4 ms·

I develop iPad accessibility software for people who have dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, MS, etc. The iPad is a godsend. The large screen couples well with

by jph 3y ago

I develop iPad accessibility software for people who have dementia, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, MS, etc. The iPad is a godsend. The large screen couples well with easy-grip shock-resistant spill-proof cases and attachments. My wishlist for accessibility: louder speaker (as the article mentions), and accessibility settings for a simplified patient-mode UI/UX versus a full-featured caregiver-mode. For example, zero-visibility interfaces (such as swipe up from bottom) are too complex for many of my users to understand and use. I'm hoping that as SwiftUI matures, adding a simpler UI/UX will become easier.

maxxam 3y ago
I think Assistive Access in iOS 17 would fit the bill for the simplified patient UI. https://medium.com/the-useful-tech/apples-new-accessibility-features-are-simply-mind-blowing-ios-17-5ecfedf286b3 https://medium.com/the-useful-tech/apples-new-accessibility-...
- prime17569 3y ago
  This. Apps can declare support for Assistive Access by adding UISupportsFullScreenInAssistiveAccess = YES to their Info.plist: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/information_property_list/uisupportsfullscreeninassistiveaccess https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/in... There isn't any other way to further integrate into the feature though.
hnbear 3y ago
My father is 84 with cognitive degeneration. He’s used an iPhone for years but is stuck on an old one with the home button purely because we don’t think he’ll transition to swiping up. His short term memory is shot, learning new behaviors is tough, and his fine motor skills aren’t great. Some of the adaptive settings help, but the home button is so easy. Could someone not build the case you mention (shock, spill proof, easy hold) with a big speaker in it?
- nordsieck 3y ago
  > He’s used an iPhone for years but is stuck on an old one with the home button purely because we don’t think he’ll transition to swiping up. Not sure if you know this, but the latest iPhone SE still uses the iPhone 8 body complete with home button. Depending on which phone he's on, it might be a good idea to upgrade; all of the rumors that I've heard are that Apple will make the next SE on a different body.
  - onedognight 3y ago
    I switched my mother, who also has cognitive decline, from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone SE to keep the same shape and the home button. She was never able to master the upward swipe on her new iPad. Changing to the newer iOS was challenging for her due to the significantly smaller and pushed to the top call answering buttons. Apple does a lot for accessibility, but I really wish they had an “old persons mode”.
    - easton 3y ago
      It’s coming in iOS 17: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-speech-personal-voice-and-more-new-accessibility-features/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-s...
    - username190 3y ago
      iOS 17 is supposed to come with a new "Assistive Access" setting[0] which is intended to be an "old person's mode" with limited but pronounced functionality. In the meantime, you should be able to solve the call banner issue through a relatively hidden setting; Settings > Phone > Incoming Calls > "Full Screen" should put things back to the way they were. [0] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-speech-personal-voice-and-more-new-accessibility-features/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-s...
    - dantastic 3y ago
      I believe that the "top call answering buttons" is the banner for incoming call?. You can change that to be a full-screen one in settings-> phone -> incoming calls. If that's what you mean? I really dislike the little banner thing and much prefer a full-screen image of whoever's calling.
CobaltFire 3y ago
My son is semi-nonverbal and autistic and this is a real pain point for us. We use amazon fire tablets simply because they DO have a kids (simplified) mode. Google has a version for Android on tablets, but they don't support it well. iOS has exactly nothing. iOS also sucks in that trying to load all his favorite shows for when we are out is near impossible (I have them loaded on an SD card on the fire). Ideal, no, but when he's stressed he throws a blanket over his head and tunes into a show he likes to control what he can. It gets us through the day.
- thatfrenchguy 3y ago
  This is coming in iOS 17 btw: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-speech-personal-voice-and-more-new-accessibility-features/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-s...
- msh 3y ago
  Is it just not a question of the right app? If you install VLC or infuse you can easily side load videos.
  - majjam 3y ago
    Seconded, this is what I do.
  - goosedragons 3y ago
    Probably more annoying to do that rigamarole with iTunes than just copying videos onto a microSD card? Plus iPad storage is expensive while a 512GB microSD card will run you $30 these days.
    - msh 3y ago
      You dont have to do it using itunes. Both infuse and VLC can be a webserver you can copy files to and other options. See https://support.firecore.com/hc/en-us/articles/215091017-Browser-Wi-Fi-Upload https://support.firecore.com/hc/en-us/articles/215091017-Bro... But certainly, a SD card is cheap storage.
SN76477 3y ago
Zero-visibility interfaces are a challenge even for me. Often they overlap with other "swipe" features giving unexpected results There is no manual to explain them (that I know of), one must stumble across them which often leads to frustrating results.
- bemusedthrow75 3y ago
  Yes. The fact that there are _two_ top-down swipes on the home screen that start within half an inch of each other is nutty. One of those swipes (notifications) fights with every other top-down swipe in an app _and_ the window-dragging swipe in Stage Manager, which only works on the three dots. I find these frustrating and I have no co-ordination issues.
- ChrisRR 3y ago
  This has always been my argument against people who claim iOS is "easier" to use for the average user. If basic functionality is hidden behind press and hold, multifinger gestures, or swiping hidden items and you're not going to teach a user how to use them, then they may as well not exist. If you're going to tie fundamental behaviour to unintuitive behaviour, then you have to make sure it's both easy to perform once learnt, and that you actually teach people how to use it.
tomcam 3y ago
My iPhone 14 Pro Max speakers have surprisingly good volume, stereo separation, and audio quality
- faeriechangling 3y ago
  The audio quality is partially an outcome of Apple making the phone absurdly heavy.
  - tomcam 3y ago
    Yes, and absurdly huge. If I could pay the exact same price for my phone, but have it the size oven, Apple, iPhone 4 I would do it in a heartbeat.
    - tomcam 3y ago
      Thank you Siri. I meant “have it the size of an apple iPhone 4”

by jph 3y ago

maxxam 3y ago

I think Assistive Access in iOS 17 would fit the bill for the simplified patient UI. https://medium.com/the-useful-tech/apples-new-accessibility-features-are-simply-mind-blowing-ios-17-5ecfedf286b3 https://medium.com/the-useful-tech/apples-new-accessibility-...

