Apple has really made a huge difference in the way a lot of us think about accessibility. Where it used to be a fringe subject, it’s now mainstream because they build it into all of their iOS devices, into their apps and have even made it part of the central theme during keynotes and in their videos. Even with these great advancements, I often get asked for a resource to get in depth help in using accessibility features. I’m no expert, I just dabble in this for fun, but I know an expert.
This week, Shelly Brisbin has released her long-awaited book, iOS Access for All. Shelly is visually impaired, but she didn’t just write about blind accessibility in iOS, she covers tools that are built in for the hearing impaired, and how to enable switch access for those with motor control disabilities. I would say there’s more in the book about accessibility for the visually impaired, but I think that’s because that’s where more of the challenges and advances have been in iOS. She not only covers the tools for low-vision but also for the blind, especially using VoiceOver.
iOS Access for All is available at iosaccessbook.com. It comes in as an ePub format which is great because you can put it on your iOS device and get full access to the embedded links (and make it easier to read if you’re blind!) but you can also use a tool called Calibre to convert it to work on a Kindle or other device.
Shelly is brilliant in person and I think it’s brilliant that she’s come out with the very needed instructional book for only $20. Tell your friends! Now if someone would just write a book like this for OSX…