Basic Terminology for Apple Accessibility

What Is Covered?

This post aims to define basic terms that most users of Apple's accessibility products know, but that may confuse newcomers. The focus is on iPhone and iPad, but when something applies to the Mac, Apple Watch, or other product lines as well, it is mentioned.

Which Operating Systems Are Which?

An operating system is the software you use when you interact with a computer. Windows, macOS, Linux, iPadOS, and other examples are all operating systems. They let computers do useful things for us, and are what apps run atop. Apple products use the following operating systems:

• iPhone and iPod Touch run iOS
• iPad runs iPadOS
• Apple Watch runs watchOS
• Apple TV runs tvOS
• Mac computers run macOS (formerly known as OS X)
• Apple Vision Pro runs visionOS

What is VoiceOver?

VoiceOver is the screen reader that comes on all modern Apple products. It allows blind and low-vision users to hear what is on the screen, which makes it possible to do just about everything a sighted user can do. It lets people use special touch screen gestures or keyboard commands to get things done, and it outputs information using synthesized speech, braille, or both. VoiceOver is provided on just about all Apple products made in or after 2007, except some early versions of iPhone and iPod Touch.

What is Zoom?

Zoom is a feature that enlarges the content displayed on an Apple device's screen. It can do this across the whole screen, or only within a certain area, and it offers additional viewing options. You can invert colors, for instance, to make text easier to read.

What is a gesture?

When talking about using VoiceOver, you very often hear the term 'gesture' used to describe an action to be taken. A gesture is simply a motion to be performed with your fingers to tell VoiceOver to do something, in much the same way a keystroke on a computer is used to tell the computer to do something. Common gestures are 'swiping', 'tapping', or 'rotating' with one, two, three, or four fingers (note that rotating is only ever done with two fingers). You normally use gestures on products that don't have keyboards, such as iPhone, but macOS supports VoiceOver gestures on the trackpad.

What is Braille Screen Input?

Braille Screen Input, often shortened to BSI, is a system introduced in iOS8 that lets you type braille directly on your device's touch screen. It supports different hand orientations, offers a great many braille languages, and even has commands that let you navigate your text without leaving BSI. As of iOS and iPadOS 18, BSI can also be used to emulate braille keyboard commands, letting you use your device in a whole new way.