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Touch Accommodations is a collection of settings on the iPad that allows students to change how the screen responds to touch.
Touch Accommodations can support students to:
use the iPad more easily
feel confident to participate in learning opportunities
build independence
To turn on Touch Accommodations on an iPad in iPadOS 18:
Tap each image below to learn more, and zoom in to get a closer look.
Go to "Settings".
Tap "Accessibility".
Tap "Touch".
Tap "Touch Accommodations".
Tap the circle to toggle on "Touch Accommodations". (Please note that, if the Zoom Accessibility feature is turned on, the Zoom Controller will also be shown on the screen while Touch Accommodations is turned on. This is to provide easy access to the zoom controls.)
Tap the circle to toggle on "Hold Duration".
Once Hold Duration is toggled on, a message will be shown at the top of the screen to say that Touch Accommodations have been turned on and the Home Button can be pressed 3 times (Triple-click) to turn off Touch Accommodations.
Use the "-" and "+" to change the amount of time that the screen will need to be touched before the iPad knows that it has been touched. For example, with the settings in the image above, when trying to open an app, such as Notes, the Notes app icon will need to be touched for 0.10 Seconds before it will open.
Tap "Swipe Gestures".
Tap the circle to toggle on "Swipe Gestures". Then choose how many times the iPad will need to be swiped so that it does not need to wait for the Hold Duration that was set. With a Swipe Gesture set, the iPad will need to be swiped a small distance for the gesture to begin.
Tap "Back" to return to the Touch Accommodations settings menu.
Tap the circle to toggle on "Ignore Repeat", to have the iPad ignore repeated touches when it is touched more than once in a short period of time.
Use the "-" and "+" to choose the length of time that the iPad will ignore repeated touches for.
Tap to choose an option for "Tap Assistance". This will allow the iPad to understand a gesture done with one finger on the screen as a tap by using the first place the iPad is touched ("Use Initial Touch Location") or the last place the iPad is touched ("Use Final Touch Location").
Tap "Touch" to return to the Touch settings menu.
Tap "Haptic Touch".
Select if the iPad will react fast or slow to opening menus and previews of photos. Use the test image to see how the iPad will react to the selected Touch Duration.
Tap "Touch" to return to the Touch settings menu.
Tap the circle to toggle off "Shake to undo". This will stop the iPad from showing an alert that an action will be undone when the iPad is accidentally shaken.
Using the new Touch Accommodation settings and Hold Duration, touch and hold "Accessibility" to return to the Accessibility settings menu.
To turn off Touch Accommodations on an iPad in iPadOS 18:
Go to "Settings". Tap "Accessibility".
Tap "Touch".
Tap "Touch Accommodations".
Tap the circle to toggle off "Touch Accommodations".
Step-by-step instructions according to the iPad's Operating System:
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With Touch Accommodations, students in the TDSB can:
make the iPad wait before responding to touch. Use Hold Duration to tell the iPad to wait before it accepts another touch. If a student touches the screen by accident, their work or spot will not be lost.
stop extra taps. Use Ignore Repeat to stop the iPad from reacting to extra taps or touches on the screen.
pick the right spot. Use Tap Assistance to choose the right spot by using the first or last place on the screen that a finger has touched, so students can open the correct app even if their finger slides.
use easy gestures. Custom Gestures can help students perform hard movements. such as swiping or pinching with easier taps, to make zooming in on the screen easier.
work with AssistiveTouch. Using both Touch Accommodations and AssistiveTouch, students can control the iPad more easily by using the on-screen menu instead of movements that are harder to perform.
Last updated June 14, 2025.
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