Running head: ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY 1

Assistive Technology: A Review of VoiceOver

Introduction

Assistive technology is defined as hardware or software that is used to improve or

maintain the abilities of a person with a disability, according to the US Assistive Technology Act

of 1998 (Mechling, 2007; Perry, Beyer, & Holm, 2009). These disabilities can be physical,

intellectual, or learning. By students with disabilities being able to utilize assistive technology

and become more independent, the teacher can focus on other students, and the student utilizing

the assistive technology can become more independent in their daily lives (Mechling, 2007).

Technology may be the only way that students with significant developmental challenges can

express their ideas or demonstrate understanding of content taught (Mulligan, 2003).

Assistive technology tools can include tactile or auditory prompting, picture card activity

schedules, or portable handheld systems (Mechling, 2007). With the development of

smartphones and the availability of a variety of assistive technology applications, persons with

disabilities have more opportunity now to become independent as they have ever had. The key is

to determine the level of support needed by the student and choose a technology that is best

suited to the student’s needs and can be easily used in the environment (Mulligan, 2003). I chose

a tool that most students with disabilities I have worked with would use the most: VoiceOver for

Mac.

VoiceOver Technology

Assistive technology has primarily been sourced by outside companies or third parties,

but now Apple and Microsoft have begun offering accessibility products (Holton, 2016).

VoiceOver was first introduced in MAC OS X 10.4 to target users who had difficulty reading,

particularly those with visual impairments. The feature was added to the iPhone with the
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introduction of the third generation of the device and the iPad has had the capability since its

introduction.

VoiceOver can be turned on in settings, and the user taps anywhere on the screen for the

device to speak aloud the item that was tapped on. Users can double-tap to select it or use three

fingers to scroll through a page. Users can change the speaking rate, pitch, voice, or the

verbosity, including hints or emojis. To change between applications, users can twist two fingers

on the screen and “dial through” the apps, or tap another app on the screen.

With the VoiceOver screen reader, there are two primary audiences. First are the visually

impaired persons, who may have intelligence in the normal IQ range, but have limited or no

vision capabilities. Many persons with visual disabilities utilize a braille display, and VoiceOver

connects easily to these displays. The text automatically outputs to the braille display so that the

visually impaired user can read what is on the screen. Additionally, the teacher can connect

multiple braille displays and the students can read whatever is on the teacher’s screen through

the braille display.

For students with an intellectual disability, as well as those visually impaired students

who do not read braille, VoiceOver reads out the screen, emails, PDF’s, or even detailed audio

descriptions of movie scenes. Students can dictate to VoiceOver, enabling them to respond to

emails, texts, search the web, or write a report just using their voice. There are over 40 languages

available in VoiceOver, so people all over the world can utilize this assistive technology.

There are a multitude of uses for the VoiceOver option on Apple products. In

instructional settings, VoiceOver can be used during instruction to read aloud the visual content,

by the student to read a book, or to reinforce directions to complete tasks. Outside of the

instructional setting, students can use the application to communicate via text with vendors,
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friends, and family. In restaurants, users can download the menu for it to be read aloud instead of

having someone else read the menu to them. Mulligan (2003) emphasizes that the device and

software must be appropriate for the environment, and with VoiceOver being on a phone or

tablet, it is easily transportable and used in a multitude of environments.

Summary

There are a variety of assistive technology hardware and software available, but the most

advanced technologies must meet the needs of the student and of the environment (Mulligan,

2003). In the forty studies that Mechling (2007) reviewed, each showed positive results with the

use of assistive technology. Utilizing assistive technology removes some of the safeguards for

persons with disabilities in having others involved in their decision making (Perry et al., 2009).

Adebisi, Liman, and Longpoe (2015) provided seven guidelines to selecting assistive technology

for student, which include involving the student in the selection process, determining the settings

for the technology’s use, and ease of operation. The VoiceOver technology creates a sense of

independence for the user, which is the goal of many educational programs, while meeting the

needs of a broad range of students and being easy to use. Students are already adept at utilizing

tablets and smartphones, along with many of the motions that are incorporated into VoiceOver’s

use. Implementation of this technology into everyday use for the student with a visual

impairment or reading difficulty should be relatively seamless and effortless but make a

significant change in the independence of the student while increasing the educational success of

the student.
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References

Adebisi, R. O., Linman, N. A., & Longpoe, P. K. (2015). Using assistive technology in teaching

children with learning disabilities in the 21st century. Journal of Education and Practice,

6(24), 14-20.

Holton, B. (2016). A review of my mac pages: A VoiceOver guide to word processing, by Anne

and Archie Robertson. Accessworld: Technology for Consumers with Visual

Impairments, 17(4), 1.

Mechling, L. C. (2007). Assistive technology as a self-management tool for prompting students

with intellectual disabilities to initiate and complete daily tasks: A literature review.

Education and Training in Developmental Disabilities, 42(3), 252-269.

Mulligan, S. A. (2003). Assistive technology: Supporting the participation of children with

disabilities. YC Young Children, 58(6), 50-51.

Perry, J., Beyer, S., & Holm, S. (2009). Assistive technology, telecare, and people with

intellectual disabilities: Ethical considerations. Journal of Medical Ethics 35(2), 81-86.

doi: 10.1136/jme.2008.024588.