BARD Mobile iOS Accessibility Help
NLS Operations Alert No. 13-52

DATE: September 17, 2013
SUBJECT: Mobile app webinar recording available

The staff of NLS extends its thanks to those who participated in the BARD Mobile application webinar on Monday, September 16, 2013. We have received a lot of positive feedback on this first virtual presentation and plan continued enhancements to this new method of interacting with the network. The entire webinar is available as a video at the following links:

https://sites.google.com/a/nlsbph.org/BARDMobileapp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLzZvPdJ7dU

Please feel free to submit any questions you have about BARD Mobile to NLSTraining@loc.gov. If by chance you submitted a question and it was not answered during the live session, you may expect a response from NLS soon.

Feedback about the usefulness of the webinar, difficulties you may have encountered, or what you or NLS might have done differently is welcome. Send your comments to Paula Bahmani at phig@loc.gov.

NLS Operations Alert No. 13-43

DATE: July 25, 2013
SUBJECT: Recommendations for iOS mobile application

NLS is preparing to move into the beta-testing phase of the iOS BARD mobile application. During the several weeks following the launch of the Beta test, NLS will offer training opportunities to network libraries in preparation for the release of the application. In order to participate, network libraries will need access to an iOS device with either a data plan or a wireless Internet connection: an iPhone 3GS or later, a fourth- or fifth-generation iPod touch, or any iPad.

Network library staff should begin to familiarize themselves with VoiceOver and Zoom, two accessibility functions available on all iOS devices.

NLS recommends the following resources:

http://www.apple.com/accessibility/ios/
http://accessibility.umn.edu/tl_files/accessibility/podcasts/gestures.pdf
http://axslab.com/articles/ios-voiceover-gestures-and-keyboard-commands.php
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dVM2bzlPHik

A free VoiceOver training application that you can install on your device is available at http://www.looktel.com/vo-tutorial. It must be accessed from your device.

Questions about the content of this alert should be directed to your network consultant.

How to turn on Zoom

Zoom magnifies the entire screen:

  1. Settings
  2. General
  3. Accessibility
  4. Zoom (On)
Zoom Gestures
VoiceOver Tutorial

A free VoiceOver training application that you can install on your device is available at http://www.looktel.com/vo-tutorial.

How to turn on VoiceOver
  1. Settings
  2. General
  3. Accessibility
  4. VoiceOver (ON)
Single Finger VoiceOver Gestures

Touch & Explore (or) Touch & Drag

Touch and drag finger around the screen and the icons touched will be announced.
When the finger finds a button, that button's title will be spoken so the user knows what the button does when it is activated.

Single Tap

Tap the screen to activate the button, in other words, putting the button in focus.
If there is a button at the top left corner of the screen, tapping near that area will bring that button into focus.

Double Tap (or) Confirming Gesture (One of the most commonly used gestures)

When a desired item is selected or “in focus”, double-tap on the screen to confirm selection.

Double Tap and Hold or Pass-Through Gesture

Tap finger twice anywhere on the screen, and on the second tap, instead of lifting the finger, keep touching the screen until you hear three ascending tones.
Used to arrange apps or delete apps.
If an app requires a special gesture that VoiceOver does not recognize, you may perform the double-tap and hold, and follow that with a gesture of your choice to which the app may respond.

Flick Right or Left

Moves VoiceOver Focus.
Flicking Left moves the focus up the screen. The Flick Left gesture moves VoiceOver's focus back through items to the left, until you reach the top of the screen where you will hear a tone to let you know you cannot move any further.
Flicking Right moves the focus down the screen. The Flick right gesture moves VoiceOver's focus forward to the next element on the screen. This gesture is helpful for folks to learn the layout of a screen.

Two Finger VoiceOver Gestures

Split Tap (One of the most commonly used gestures)

Hold finger on a button and then tap the other finger anywhere else on the screen.
Use this gesture to do anything that a tap will do.

Two Finger Single Tap

Tap two fingers anywhere on the screen.
This gesture stops or restarts VoiceOver speaking. Performing this gesture at any time while VoiceOver is speaking interrupts the speech. Performing the gesture again will start the VoiceOver again from where it left off.

Two Finger Double Tap

Used to answer and end phone calls or play music or videos.

Two Finger Flick Down

This gesture will cause VoiceOver to read from the area of the screen in focus, restarting from the beginning.

Two Finger Flick Up

This gesture causes VoiceOver to begin reading at the top of the screen and continue until it reaches the end of all of the readable text.

Rotor Gesture

Place two fingers on the screen and turn the hand as if turning a door knob.

Three Finger VoiceOver Gestures

Three Finger Flicks

Braille Shortcut Keys

https://nlsbard.loc.gov/apidocs/BARDMobile.userguide.iOS.1.0.html#BrailleShortcutKeys7.3