VoiceOver
A component of macOS <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacOS> , iOS
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS> , tvOS
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TvOS> , and watchOS
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WatchOS>
By using VoiceOver, the user can access their
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macintosh> Macintosh or
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS> iOS device based on spoken descriptions
and, in the case of the Mac, the
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Computer_keyboard> keyboard. The feature is
designed to increase accessibility for
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blindness> blind and
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-vision> low-vision users, as well as for
users with <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dyslexia> dyslexia.
macOS
VoiceOver was first introduced in Mac OS X 10.4
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X_Tiger> and the target was users who
had difficulty in reading due to vision impairment, particularly the blind
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blindness> . A preview had also been made
available for Mac OS X 10.3 <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mac_OS_X_Panther>
Panther, and was titled "Spoken Interface Preview."
VoiceOver treats the user interface as a hierarchy of elements, which are
navigated by various keystrokes. Elements also are "interacted" with-for
example, interacting with a text box allows reading its text and, if
possible, editing it; interacting with a scroll bar allows it to be moved
using the keyboard.
VoiceOver also includes support for many Braille displays
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refreshable_braille_display> for those who
are both blind and deaf <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaf> . In addition,
VoiceOver includes features for those that cannot use the mouse, such as
keyboard-based navigation.
For users with MacBooks <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MacBook> or Magic
Trackpads <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magic_Trackpad> , a number of
special multitouch <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-touch> features are
also available. The trackpad will respond to gestures, much like iOS's
version of VoiceOver. A specific example is using the trackpad to explore
the actual visual layout of elements on the screen - sliding one's finger
around the trackpad will activate elements.
In Mac OS X 10.5, Apple added the "Alex" voice, which offered improved
quality of speech and a more human-like sound. Previously, the voices were
directly descended from those used in Apple's "Speech Manager," which
originated in the early 1990s. Also, Alex voice has natural breathing,
unlike all other voices in Apple.
In Mac OS X 10.7, Apple offered the download of RealSpeak voices from Nuance
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuance_Communications> for use with
VoiceOver.
Accessibility Inspector
Accessibility Inspector is made to verify the accessibility of OS X
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OS_X> applications. It displays information
about the GUI <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphical_user_interface>
element that is currently under the cursor.
iPod Shuffle
After its success on Macs, Apple added VoiceOver to the iPod Shuffle
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_Shuffle> . This assists users of the
iPod Shuffle in controlling the playback of songs by having titles read out.
With the 2010 revision of iPod Shuffle, the user can also have VoiceOver
read out playlists. Unlike VoiceOver on OS X, where VoiceOver is marketed as
an accessibility feature, on the iPod Shuffle VoiceOver is intended to be
used by everyone, disabled or not.
iOS
A few months later, with the release of the iPhone 3GS
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone_3GS> , VoiceOver was added to iOS
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS> . When the iPod Touch
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_Touch> was upgraded to match the
hardware of the iPhone 3GS (in iPod touch's third generation
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_Touch#3rd_generation> ), it also gained
VoiceOver capability. The iPad <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPad> , since
its introduction, has also had VoiceOver capability.
VoiceOver on iOS interacts with the user by using various "gestures,"
different motions one makes with one or more fingers on the display. Many
gestures are location-sensitive-for example, sliding one's finger around the
screen will reveal the visual contents of the screen as the finger passes
over them. This enables blind users to explore the actual on-screen layout
of an application. A user can double-tap-similar to double-clicking
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double-clicking> a mouse-to activate a
selected element, just as if a sighted user had tapped the item.
VoiceOver can also turn off the display but leave the touch screen sensitive
to touch, saving battery power. Apple calls this feature "Screen Curtain".
It is also available on Mac computers running OS X
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OS_X> .
VoiceOver for iOS is activated using the "Settings" application. It can be
found in the Accessibility section under the General section. The device can
also be configured so that VoiceOver can be toggled by a triple-click of the
Home button on the device.
iPod nano
In September 2009, Apple launched this feature on the iPod nano
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPod_nano> line. It uses many of the same
gestures as the iOS version.
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