How can a blind user use voice over with an ipad?

A three finger swipe can be made anywhere in the page. After swiping to another Home page the app in the upper left will be read and high-lighted. To read the screen swipe down two fingers from above the screen.

To select apps with VoiceOver, you can either drag your finger on the screen until your hear the name of the app you want and then double tap any where to open it, or you can use one finger to flick right or left on the home screens to explore the apps. When VO says "double tap to open," you can tap anywhere on the screen and it will open the selected app. As bobseufert said, you can use 3 fingers to swipe between home screens. You mention you couldn't find a video that gave more than a general idea. Is there a specific app you are trying to figure out or a certain task you want to do?

Here a few links that have some good information on VoiceOver:

http://www.applevis.com/ -AppleVis has guides and podcasts on using accessibility features with Apple products, as well as a forum.

http://help.apple.com/ipad/9/#/iPad9a246898- The iPad user manual provides an overview of the VoiceOver gestures.

http://www.apple.com/uk/accessibility/ios/voiceover/

As a side note: VoiceOver can also used with a bluetooth keyboard, some people prefer that to the screen based gestures.

-AJ

how are you?

You're welcome. To answer your last question first the keyboard works with great differculty using voiceover and I'm looking at it. The how are you? above was typed using voiceover. I wish you and your friend all the best in learning the iPad using voiceover. This is quite an endevor you've taken on.

Using an apple wireless keyboard is similar to VoiceOver on OS X if he is familiar with that. There are slightly different VO key combinations, but the idea is the same. I prefer the BT keyboard in mail. The thing I have noticed in mail is that you sometimes get dropped into years old emails for no reason (maybe that is what is happening to him). The benifit I see in possibly trying a keyboard is that you friend will be less likely to become lost in a bunch of links from a misinterpreted swipe and it can be faster to type with. I don't have the kindle app, but I will check out what you listed as things he wanted to do, and reply later.

Bluethooth keyboad commands: http://help.apple.com/iphone/5/voiceover/en/iph6c494dc6.html

To get an idea of practical keyboard use/commands, you can see the following thread asking about spell check and getting the email read aloud. I'm trying to have VO read my emails on my iPad, I'm using an Apple bt keyboard and don't do gestures, how can I get the…

-AJ

Using Amazon app to search with the rotor:

First go to Settings> General> Accessibility > VoiceOver> Rotor> add Vertical Navigation to the rotor.

1. Turn on vertical navigation using the rotor.
2. As soon as the app is loaded, flick upwards until you get to the search field*. If you get to the status bar first, flick down.
3. Once you are on the search bar double tap anywhere to search.
4. When the search results load, you can change the rotor back to headings or lines if desired.

*You can also drag your finger near the top of the screen to find the search bar, or drag your finger across the bottom of the screen to find the search tab. If you don't want to use the rotor.

Using the Kindle App:

Try using flicks with vertical navigation or headings in the Kindle App library. The same works in iBooks.

Safari works well with either the rotor or simply dragging your finger on the screen and double tapping after you find what you want. Bookmarking or favoriting your frequent sites, will make them easier to locate as well. The best navigation setting will depend on the website and what you are doing. There are normally multiple ways of doing one thing with VO, find the way that works best for you.

This support article goes over the rotor and what the various options do:

https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204783

-AJ

Aloha AJ.

Very few contributors have even a passing knowledge of the Accessibility features. Thanks for going into such detail on VoiceOver.

Stay well. Bob.

You're welcome. AJ truly deserves the thanks though. 🙂

bobseufert wrote:

Aloha AJ.

Very few contributors have even a passing knowledge of the Accessibility features. Thanks for going into such detail on VoiceOver.

Stay well. Bob.

Bob,

Thank you. I try to share what I know with others.

AJ

You're welcome. Keep up the good work. 🙂