With VoiceOver, you can connect a Bluetooth® wireless refreshable braille display and use it to control and navigate iPhone 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 iPhone
- Turn on the braille display.
- On iPhone, open Settings, tap Bluetooth, turn on Bluetooth, and then choose the display.
- On iPhone, open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver and tap Braille. Then choose the display.
- To see the braille commands for controlling iPhone, tap More Info and tap Braille Commands.
Change the braille display settings
- On iPhone, open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, and then tap Braille.
- Set any of the following:
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Match Input and Output Tables | Set the braille display to use the same table 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. |
| Braille Tables | Add tables to the braille table rotors. |
| Braille Access | Quickly access braille notes, BRF files, and more using a braille display. |
| 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 iPhone, 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 iPhone. |
Output closed captions in braille during media playback
- On iPhone, open Settings, tap Accessibility, tap VoiceOver, and then tap Verbosity.
- Choose Braille or Speech and Braille.
Use a 2D braille display
On a supported 2D braille display, you can switch between different output modes with the rotor, like a mode for displaying images or one for reading text on multiple lines.
- Connect your braille display to iPhone.
- With VoiceOver turned on, use the Braille Text Mode rotor to switch between output modes.
Tags: accessibility, VoiceOver
