How to use a braille display with VoiceOver on iPad

With VoiceOver, you can connect a Bluetooth® wireless refreshable braille display and use it to control and navigate iPad and read what’s on the screen. The braille you type on the display is automatically translated into text, and the display shows what you’re typing in context. You can read and type using contracted or uncontracted braille, with support for many international braille tables.

You can also output closed captions in braille during media playback, and use a 2D braille display.

Connect a braille display and learn commands to control iPad

1. Turn on the braille display.
2. On iPad, open Settings, tap Bluetooth, turn on Bluetooth, and then choose the display.
3. On iPad, open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, tap Braille, and then choose the display.
4. To see the braille commands for controlling iPad, tap More Info. Tap Braille Commands.

Change the braille display settings

1. On iPad, open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, and then tap Braille.
2. Set any of the following:

   Setting	Description
   Match Input and Output Tables	Set the braille display to use the same method for both the input and read output.
   Input and Output	Choose the braille table you want to use to type braille input and output. You can choose from tables for additional languages as well as six-dot or eight-dot and contracted or uncontracted braille.
   Braille Screen Input	Choose the input method for entering braille using the screen. See Type braille directly on the iPad screen with VoiceOver.
   Braille Tables	Add tables to the braille table rotors.
   Braille Access	Quickly access braille notes, BRF files, and more using a braille display. See Change the braille display settings.
   Item Overview	Adjust the number of cells displayed per item. Press dots 6, 7, and 8 at the same time to turn Item Overview on or off.
   Automatic Translation	Turn this option on to automatically translate the braille you type into text soon after you stop typing.
   Status Cells	Turn on the general and text status cells and choose their location.
   Equations use Nemeth Code	Turn on Nemeth Code for mathematical equations.
   Show Onscreen Keyboard	Display the keyboard on the screen.
   Turn Pages when Panning	Automatically turn pages when panning.
   Word Wrap	Wrap words to the next line.
   Text Formatting	Display text formatting attributes like bold and italics.
   Use Underline Cursor	Display the cursor as an underline.
   Braille Alert Messages	When turned on, your braille display shows an alert message for the specified duration.
   Ignore Chord Duration	Adjust the amount of time required before subsequent key presses are recognized as braille chords.
   Auto Advance Duration	Adjust this setting to your preferred reading speed.
   Sound Curtain	When a braille display is connected to iPad, mute most sounds. Emergency alerts will still play sounds.
   Enable Bluetooth on Start	Automatically turn on Bluetooth when you turn on VoiceOver so that braille displays can connect to iPad.

Output closed captions in braille during media playback

1. On iPad, open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, and then tap Verbosity.
2. Choose Braille or Speech and Braille.

Use a 2D braille display

If you use a supported 2D braille display, the rotor switches between different output modes, like one mode for displaying images and another for reading text on multiple lines.

1. Connect your braille display to iPad.
2. With VoiceOver turned on, use the Braille Text Mode rotor to switch between output modes. See Control VoiceOver using the rotor.

See also

• Type braille directly on the iPad screen with VoiceOver
• Write with your finger in VoiceOver on iPad
• Accessibility features for vision on iPad