Apple Accessibility: Spoken Content. Making Apple products accessible for visually impaired users

Introduction

Welcome to Henshaw's Tips, Tricks, and Tactics. My name is Mark, and I will guide you through a series of micro-videos focusing on Apple accessibility features. Today, we'll explore something called "spoken content," a valuable tool that can read anything on your screen with a simple gesture. Whether you're reading emails, web pages, or even Kindle books, this feature is indispensable.

Spoken content is not the same as VoiceOver. It is tailored for individuals with some residual vision, dyslexia, literacy problems, or anyone who prefers listening over reading. Personally, I sometimes find it more convenient to have things read aloud to me. It's perfect for relaxing while enjoying a book or even comprehending boring documents.

Here's a quick guide on how to set it up and use it:

Setting Up Spoken Content

1. Access Settings:

   • Open the Settings menu on your Apple device.
   • Navigate to the Accessibility options found towards the bottom of the menu.

2. Enable Spoken Content:

   • Within the Accessibility menu, locate and select "Spoken Content."
   • Toggle the feature on. You can customize additional settings here, but the basic setup requires just toggling it on.

Using Spoken Content

Now that Spoken Content is enabled, open any app such as Safari, Mail, or Messages:

1. Reading Web Pages:
   • Open a webpage.
   • Use a two-finger swipe gesture from the outside of the screen. This will initiate reading.