22. Accessibility

Accessibility enhancements open up the iPhone to users with disabilities. iPhone OS features allow users to magnify (or “zoom”) displays, invert colors, and more. As a developer, accessibility enhancement centers on VoiceOver, a way that visually impaired users can “listen” to their GUI. VoiceOver converts an application’s visual presentation into an audio description.

Don’t confuse VoiceOver with Voice Control or the Siri Assistant. The former is a method for presenting an audio description of a user interface and is highly gesture-based. The latter refer to Apple’s proprietary voice recognition technology for hands-free interaction.

This chapter briefly overviews VoiceOver accessibility. You read about adding accessibility labels and hints to your applications and testing those features in the simulator and on the iOS device. Accessibility is available and can be tested on third generation or later devices, including all iPads, the iPhone 3GS and later, and the third-generation iPod touch and later.