SEP
07
2020
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Tip of the Month - September 2020 - Accessibility Settings for Android Devices
Accessibility Settings for Android Devices
Please note: different manufactures use different icons for their devices, so not all pictures below will look exactly the same as those on your particular device.
Accessing your Accessibility Settings
- Open your settings application
- Scroll down to Accessibility and select this
- Here you will find a range of Accessibility options which are detailed below
Vision
- A screen reader can be activated which provides spoken feedback to help blind and low vision users. It describes what you touch, select, and activate
- High contrast can be activated which uses more distinct colours to make text and apps easier to see for users with vision impairments
- A high contrast keyboard can also be activated
- Colour adjustments can be used to adjust the colour settings if a user has trouble seeing certain colours.
- Magnification can be used to increase the size of the content on the screen
- A large mouse/touchpad pointer can be turned on which will show where on the screen the user is touching
- Font size and font style on the screen can be changed to suit the users visual needs
Hearing
- Sound detectors can be turned on so the user will get an alert when the device hears things such as a doorbell or a baby crying
- Hearing aid support can be activated which will enhance the sound quality to work better with hearing aids
- Audio can be switched from stereo to mono for listening with one ear
- Closed captions can be turned on so that all audio can be transcribed onto the screen
- Speech to text can be turned on so that the user can use the devices microphone to have speech converted to text
Interaction
- People with access difficulties can use switches instead of touch to select items and take actions. To do this the universal switch setting must be turned on
- Assistance menu can be turned on for people that have difficulty with accessing the buttons on their device
- A setting can be activated that will click automatically on the screen when the pointer stops moving (called “click after the pointer stops”)
- “Answering and ending calls” settings consist of reading caller names aloud, pressing volume up to answer, automatically answering incoming calls and pressing the power key to end (these settings are all customisable)
- Interaction control can be activated which allows parts of the screen to be masked so they cannot be activated
- A dwell setting can be set so that the user will have to hold down on the screen for a set amount of time in order to activate the screen
- Repeated touches can be ignored so that if a user taps the screen multiple times it will only activate once
Voice Control
- Most android devices also have built in voice control software such as Bixby or S-Voice for Samsung and OK Google for all other android devices. This can be used to send texts and emails, make and receive phone calls, search the internet, play music, and a range of other useful activities (See this Tip of the Month regarding Voice control for Samsung for more information on this https://talklink.org.nz/resources/tip-of-the-month---june-2020---voice-control-for-samsung-devices)
- Also remember to take care of your voice when using this feature. This Tip of the Month has more information https://talklink.org.nz/resources/tip-of-the-month---july-2020---voice-care
Action Blocks
- Actions Blocks uses the Google Assistant to make it easier for people who may have a disability to use Android phones and tablets. With Action Blocks you add Assistant commands to your home screen with a custom image. Then you can select the Action Block – for example a photo – to trigger the corresponding assistant command, such as calling a loved one
- Download Action Blocks on the Google Play Store
Create Action Blocks
- Select the Action Blocks App
- Select Create Action Block
- Choose one of the common actions from the list such as Make a phone call
- Follow the easy prompts on your screen to add details to your Action Block
- If you want the device to speak the command aloud when the Action Block is pressed select Always speak this action out loud. If the actions includes sensitive information, consider deselecting the checkbox.
- To try out the Action Block, select Test Action
- Choose an image to appear on the home screen. To change the image, select Edit
- Enter an Action Block name
- Select Save Action Block
- Follow the prompts on your screen to add the action block to your home screen
- After you create an Action Block and Place it on your home screen, simply select the Action Block to perform the action
- After you set up Action Blocks, you can make adjustments so that the set up works better for you or your loved one.
Managing Action Blocks
- To edit or delete Action Blocks, open the Action Blocks app. Select and Action block to view options, including Edit, Delete, and more
- To add an Action Block to the home screen, Touch and Hold on the home screen until a menu pops up. Select Widgets, then find Action Blocks in the list of Widgets. From here select the Action Block you want on the screen.
- To move an Action Block on your home screen, Touch and Hold the Action Block on the home screen. Then Slide the Action Block to where you want it on the screen. Lift your finger to save.
- To resize an Action Block on you home screen, Touch and Hold the Action Block on the home screen. Lift your finger, you’ll see an outline with dots on the sides. To resize, drag the dots. When you are done, Tap outside the Action Block
References:
Google. (2020). Use Action Blocks with the Google Assistant. Google Help https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/answer/9711267
Created by Kadison Casey (OT) August 2020
To download this Tip of the Month as a PDF, please click here
Accessibility Settings for Android Devices
Please note: different manufactures use different icons for their devices, so not all pictures below will look exactly the same as those on your particular device.
