Some people may have trouble reliably selecting individual buttons or keys due to tremors or lack of fine motor control. To assist these individuals, the Chat software provides several different methods of "filtering" user input to make selections more reliable.
Go to Menu > Application Settings > Input. The Access settings will be displayed at the top of the screen. Explore the Input settings to identify the most useful combination of Access options.
Button Timing
Go to Menu > Application Settings > Input > Timing. Three options are available for configuring all access options: Acceptance Time, Release Time, and Activate on Release.
Activate Buttons on Touch or Release
When you set Activate on Release, you can touch anywhere on the screen and drag your finger (or stylus) around until you are on the button you want. Releasing the button will select it.
Activate on Release toggles between activating the screen immediately upon touch or upon release. To set buttons to activate on release, go to Menu > Application Settings > Input > Timing. Select Activate on Release. A green checkmark shows that the option is selected.
To set buttons to activate when you first touch the screen, select Activate on Release. The green checkmark disappears, indicating that the option is not selected.
Set a Time for Button Activation
Acceptance time is the amount of time you must hold a button or switch to activate a button. Acceptance time ranges from 0 to 3 seconds. For example, if the acceptance time is set to 0.5, you must hold the button or switch for one-half second to make a selection.
When you set Acceptance Time, a button is not selected until you hold your finger on it for a certain period of time. You can set the Acceptance Time using the numeric control in the dialog.
Go to Menu > Application Settings > Input > Timing.
Select Acceptance Time.
Select Enable.
Select Time and set the time value you want. To increase the time, tap +. To decrease the time, tap –. Or use the keyboard to enter the exact time you want. Select OK.
Set a Time to Prevent Selection of a Button Twice
Note: Starting with Chat software release 2.26, Release Time affects the Speech Display Bar (SDB) as well as buttons.
Setting a Release Time helps prevent accidental selection of the same button twice. After a button selection, another button cannot be selected until the release time expires.
Go to Menu > Application Settings > Input > Timing.
Select Release Time.
Select Enable.
Select Time and set the time value you want. To increase the time, select +. To decrease the time, select –. Or use the keyboard to enter the exact time you want. Select OK.
Button Draw Effect
Some people may benefit from a visual indication when a button is selected. The Button Press Draw setting allows you to set the type of visual indication. Go to Menu > Application Settings > Input > Button Press Draw. The Draw Effect window provides three options: None, Normal, and Visual Effect.
None
If you select None, no visual indication will appear when you select a button.
Normal
If you select Normal, you will be able to enable or disable a gradient fill to use as the style of visual indication when you select a button.
Go to Menu > Application Settings > Style. Select Enable to turn on Gradient Fill. To add the appearance of depth, select Saturation, adjust the saturation level, and select OK.
Visual Effect
If you select Visual Effect, you can select from a variety of visual effects to use as the visual indication when you select a button.
If you do not select Visual Effect, Visual Effects will not be selectable. The summary text below Visual Effects will explain that this option depends on the Button Press Draw setting.
Visual Effects
Visual effects help you identify selected items. They provide feedback when you select a button, helping you better understand the relationship between buttons and their associated actions. Go to Menu > Application Settings > Input > Visual Effects to access the visual effects settings.
Outline: When Outline is turned on, an outline appears around the active area.
Outline Color: When Outline is turned on, Outline Color allows you to set the color of the outline.
Outline Width: When Outline is turned on, Outline Width allows you to set the width of the outline.
Translucent Overlay: When Translucent Overlay is turned on, a subtle trace of color appears over the active area.
Overlay Opacity: When Overlay is turned on, Overlay Opacity allows you to set how clearly the underlying image shows through the overlay. To allow less of the underlying image to show through, tap +. To allow more of the underlying image to show through, tap –. Then select OK.
Overlay Color: When Overlay is turned on, Overlay Color allows you to set the color of the overlay. Tap a color in the color selection window. The selected color appears in the circle to the right of Overlay Color.
Invert Colors: When Invert Colors is turned on, the colors of the active area are reversed. Dark areas become light, light areas become dark, and colors are replaced by their opposites—black and white are reversed, red becomes green, yellow becomes blue, etc.
Magnify: When Magnify is turned on, the active area is magnified.
Magnify Multiplier: When Magnify is turned on, Magnify Multiplier allows you to set the amount by which the active area is magnified. To increase the amount of magnification, tap +. To decrease the amount of magnification, tap –. Then select OK.
