Connecting Scotland is a Scottish Government initiative managed by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations. Find out more
Foundation Digital Skills
Each person will have different skills and confidence levels. You’ll need to figure out what their starting point is, and understand what support they’ll need from you.
You can use the Foundation Digital Skills to find out where your learner is just now.
Focusing on these skills, and allowing enough time to work through them at your learner’s pace, can help them start to build the confidence to move from device to device.
It’s vital that learners are able to:
• turn the device on/off
• use the keyboard and touchpad (Chromebook) or touchscreen (iPad)
• use the controls to make it easier to use e.g. volume buttons, accessibility settings
• interact with the home-screen and apps
• connect to the internet
• create a safe and secure password
• know not to share their passwords with anyone else
Other tasks
After you’ve helped your learner feel confident using their device, you can move onto a task with a specific outcome.
This should be something that the learner wants to achieve from now being online. For example, using video calling.
Accessibility settings
iPads and Chromebooks have accessibility settings for learners who have:
- hearing, sight or mobility impairments
- trouble remembering, learning new things and concentrating
These settings can help make it easier to use the controls, make text bigger, change colours and use your voice to control the device.
In both devices, the accessibility settings can be switched on and changed as part of the device set-up.
You’ll get an idea of which ones will help your learner get the most from their device when you have your introductory call.
iPad accessibility features
This guide covers all the accessibility features available on the iPad, including those you can switch on and change during device set-up.
There are videos and step-by-step guides that show how to use iPad accessibility features:
• making your iPad read text to you (Speak Screen)
• magnifying your iPad screen (Zoom) and here’s the step-by step guide
• using VoiceOver on your iPad (for learners who are blind or with limited vision) and a step-by-step guide
• change the ways colours are seen on your iPad
• using AssistiveTouch on your iPad for people who have difficulty using the touchscreen, and a step-by-step guide
• adjusting touch settings on your iPad for individuals with limited dexterity or hand strength
• using Apple’s voice assistant, Siri
Chromebook accessibility features
Chromebook Help lists all the Chromebook accessibility features. You can find them under ‘Explore Accessibility’.
These videos show how to use the following features:
• mobility-assistive features and functionality these help if your learner finds it difficult to use the touch pad or type on the physical keyboard
• using your voice to enter text
There are also free resources and guidance on accessibility on the AbilityNet website.