Accessing your Accessibility Settings
- Open your settings application
- Scroll down to Accessibility and select this
- Here you will find a range of Accessibility options which are detailed below
Vision
- A screen reader can be activated which provides spoken feedback to help blind and low vision users. It describes what you touch, select, and activate
- High contrast can be activated which uses more distinct colours to make text and apps easier to see for users with vision impairments
- A high contrast keyboard can also be activated
- Colour adjustments can be used to adjust the colour settings if a user has trouble seeing certain colours.
- Magnification can be used to increase the size of the content on the screen
- A large mouse/touchpad pointer can be turned on which will show where on the screen the user is touching
- Font size and font style on the screen can be changed to suit the users visual needs
Hearing
- Sound detectors can be turned on so the user will get an alert when the device hears things such as a doorbell or a baby crying
- Hearing aid support can be activated which will enhance the sound quality to work better with hearing aids
- Audio can be switched from stereo to mono for listening with one ear
- Closed captions can be turned on so that all audio can be transcribed onto the screen
- Speech to text can be turned on so that the user can use the devices microphone to have speech converted to text
Interaction
- People with access difficulties can use switches instead of touch to select items and take actions. To do this the universal switch setting must be turned on
- Assistance menu can be turned on for people that have difficulty with accessing the buttons on their device
- A setting can be activated that will click automatically on the screen when the pointer stops moving (called “click after the pointer stops”)
- “Answering and ending calls” settings consist of reading caller names aloud, pressing volume up to answer, automatically answering incoming calls and pressing the power key to end (these settings are all customisable)
- Interaction control can be activated which allows parts of the screen to be masked so they cannot be activated
- A dwell setting can be set so that the user will have to hold down on the screen for a set amount of time in order to activate the screen
- Repeated touches can be ignored so that if a user taps the screen multiple times it will only activate once
Voice Control
- Most android devices also have built in voice control software such as Bixby or S-Voice for Samsung and OK Google for all other android devices. This can be used to send texts and emails, make and receive phone calls, search the internet, play music, and a range of other useful activities (See this Tip of the Month regarding Voice control for Samsung for more information on this https://talklink.org.nz/resources/tip-of-the-month---june-2020---voice-control-for-samsung-devices)
- Also remember to take care of your voice when using this feature. This Tip of the Month has more information https://talklink.org.nz/resources/tip-of-the-month---july-2020---voice-care
Action Blocks
- Actions Blocks uses the Google Assistant to make it easier for people who may have a disability to use Android phones and tablets. With Action Blocks you add Assistant commands to your home screen with a custom image. Then you can select the Action Block – for example a photo – to trigger the corresponding assistant command, such as calling a loved one
- Download Action Blocks on the Google Play Store
Create Action Blocks
- Select the Action Blocks App
- Select Create Action Block
- Choose one of the common actions from the list such as Make a phone call
- Follow the easy prompts on your screen to add details to your Action Block
- If you want the device to speak the command aloud when the Action Block is pressed select Always speak this action out loud. If the actions includes sensitive information, consider deselecting the checkbox.
- To try out the Action Block, select Test Action
- Choose an image to appear on the home screen. To change the image, select Edit
- Enter an Action Block name
- Select Save Action Block
- Follow the prompts on your screen to add the action block to your home screen
- After you create an Action Block and Place it on your home screen, simply select the Action Block to perform the action
- After you set up Action Blocks, you can make adjustments so that the set up works better for you or your loved one.
Managing Action Blocks
- To edit or delete Action Blocks, open the Action Blocks app. Select and Action block to view options, including Edit, Delete, and more
- To add an Action Block to the home screen, Touch and Hold on the home screen until a menu pops up. Select Widgets, then find Action Blocks in the list of Widgets. From here select the Action Block you want on the screen.
- To move an Action Block on your home screen, Touch and Hold the Action Block on the home screen. Then Slide the Action Block to where you want it on the screen. Lift your finger to save.
- To resize an Action Block on you home screen, Touch and Hold the Action Block on the home screen. Lift your finger, you’ll see an outline with dots on the sides. To resize, drag the dots. When you are done, Tap outside the Action Block
References:
Google. (2020). Use Action Blocks with the Google Assistant. Google Help https://support.google.com/accessibility/android/answer/9711267
Created by Kadison Casey (OT) August 2020
To download this Tip of the Month as a PDF, please click here