The iPad & Students with Visual and Multiple Disabilities: Making it Easier to Get Started

By Faye Gonzalez, TVI & COMS

The iPad is an awesome tool for children with disabilities, including those with visual impairments as well as other multiple disabilities (MD/VI).  Now you have an iPad – but how do you and your kiddos get started? 

First, change your settings to make it easier for kids with motor difficulties to successfully access the screen.  The iPad has features that are cool for most people, but for our kids with motor issues they can make it really hard and confusing.  For example, if they accidentally swipe left or right, it can switch between open apps.  What’s happening? 

1. Go into Setting > General > Multitasking Gestures and turn them off.  Now you can’t pinch to close an app or swipe to switch apps, but neither can they.
2. Go to Settings > Notifications > Calendar and turn Notification Center Off.  Now a top-to-bottom swipe won’t accidentally open your Calendar. 
3. In Settings > Do Not Disturb, set Do Not Disturb temporarily to On if you use lots of alerts that might interrupt the student. 
4. In Settings > General, set Use Side Switch to > Lock Rotation.  If you slide the small round button on the side of the iPad, the screen will lock and won’t move around when the child is trying to use it.

Next, try mounting the iPad onto a slant board or other raised and angled surface to make it easier to see and touch.  Just put some strips of Velcro on the back to attach it onto a Velcro-sensitive surface (trust me, its ok to put Velcro there – it will come off).  If you are a TVI, try using the new “Small-In-One” board from APH to raise it up.  If you don’t have this particular slant board, try Velcro-ing it to a regular book stand, a lap-tray, or even a large 3 inch binder. 

Now, HAVE FUN! - Faye

Next time – Getting Started with Apps for MD/VI

For related information, see also iPads as a Literacy Tool for Learners Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired.