Way<\/a>. The charity Ability.Net provides this excellent resource which helps you to identify and use many of the accessibility features available on your devices.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sussex.ac.uk\/equalities\/disabilityequality\">Staff disability and equality pages<\/a>. For staff, the University provides a range of resources for disability and equality on the website.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/student.sussex.ac.uk\/new-students\/help-and-support\/disability-support\">Student disability support guidance on StudentHub<\/a>. Students who register a disability receive an assessment by the Student Support Unit and receive further guidance and support from them.&nbsp; There is guidance on how students can access disability support on the StudentHub.&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-8977\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/01\/18\/accessibility-tools-on-your-device\/?share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-8977\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/01\/18\/accessibility-tools-on-your-device\/?share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-tumblr\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-tumblr sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/01\/18\/accessibility-tools-on-your-device\/?share=tumblr\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Tumblr\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-print\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-print sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/01\/18\/accessibility-tools-on-your-device\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to print\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to print (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pinterest\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-pinterest-8977\" class=\"share-pinterest sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/01\/18\/accessibility-tools-on-your-device\/?share=pinterest\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pinterest\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pocket\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-pocket sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/01\/18\/accessibility-tools-on-your-device\/?share=pocket\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pocket\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At the end of 2021 I worked with a colleague who had recently developed a repetitive strain injury. This meant they were unable to navigate Canvas in their usual way and presented a real challenge for them when it came<span class=\"ellipsis\">&hellip;<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"read-more\"><a href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/01\/18\/accessibility-tools-on-your-device\/\">Read more &#8250;<\/a><\/div>\n<p><!-- end of .read-more --><\/p>\n<div class=\"sharedaddy sd-sharing-enabled\"><div class=\"robots-nocontent sd-block sd-social sd-social-icon sd-sharing\"><h3 class=\"sd-title\">Share this:<\/h3><div class=\"sd-content\"><ul><li class=\"share-twitter\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-twitter-8977\" class=\"share-twitter sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/01\/18\/accessibility-tools-on-your-device\/?share=twitter\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Twitter\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-facebook\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-facebook-8977\" class=\"share-facebook sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/01\/18\/accessibility-tools-on-your-device\/?share=facebook\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Facebook\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-tumblr\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-tumblr sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/01\/18\/accessibility-tools-on-your-device\/?share=tumblr\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Tumblr\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-print\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-print sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/01\/18\/accessibility-tools-on-your-device\/\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to print\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to print (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pinterest\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"sharing-pinterest-8977\" class=\"share-pinterest sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/01\/18\/accessibility-tools-on-your-device\/?share=pinterest\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pinterest\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-pocket\"><a rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\" data-shared=\"\" class=\"share-pocket sd-button share-icon no-text\" href=\"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/01\/18\/accessibility-tools-on-your-device\/?share=pocket\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"Click to share on Pocket\"><span><\/span><span class=\"sharing-screen-reader-text\">Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window)<\/span><\/a><\/li><li class=\"share-end\"><\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"author":293,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[36],"tags":[36,98294],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p4IWEK-2kN","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":8144,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/04\/28\/accessibility-tips-digital-accessibility-tools\/","url_meta":{"origin":8977,"position":0},"title":"Accessibility tips: Digital accessibility tools","date":"28th April 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"When teaching and learning is happening online the accessibility of digital materials and activities is more important than ever. This post is part of a series of Accessibility Tips to help you make your digital materials accessible. There are more great tips in our Digital Accessibility Toolkit. Previous posts in\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/01\/My-Post.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":4453,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2016\/07\/26\/developing-accessible-web-content\/","url_meta":{"origin":8977,"position":1},"title":"Developing accessible web content","date":"26th July 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"In our recent post Making learning accessible through technology, Tab Betts (@MrTabKey) took us through some valuable tools that promote inclusivity, productivity and help overcome what are for some significant barriers to learning. A growing range of free content creation tools (e.g. Wordpress) and intuitive social media platforms (e.g Facebook)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2016\/07\/drdavidsloan-300x300.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8248,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/10\/accessibility-tips-check-accessibility\/","url_meta":{"origin":8977,"position":2},"title":"Accessibility tips: Check accessibility","date":"10th March 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"In the latest of our \u2018Accessibility Tips\u2019 blog posts I will be looking at some quick and easy ways that you can check that the digital materials you produce\u00a0meet the\u202flegislation requirements\u202fand provide an improved learning environment for all. You can read more about digital accessibility in the\u00a0Digital Accessibility toolkit.\u00a0 Use\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i2.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/2020-02-28_1117.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":9014,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2022\/02\/15\/digital-whiteboards-for-collaboration\/","url_meta":{"origin":8977,"position":3},"title":"Digital whiteboards for collaboration","date":"15th February 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"When learning together, a digital space to capture and\/or organise ideas can be useful. Whether in-person or remote, synchronous or asynchronous, activities using digital whiteboards can help students to build on each other\u2019s learning. This post will look at a few types of activities and some tools that could be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Apps and tools&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2022\/02\/unnamed.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":10440,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2026\/03\/18\/canvas-new-course-accessibility-checker\/","url_meta":{"origin":8977,"position":4},"title":"Canvas\u2019 New Course Accessibility Checker","date":"18th March 2026","format":false,"excerpt":"Educational Enhancement's latest blog by Mark Thomas (Learning Technologist) What Canvas\u00a0have\u00a0released\u00a0a\u00a0great\u00a0update to its support of accessibility within\u00a0modules: a\u00a0new Course Accessibility Checker.\u00a0Designed to\u00a0help making your modules more\u00a0accessible\u00a0easier, faster, and more intuitive.\u00a0The key difference is that\u00a0a\u00a0dedicated accessibility\u00a0tool\u00a0will be available\u00a0from the navigation pane\u00a0on all\u00a0Canvas\u00a0modules. The tool\u00a0will scan\u00a0all\u00a0your\u00a0pages\u00a0and assignments\u00a0(not documents,\u00a0pdfs\u00a0and discussions)\u00a0simultaneously\u00a0and\u00a0give you an\u00a0accessibility report\u00a0from\u2026","rel":"","context":"With 1 comment","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2026\/03\/Capture-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":8224,"url":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/2020\/03\/17\/accessibility-tips-mobile-accessibility\/","url_meta":{"origin":8977,"position":5},"title":"Accessibility tips: Mobile accessibility","date":"17th March 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Accessibility is a hot topic in Higher Education. Around 15% of the student population at the University of Sussex have registered disabilities with potentially many more who have unidentified or undisclosed needs.\u00a0 Mobile devices and the iPhone in particular have been a massive enabler for people with disabilities. Google have\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Accessibility&quot;","img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i1.wp.com\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/files\/2020\/02\/My_Post_1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8977"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/293"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8977"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8977\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8982,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8977\/revisions\/8982"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8977"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8977"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.sussex.ac.uk\/tel\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8977"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}