Many disabled people use a variety of tools to access content. Read below to learn about how some common forms of assistive technology work.
Note: Some people use a combination of the options listed below.
Did you know that a majority of people who are considered "legally blind" still have some degree of remaining vision? I fall into this category! Many folks who have some remaining vision will alter the display settings on their devices.
Some people use increased font sizes, color inversion options, and or magnification software.
Interested in learning more? Check out this demonstration of low vision features for iOS devices or this demonstration of low vision options for Android devices.
If you're a PC user that's feeling adventurous, you can try magnifying your screen by pressing the Windows key and the plus button. To zoom out, press the Windows key and the minus button.
I personally use a combination of increased font sizes and screen magnification features on my phone and computer. I also regularly use screen reading software.
This video shows a demonstration of VoiceOver
Did you know that blind people (including folks with no light perception) have been able to use iPhones for over a decade?
How?
Screen readers.
Screen readers are a form of assistive technology that allow their users to navigate through content using audio and tactile feedback. Whenever I demonstrate VoiceOver (the screen reader available on iOS devices) to strangers, I usually just refer to it as "the robot voice on my phone."
People can use screen readers to access computers, tablets, smartphones, and smartwatches.
If you have the screen reader on your device enabled, you have additional ways to navigate through content. For example, if you can't point and click using a mouse, you can use keyboard shortcuts to interact with the content on your laptop. If you enable the screen reader on your smartphone or tablet, you can navigate through content using different finger gestures.
And yes, screen readers can read out emojis.
If you use social media, there are a few ways you can make your posts more screen reader-friendly.
Braille displays are devices that use raising metal or plastic pins to form braille characters that can be read tactilely. These can be connected to computers and smartphones so users can physically read content with their fingers. Some braille displays can also function as stand-alone notetaking devices.
Though it's important to note that not all blind people can read braille, braille displays can be incredibly helpful tools for those that can.
Braille displays can be especially for helpful deafblind people who might not be able to listen to the "robot voices" of their screen readers.
Check out this video of Harvard graduate and DeafBlind lawyer Haben Girma using a braille display in an interview
These are especially helpful for deaf and hard of hearing people. Captions allow viewers to read out the auditory content of videos. If you're active on social media, you can make your posts more inclusive by captioning your videos.
These provide spoken descriptions of the visual information conveyed in videos and film. If you'd like to hear how audio descriptions sound, you can check out an example on Netflix
Note: Captions and audio descriptions are both important, but they are NOT the same.