Using Switches to Access Communication Devices and Apps

Switch Accessible Apps List

Jane Farrall has an amazing list of apps for tablets that are switch accessible. Check out her list on the following link.

http://www.janefarrall.com/switch-accessible-apps-for-ipadiphone-non-aac/

Ablenet Switch Selection Guide

Ablenet has a wonderful guide to their switches, including information on switch type, activation type, mounting, etc…

https://www.ablenetinc.com/downloads/dl/file/id/602/product/133/switch_selection_grid.pdf

Switches and the iPad

The iPad can also be accessed using switches. The device now allows for the use of row column scanning. To connect the iPad to a switch, you will need to use a Bluetooth switch interface. There are several available on the market at this time. These include, but may not be limited to, the following:

• Blue2 Bluetooth Switch, by Ablenet
• the Tecla Shield, by Tecla
• Bluetooth Switch Interface (BSI), by RJ Cooper

These interfaces are paired to the iPad via Bluetooth. The switch is then plugged into the interface. At this time, it is not possible to do mouse emulation on the iPad. However, iOS 10 allows the user to design and implement switch “recipes” to perform different actions, such as turning the page of a book.