How can you make tablets more accessible?

1 Adjust the display

One of the first things you can do to make your tablet more accessible is to adjust the display settings according to your vision and comfort level. You can change the brightness, contrast, color, font size, and zoom level of your screen to make it easier to read and view. You can also enable dark mode, invert colors, or use color filters to reduce eye strain and glare. Some tablets also have a magnifier tool that lets you enlarge any part of the screen with a simple gesture.

2 Use voice control

Another way to make your tablet more accessible is to use voice control features that allow you to operate your device with voice commands. You can use voice control to open apps, search the web, send messages, make calls, adjust settings, and more. You can also dictate text, edit it, and format it with voice commands. Voice control can be especially helpful for people with motor or dexterity difficulties, or for those who prefer hands-free or eyes-free interaction.

3 Enable captions and subtitles

If you have hearing impairments or you want to watch videos or listen to audio in a noisy environment, you can enable captions and subtitles on your tablet. Captions and subtitles can display the spoken words, sound effects, and background noises of any media content on your screen. You can also adjust the size, color, and style of the captions and subtitles to suit your preference. Some tablets also have a live caption feature that can generate captions for any audio playing on your device, even if it is not from a video or an app.

4 Activate assistive touch

Assistive touch is a feature that can make your tablet more accessible by adding a virtual button on your screen that gives you access to various functions and gestures. You can use assistive touch to perform actions such as home, back, menu, volume, lock, screenshot, and more. You can also customize the assistive touch menu and create your own gestures. Assistive touch can be useful for people who have difficulty using the physical buttons or the touch screen of their tablet.

5 Explore accessibility apps

There are many apps that can enhance the accessibility of your tablet and provide you with additional tools and features. For example, you can use text-to-speech apps that can read aloud any text on your screen, or speech-to-text apps that can transcribe any audio into text. You can also use apps that can translate languages, scan documents, identify objects, or provide navigation assistance. You can search for accessibility apps on your tablet's app store or online and find the ones that suit your needs and interests.

6 Learn accessibility shortcuts

Finally, you can make your tablet more accessible by learning some accessibility shortcuts that can help you quickly turn on or off certain features or settings. For example, you can use a triple tap gesture to toggle the magnifier, or a triple press gesture to toggle voice control. You can also create your own shortcuts or use the accessibility shortcut menu that can give you access to multiple features with one tap. Accessibility shortcuts can save you time and hassle and make your tablet experience more convenient and efficient.

7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?