There are a series of features on your mobile phone that you probably don't know about.
They're examples of what's called 'assistive technology' (AT) - features that help you access the full range of your device's potential.
These features can help all of us be more efficient and effective in our daily lives.
They also help people with disabilities into employment and give better access to services.
But take up is low. Too often, disabled people and employers continue to perceive all AT as costly, bespoke equipment. The government has an important role in changing those perceptions.
Find out how assistive technology can help you, and join our call for the Government to change public perception.
- Android users: skip down to see your features below.
5 things you probably didn't know your iPhone could do
1. Control your whole phone from a single point
Assistive touch is a button that you can place anywhere on your screen which you can use to operate your whole device.
Change the volume, lock the screen, improve reachability - all through a single button, placed where it's most convenient for you.
This is helpful for people with physical impairments, injuries or low mobility, as well as being great if one of your buttons break.
2. Remove all distractions by limiting your phone to one app
If you want to focus your or someone else's attention on a single app, you can limit your phone's functionality using Guided Access.
This tool is good for those with learning disabilities, or for people who need help with maintaining attention.
Guided Access temporarily blocks access to other apps and the home button. You can set a timer, block out sections of the screen, and turn off the keyboard.
3. Cut out the background noise during your calls
Noise cancellation reduces ambient noise on phone calls when you are holding the receiver to your ear.
Handy for when taking calls in public spaces, and for people with hearing impairments.
4. Turn your phone into a magnifying glass
Your camera can double-up as a magnifier.
Zoom-in, invert the colours, and increase font size clearly.
This can be helpful to people who are colour-blind, have reduced vision, or just for very small text.
5. Navigate your phone when you can't see the screen
VoiceOver allows you to control your phone without seeing the screen.
A voice will describe what is on the screen, what you have selected, and what you can do from there.
This helps blind people navigate their phone, but also helps if your screen is smashed!
4 things you probably didn't know your Android could do
1. Your phone can read to you
Select to speak allows you to select items on your screen to be read aloud.
Just drag a box across some text, press play, and your phone will start reading to you.
Great for those with low vision, and when your eyes are just feeling too tired to read.
2. You can zoom-in on your screen
If there's something small on your screen that you can't see or read, you can zoom-in using Magnification.
Once enabled, just triple-tap on the screen and then zoom in/out by pinching.
Useful for people with low vision, or for when you've lost your glasses.
3. You can control your phone without touching it
Google Assistant allows you to navigate your whole device by just using your voice.
This helps people with visual or physical impairment, for people who have injured their hand, or for when you're cooking.
4. You can use hearing alone to find your apps
By enabling TalkBack, your phone will read aloud what app is selected, and what actions you can take - all without needing to see your screen.
This is especially useful for those with limited sight - but can also help when your screen is broken.
We need more assistive tech, and it needs to be mainstream
To do so is in the national economic interest. AT could have a transformative impact on the disability employment gap and is, in turn, a huge opportunity to break Britain's productivity deadlock.
We are calling on the Government to:
1. Introduce a new finance scheme for the daily living component of PIP. Claimants should have the option of a low interest loan to buy or lease assistive technology products
2. Ensure Access to Work is recommending mainstream technology to disabled employees, where appropriate. The Department should introduce an "Access to Work (training)" to provide specialist-led training on using assistive technology, including mainstream, built-in and app-based technologies
3. Incentivise the development of mainstream assistive technology, by making it a core feature in the its Industrial Strategy. Assistive technology should be one of the Industrial Strategy 'grand challenges’
4. Introduce criteria on assistive technology to Disability Confident. Employers at Leader level should procure accessible IT systems. The Government should commit to doing this for all new IT systems from April 2019
5. Work Coaches at Job Centre Plus should be encouraged to refer disabled claimants for assistive technology support through the Flexible Support Fund
6. Raise awareness of assistive technology to employers by dedicating a section of its Disability Confident portal to assistive technology
Read our full report, and follow us on Twitter to keep up with our future work.
The Work and Pensions Committee is a committee of 11 MPs from different political parties. They examine the work of the Department for Work and Pensions.
