1. iPad Technology
Accessibility and Apps for Assisting Students with Disabilities
Royce J. Jacomen
rjacomen@vt.edu
Coordinator of Assistive Technology
T/TAC at Virginia Tech
January 24, 2012

2. The Evolution of the iPad

4. Todayʼs Focus
Is the iPad right for my students/child?
iPad Accessibility Features
Apps for Students with Disabilities/Academic Apps

5. Is The iPad Right For My Child?

6. “
Making the wrong decision can be
very costly in a variety of ways-
unrealized expectations of individuals
and families, unproductive use of
professional time, ineffective use of
limited resources, high rates of
device abandonment or under
utilization, and most important, the
irreclaimed time lost for living,
education, employment, or recreation
by the individual whose functional
capabilities were not increased,
improved, or maintained by the
technology.”
-Joy Zabala, Ed.D

7. SETT Framework for Tools/Apps

8. Student
•Functional concerns
•Independence
•Contributing factors
•Student’s interests

9. Environment
•Anything or anyone around the student
•How many students are in the environment?
•Physical layout
•Support
•Who else uses devices?
•Physical access
•Attitudes and expectations
•Other locations

10. Task
•Exactly what students will need to do
• Actual activities
•Achieve educational goals
•Be an active participant
•Choose wisely
•One size does not fit all

11. Tools to address Task
•Tools is always last
•Devices, services, and strategies-student succeed
• NO TECH, LOW TECH, MID TECH, and HIGH TECH
•Assist a student in moving forward
•Well-thought-out plan for the tool

12. iPad May Be “Magical,”
but It’s Not a “Miracle”
R.J. Cooper

13. 1) If a person has a significant motor impairment that affects their arm and/or
hand and/or fingers, then operating the iPad will be a challenge.
2) Someone with severe cognitive impairments is definitely going to have a
challenge with the iPad. That which you and I take for granted in using the iPad,
is completely unknown to the disabled person. They might drop the iPad, try to
mouth it, press on the back rather than the front, and many other unfocused
actions.
3) Many parents and professionals feel that their learner’s “acting out” is due, in
part, to frustration from their inability to communicate. I agree.

14. iPad
Accessibility Features

15. VoiceOver
Zoom
Large Text
White on Black
http://www.apple.com/asia/ipad/features/accessibility.html

16. iBooks
•Turn Accessibility Voiceover on
•Adjust speech settings
•Touch home screen
•Locate iBooks
•Touch once and double tap
•Open book(touch once, double tap)
•One touch for a line
•Two swipe down
•Three Swipe across
•Take notes and highlight
•Add PDF files to the library

17. iBooks
•Add books or documents in PDF format
•Save document or book to desktop
•Open iTunes account
•Add document or book to books
•Sync iTunes account with iPad
•Turn voiceover on
•Open iBooks
•Open collections (Books and PDFs)
•Locate document or book in PDF
•Open and have read aloud

19. 500,000 + Apps

20. Apps for Autism
Social Stories
Behavior
Communication/Articulation
Visual Schedules and To-Do Lists
Reading and Writing
Math
Art and Music
www.autismspeaks.org

21. Social Stories
Story Kit
Book Creator
Stories-2-Learn
Social Skills
Pictello
Strip Design

22. Behavior
The Angry Octopus Book AutismXpress
Behavior Tracker Pro iEarnedThat
Going Places iRewardChart

23. Communication/Articulation
Proloquo2go ArtikPix Speakit!
SoundingBoard iAssist Communicator Grace
TouchChat Verbally NeoPaul

24. Visual Schedules and To-Do-Lists
First Then To Do’s List
Visual Scheduler
Visual Epic Win
Schedule Planner
Vocal Lite Sundry Notes

25. Reading and Writing
Too Many to List
iBooks/Touchy Books etc.
Story Patch ABC Writing
Magnetic Lite AudioNotes iRecorder Story Wheel
Dragon Dictation
Popplet Lite Bamboo Paper
Story Builder Sentence Builder

26. Math
Pizza Fractions Mad Math
Kids Clock Challenge
Counting Coins

27. Art and Music