Assistive technology device and recruitment guide

Last Updated: April 9, 2025

This guide describes different types of assistive technology (AT) - including what it does, who uses it, and the names of different AT apps and settings. The guide also provides an index of AT apps for quick reference and tips to improve recruitment for AT research cohorts.

Researchers and recruiters can use this guide to determine:

• What users of AT you want to recruit

• What to call specific types of AT in your recruitment questions

• If the AT in use by a potential participant meets your recruitment criteria

• How to ensure that participants are using the AT they signed up with

What is assistive technology (AT)?

AT is any technology that increases access to digital content and devices for people with disabilities.

This includes technology that:

• Lets your control your devices without seeing the screen by reading the content out loud and announcing your actions (screen readers)

• Lets you control your devices without using a keyboard and mouse (speech recognition/voice command, switch controls)

• Increases the size of on-screen elements so they’re easier to see (magnification)

• Reads content out loud to you (text-to-speech)

• Answers questions/does tasks for you (digital assistants)

The Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO) typically tests products with users of screen readers, speech recognition/voice command apps, and magnification.

Types of assistive technology

Screen readers

Screen readers allow people who are blind or low-vision to use a computer or mobile device. A  screen reader is a piece of software that, when active, announces user inputs, text, and pretty much anything you can interact with on the device. Users control their device using the screen reader.

Common screen readers

Voice command/speech recognition apps

Voice command/speech recognition apps allow users with motor issues to control a device using their voice. After activating the app, the user uses their voice to interact with their device’s interface using commands like “Scroll down,” “Close window,” or “Click ‘Contact us’.” These apps essentially take the place of a keyboard and mouse.

Common voice command/speech recognition apps

Magnification

Magnification allows users who are low-vision to zoom in on content on a device’s screen. There are different ways to magnify the screen:

• Increase text size in the browser

• Increase text size across the entire device, at the operating system level

• Use a magnification app to zoom in on a specific area of the screen (like a magnifying glass)

Common magnification apps and settings

Switch controls

Switch controls allow users with limited mobility to control their device using a single input, or “switch,” rather than a keyboard, mouse, voice, or touch controls. Users can plug in an external device (a button or joystick, for example) to serve as the control. They can also use head movements or sounds to serve as the switch.

Switch control functionality is built into devices under different names.

Text-to-speech (TTS) apps

Text-to-speech (TTS) apps read designated content out loud to a user. They’re useful for people who have cognitive issues, get headaches from screen use, or simply better process information when it’s read aloud.

TTS users do not qualify as “screen reader” users.

TTS functionality is built into some browsers and apps - users can ask a web page to be read out loud. There are also standalone TTS apps that can take in content from a web page, PDF, Office document, or image. TTS apps do not let you navigate a device - they simply read text out loud.

Common TTS apps

Digital assistants

Digital assistants use artificial intelligence (AI) to process a user’s question or command and take an action. They allow users to take or make calls, send messages, search the web, and do other tasks. Digital assistants can take action on a user’s behalf, but they aren’t a direct mouse/keyboard/tap analog.

Digital assistant users do not qualify as “voice command/speech recognition” users.

Common digital assistants

Assistive technology app index

The following is a list of all the AT listed in this guide, in alphabetical order by name. Use this as a quick reference to look up specific AT.

Tips for recruiting AT users

Take these actions before, during, and after each research session to improve your recruitment practices moving forward.

Before the session

• Researchers should use the recommended AT screener questions to ensure that potential participants use AT every time they use the Internet, are willing to join the research session using the AT, and specify the AT and device they plan to use.

• Recruiters should call participants in advance to confirm the AT and device they plan to use in the study. On the call, make sure that:

  • You and the participant have the same understanding of the AT in question (is the app they plan to use a “screen reader” or “text-to-speech”?)

  • The participant uses the AT every time they use the Internet, and is comfortable using it on the device they signed up with, and to access websites.

During the session

• Researchers can ask the participant to share their screen at the beginning of the session. This will quickly show whether the participant is using the expected AT, different AT, or no AT at all.

• If the participant isn’t using any AT, you can cancel the session within the first 15 minutes of the start time. The participant will be compensated, and Perigean will try to recruit a new participant.

After the session

If the participant uses different AT than anticipated, let the recruiter know so they can update their database.

Examples:

• A participant is listed as a screen reader user but uses Speechify, a text-to-speech app. Let the recruiter know that they are a TTS user, not a screen reader user.

• During the session, you discover that the participant can use JAWS on a Windows laptop, but prefers using VoiceOver on their iPhone. They only signed-up to use JAWS for the sake of the study and aren’t very comfortable using it. Let the recruiter know the participant’s preference.

• The participant reveals that they don’t use AT at all - they thought “ZoomText” was the same as “Zoom,” the online meeting platform. Tell the recruiter to remove that participant from the AT database.

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