Animate Effects: When Animate Effects is turned on, the visual effects visibly move or grow when an area becomes active. You must turn on one or more visual effects for Animate Effects to work.
Auditory Effects
Some people may benefit from an auditory cue when a button is selected. The Input menu provides an option to toggle beeps on or off when a button is selected.
Go to Menu > Application Settings > Input.
Turn Beep on Button Press on or off.
Using Auditory Effects
Auditory effects (auditory prompts) are used to help the user identify selected items. They provide feedback when a button is selected, helping the user better understand the relationship between buttons and their associated actions.
To access the auditory effects settings, go to Menu > Application Settings > Input > Auditory Effects. Select Enable Auditory Effects to insert a checkmark.
Enable Auditory Effects: Turn auditory effects on or off.
Audio Output Device: Select Speaker or Earphone for listening to auditory effects.
Effect Volume: Adjust the volume of auditory effects.
Scanning Beep: Use a beep as the auditory effect instead of a speech prompt when scanning. When Scanning Beep is selected, “Listen to Entire Effect” is not available.
Button Auditory Effect: Choose to hear the button label or message used during button activations.
Voice Settings: Change the auditory effect voice settings.
To hear effects from the device speaker or an earphone or headset:
Select Audio Output Device to open a selection window.
Select Speaker or Earphone.
To set the auditory effects volume:
Use the Effect Volume setting to set how loud the auditory effect is when using the device speaker or an earphone or headset. This allows you to set a volume level for auditory effects that is different from the volume level for speech.
Select Effect Volume to open the Effect Volume window.
Slide your finger along the Effect Volume bar or tap the bar at a specific point.
To reduce volume, slide the bar to the left.
To increase volume, slide the bar to the right.
Select OK.
⚠️ Excessive volume or sound pressure level when using earphones or headphones can cause hearing loss over extended periods of time.
To hear a beep when you scan a button (for scanning only):
If you prefer to hear a beep instead of an auditory effect when you scan a button, select Scanning Beep to insert a checkmark.
To set what you hear when a button is activated:
Note: If Scanning Beep is selected, Button Auditory Effect will not be available. To enable Button Auditory Effect, de-select Scanning Beep.
With Enable Auditory Effects selected, select Button Auditory Effect to open a selection window. Select Speak Label or Speak Message.
If Speak Message is selected and you activate a button that has no message, you will hear the label.
If Speak Label is selected and you activate a button that has no label, you will hear the message.
If you activate a button that has neither a message nor a label, you will hear a beep.
To select the voice for auditory effects:
With Enable Auditory Effects selected, select Voice Settings. The Voice window opens.
Select the voice dropdown menu
to open a list of voices. Choose the voice you want. If necessary, adjust the voice’s talking speed.Slide your finger along the Rate bar or tap the bar at a specific point. To make the voice talk more slowly, slide the bar to the left. To make the voice talk faster, slide the bar to the right.
Select Test. If the rate is too slow or too fast, adjust the setting and select Test again.
When the voice is set the way you want, select Save.
Using Visual and Auditory Effects to Locate a Button
An individual with visual or cognitive impairment or attention disorder may benefit from using visual and/or auditory effects (auditory prompts) to identify which button to select on a vocabulary page. These effects provide cues to help the user identify buttons.
Using your access technique, step through the buttons to see or hear visual or auditory cues.
For a person who does not use a keyguard:
A visually impaired person who does not use a keyguard would turn Visual Effects or Auditory Effects (depending on their vision abilities) on in the Access settings and turn Activate on Release on in the Timing settings. That person could then drag a finger across the screen until a visual or auditory cue indicates the button he or she wants. When the person releases the finger, the button would activate.
To turn Visual Effects or Auditory Effects on, go to Menu > Application Settings > Input and select Visual Effects or Auditory Effects. To turn Activate on Release on, go to Menu > Application Settings > Input > Timing and select Activate on Release.
For a person who uses a keyguard:
A person who uses a keyguard may prefer to turn on the Fishing feature. This feature is intended to support a visually impaired person who needs to use a keyguard. When Fishing is turned on, selecting a button a second time activates the button after you see or hear the appropriate visual or auditory cue.
To turn fishing on, go to Menu > Application Settings > Input and select Fishing.