Zorro: Keyboard shortcuts on USB KeyBoard

Esc – analogue of the “back” button; Win + Esc – analogue of the “home” button; Ctrl + Esc – analogue of the “menu” button; Alt + Tab – switch between applications; Ctrl + Space – switch layouts; Ctrl + P – open settings; Ctrl + M – manage installed applications; Ctrl + W – […]

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Zorro: Gestures on Android

Zorro After turning on TalkBack, you can also use Explore by touch, which reads screen elements when you move your finger over them. Faster movements are considered gestures. Explore by touch can only be used with TalkBack. The system prompts you to activate this feature the first time you turn on TalkBack. If you do […]

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Review of Foreign-Language Speech Synthesizers for Android

A speech synthesizer is the main means of obtaining information about the contents of the screen for a blind computer user, and when there is no alternative in the form of a braille display, it is generally the only one. Due to the fact that support for working with tactile displays in the Android platform is […]

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Android OS Availability Q&A

The material provides answers to basic questions on the accessibility of the Android operating system for users with visual impairments and is intended to quickly obtain information on the most common difficulties in mastering this platform for a blind or visually impaired person. The data is grouped into several categories, allowing the user to choose […]

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Additional specialized software for the blind on Android OS. Part 1

In addition to existing screen readers, blind users of the Android operating system may be interested in other software designed to solve some additional tasks. Below is a list of the most interesting programs of this kind, specially designed for users with disabilities. The list does not claim to be complete and can be supplemented, but, […]

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How to download OpenStreetMap maps

In this practical article, we will consider services that help download maps from the OpenStreetMap online service for subsequent conversion to other cartographic formats to use them offline without an Internet connection. It is summer now, and for many, this is the main time to travel. Therefore, it’s time to get navigators, or put special […]

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The Basics of Android Accessibility

Enabling Accessibility Devices with Android 4.0 On devices running Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and above, accessibility can be enabled from the initial setup screen. After turning on the device for the first time, draw a closed rectangle with your finger, starting from the upper left corner of the touch screen: draw a straight line from […]

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Prelaunch Preparation for working with the Android OS

So, let’s try to understand the steps that need to be taken to launch and initially configure the accessibility tools of the Android operating system, as well as get acquainted with those platform features that may be unusual for inexperienced users of mobile devices. User authorization Modern trends in the development of the industry of […]

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Building the Spiel Screen Reader

The Spiel screen reader for the Android operating system is an open source project, so anyone can independently modify and compile its sources, subject to the provisions of the Apache 2.0 license . Unfortunately, the documentation of the project leaves much to be desired, and some materials on the official wiki often do not correspond to the current state of […]

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