Fiducia TalkDevice accessibility settings
Also called Accessibility settings, Accessibility features, Assistive settings, Ease of access
What every phone, tablet and computer already does for free, before anyone buys anything: switch access, touch tuning, voices, magnification and more.
Please note: This page is general information about communication and the ways people are supported to communicate. It is not an assessment, a diagnosis or speech and language therapy, and it does not know the person you have in mind. If you are worried about someone's speech, language or communication, ask a GP, a health visitor or a speech and language therapist. In an emergency, call 999; if you cannot speak, Relay UK on 18000 or the emergencySMS service reach the same operators.
What it is
Every modern phone, tablet and computer ships with a set of accessibility features built into its settings: switch control, head tracking, touch accommodations, a screen reader, magnification, larger text, colour filters, dictation, voice control, guided or kiosk mode, and a dozen more. They are free, they are already installed, and most families with a disabled member have never opened the menu.
They matter for communication because a communication app inherits them. Tune the device and every app on it gets easier.
Who it can help
Everybody, and first of all anyone who has been told they need to buy a dedicated device before they can try anything. A family with an old iPad and a £20 Bluetooth switch can trial switch scanning tonight. A person with a tremor can fix their touch in touch settings without a keyguard. A child with a short attention span can be kept inside one app with guided access.
They are not a complete answer for a person who needs eye gaze, a mount, a keyguard or a proper AAC assessment. And the menus are large and change with every update, which is why a written note of what is switched on is worth keeping.
How it works
On iPhone and iPad the menu is Settings, then Accessibility, grouped into vision (VoiceOver, zoom, display and text size, spoken content), physical and motor (touch accommodations, AssistiveTouch, switch control, voice control) and general (guided access). On Android it is Settings, then Accessibility, with TalkBack, switch access, magnification, interaction controls and select-to-speak. On Windows it is Settings, then Accessibility; on macOS, System Settings, then Accessibility. Chromebooks have their own.
Two under-used ones for communication: guided access or app pinning, which locks the device to the communication app so it cannot be swiped out of by accident or by a curious classmate; and the shortcut that triggers a chosen accessibility feature with a triple-press of a button, so a carer can turn switch control on and off in a second.
Getting started
This evening, open the accessibility menu on the person's own device and read every item in it. Turn on the two or three that describe a problem the person has. Set the accessibility shortcut to the one you will toggle most.
If the person uses a communication app, lock the device to it with guided access or app pinning, with a passcode the carers know. Then write down every setting you changed, with the date, and keep it with the communication passport, because a reset, a new device or an update will lose them.
Where to get help
AbilityNet runs My Computer My Way, a free, plain-language guide to the accessibility settings on every platform, and offers free home tech support for disabled people. The ACE Centre and CALL Scotland publish guides to using tablet accessibility features for AAC.
Tools we make that might help
These are our own products. We have put them here because they do something specific for this condition, not because every page needs a list.
Fiducia Talk
Runs in the browser on whatever phone or tablet is already in the house, with the device's own accessibility settings applied to it.
Last reviewed 2026-08-28 by Fiducia Together · Next review due 2027-08-28
Please note: This page is general information about communication and the ways people are supported to communicate. It is not an assessment, a diagnosis or speech and language therapy, and it does not know the person you have in mind. If you are worried about someone's speech, language or communication, ask a GP, a health visitor or a speech and language therapist. In an emergency, call 999; if you cannot speak, Relay UK on 18000 or the emergencySMS service reach the same operators.