Power’s what assistive technology gives us, really. The power to communicate, to read, to type, to plan, to play, to control things. The power to achieve things that we couldn’t otherwise achieve. Here are some ideas for gifts to empower assistive technology users.
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Assistive Technology for Apple and Mac Users
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Recent Posts
Make iTunes Easier To See and Use
There are lots of very simple things which can improve the accessibility of iTunes for those with low vision and reading impairments. This tutorial will take you through them step by step.
Simple: Automatic Word Completion
Mac OS X has a simple type of automatic word completion built right into it! It’s available in nearly every program you use, and nearly every text box you need to type in.
Simple: Speak selected text
Did you know that there is a very simple way to get your Mac to speak pretty much any piece of text?
Simple: Announce when application needs your attention
An application “needing attention”, in Apple’s language, is one that’s waiting for you to tell it something before it can keep going and isn’t the app you’re currently working with. Here’s how to set things up so the computer will use the system voice to tell you that an alert is being displayed.
Simple: Zoom without smoothing
When you use the zoom function Mac OS X automatically smoothes the zoomed image - this isn’t always what’s wanted.
Simple: Announce when application displays an alert
If an application displays an alert, Mac OS X will bounce its dock icon a few times - easy to miss. Here’s how to set things up so the computer will also use the system voice to tell you what’s going on.
Simple: Trackpad mouse clicks without using the buttons
Did you know you can generate mouse clicks using a laptop trackpad without using the trackpad buttons? If you have a fairly new MacBook, you can even use this method to generate right clicks without touching the buttons.
Simple: Zoom in to see screen details more easily
If you have a MacBook with a trackpad or a mouse with a scroll wheel, there’s a very simple way to zoom in to see something small on the screen.
Simple: Show Icons in open/save dialag box
Did you know that the open dialog and save dialog boxes can show you files as icons just like the Finder can? If you are using Leopard, it even shows the icon previews like Finder. If you have trouble finding the right file with the usual list display, this can be very helpful.
Simple: The Computer Tells You The Time
It’s easy for anybody to loose track of time when they’re using a computer, and if you have a neurological or attention problem then you may get even more lost than most. Here’s how to get your computer to regularly announce the time.
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