Using the iPad is a totally different experience from using an ordinary computer because you don't have a physical keyboard or a mouse to point to the screen. You may find the touch interface even easier to use than a traditional keyboard and mouse. Plus you can use some built-in features to make your iPad even more accessible.

The iPad can invert its color scheme so that text appears in high-contrast white on black. Also, your iPad can make it easy to zoom in on the screen to quickly enlarge images and text.

The iPad can also use a synthesized voice to read the various text, buttons, and controls on the screen. As you slide your fingers over the screen, your iPad will read whatever your finger is touching, so you'll know whether it's a button you want to press.

If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may want to turn on closed captioning when you watch videos. You can also switch the audio to mono (rather than stereo), which can be easier to hear if your hearing is better in one ear than the other.

In this chapter, you will learn how to make your iPad accessible.