prime17569 3y ago
This. Apps can declare support for Assistive Access by adding UISupportsFullScreenInAssistiveAccess = YES to their Info.plist: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/information_property_list/uisupportsfullscreeninassistiveaccess https://developer.apple.com/documentation/bundleresources/in... There isn't any other way to further integrate into the feature though.

hnbear 3y ago

My father is 84 with cognitive degeneration. He’s used an iPhone for years but is stuck on an old one with the home button purely because we don’t think he’ll transition to swiping up. His short term memory is shot, learning new behaviors is tough, and his fine motor skills aren’t great. Some of the adaptive settings help, but the home button is so easy. Could someone not build the case you mention (shock, spill proof, easy hold) with a big speaker in it?

nordsieck 3y ago
> He’s used an iPhone for years but is stuck on an old one with the home button purely because we don’t think he’ll transition to swiping up. Not sure if you know this, but the latest iPhone SE still uses the iPhone 8 body complete with home button. Depending on which phone he's on, it might be a good idea to upgrade; all of the rumors that I've heard are that Apple will make the next SE on a different body.
- onedognight 3y ago
  I switched my mother, who also has cognitive decline, from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone SE to keep the same shape and the home button. She was never able to master the upward swipe on her new iPad. Changing to the newer iOS was challenging for her due to the significantly smaller and pushed to the top call answering buttons. Apple does a lot for accessibility, but I really wish they had an “old persons mode”.
  - easton 3y ago
    It’s coming in iOS 17: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-speech-personal-voice-and-more-new-accessibility-features/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-s...
  - username190 3y ago
    iOS 17 is supposed to come with a new "Assistive Access" setting[0] which is intended to be an "old person's mode" with limited but pronounced functionality. In the meantime, you should be able to solve the call banner issue through a relatively hidden setting; Settings > Phone > Incoming Calls > "Full Screen" should put things back to the way they were. [0] https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-speech-personal-voice-and-more-new-accessibility-features/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-s...
  - dantastic 3y ago
    I believe that the "top call answering buttons" is the banner for incoming call?. You can change that to be a full-screen one in settings-> phone -> incoming calls. If that's what you mean? I really dislike the little banner thing and much prefer a full-screen image of whoever's calling.

CobaltFire 3y ago

My son is semi-nonverbal and autistic and this is a real pain point for us. We use amazon fire tablets simply because they DO have a kids (simplified) mode. Google has a version for Android on tablets, but they don't support it well. iOS has exactly nothing. iOS also sucks in that trying to load all his favorite shows for when we are out is near impossible (I have them loaded on an SD card on the fire). Ideal, no, but when he's stressed he throws a blanket over his head and tunes into a show he likes to control what he can. It gets us through the day.

thatfrenchguy 3y ago
This is coming in iOS 17 btw: https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-speech-personal-voice-and-more-new-accessibility-features/ https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2023/05/apple-previews-live-s...
msh 3y ago
Is it just not a question of the right app? If you install VLC or infuse you can easily side load videos.
- majjam 3y ago
  Seconded, this is what I do.
- goosedragons 3y ago
  Probably more annoying to do that rigamarole with iTunes than just copying videos onto a microSD card? Plus iPad storage is expensive while a 512GB microSD card will run you $30 these days.
  - msh 3y ago
    You dont have to do it using itunes. Both infuse and VLC can be a webserver you can copy files to and other options. See https://support.firecore.com/hc/en-us/articles/215091017-Browser-Wi-Fi-Upload https://support.firecore.com/hc/en-us/articles/215091017-Bro... But certainly, a SD card is cheap storage.

SN76477 3y ago

Zero-visibility interfaces are a challenge even for me. Often they overlap with other "swipe" features giving unexpected results There is no manual to explain them (that I know of), one must stumble across them which often leads to frustrating results.

bemusedthrow75 3y ago
Yes. The fact that there are _two_ top-down swipes on the home screen that start within half an inch of each other is nutty. One of those swipes (notifications) fights with every other top-down swipe in an app _and_ the window-dragging swipe in Stage Manager, which only works on the three dots. I find these frustrating and I have no co-ordination issues.
ChrisRR 3y ago
This has always been my argument against people who claim iOS is "easier" to use for the average user. If basic functionality is hidden behind press and hold, multifinger gestures, or swiping hidden items and you're not going to teach a user how to use them, then they may as well not exist. If you're going to tie fundamental behaviour to unintuitive behaviour, then you have to make sure it's both easy to perform once learnt, and that you actually teach people how to use it.

tomcam 3y ago

My iPhone 14 Pro Max speakers have surprisingly good volume, stereo separation, and audio quality

faeriechangling 3y ago
The audio quality is partially an outcome of Apple making the phone absurdly heavy.
- tomcam 3y ago
  Yes, and absurdly huge. If I could pay the exact same price for my phone, but have it the size oven, Apple, iPhone 4 I would do it in a heartbeat.
  - tomcam 3y ago
    Thank you Siri. I meant “have it the size of an apple iPhone 4”