BARD Mobile iOS (version 2.0)

Table of Contents

Section 1: Welcome

Welcome to the BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download) Mobile app user guide for iOS devices. It will guide you through the various features of BARD Mobile, an app that allows you to download and read books from the NLS BARD website using an iOS phone or tablet. Screenshots in this guide are visual representations of the BARD Mobile screens and may match VoiceOver representations.

1.1: Access to BARD

Use of BARD Mobile is restricted to eligible NLS patrons who have a BARD account. If you are not currently a patron of NLS, please read about the NLS eligibility requirements and learn about signing up for service.

Eligible NLS patrons with a BARD account can use the BARD Mobile for iOS app. If you do not have a BARD account, click this link to bring you to the BARD application instructions. BARD Mobile operates on an iPhone or iPad running iOS 11 through 15. Connectivity from a wireless carrier or a Wi-Fi provider is required to download material from BARD.

When you sign up for service, you will receive a username and a temporary password. You will need to go to the BARD website to create a permanent password. The user makes their own password for BARD Mobile, which cannot contain the following special characters: ampersand (&), percent (%), less than (<), greater than (>), quote ("), or apostrophe ('). Be sure to update the security question so the password can be reset by the user if need be.

1.2: Operating BARD Mobile

BARD Mobile is completely accessible to visually impaired individuals when used with Zoom or the VoiceOver screen reader, two standard features on iOS.

Zoom is a built-in magnifier that allows you to adjust screen magnification up to 500 percent. Zoom will not affect gestures used to operate BARD Mobile and works with VoiceOver.

VoiceOver is gesture-based and allows blind or visually impaired individuals to interact with items on the screen. You do not need Zoom or VoiceOver to use BARD Mobile. However, if using VoiceOver, you may find enabling the Hints feature helpful.

Gestures used to operate BARD Mobile with VoiceOver are different when operating BARD Mobile without VoiceOver. With VoiceOver you can flick your finger to the right or left to hear what content is on a screen and double tap buttons to select an item, rather than the single tap required without VoiceOver. A few functions require additional gestures. Also, while using the Hints feature, VoiceOver provides verbal prompts describing which gestures need to be used to complete an action. This occurs whenever a gesture is performed.

Unless otherwise noted in the user guide, standard VoiceOver gestures should be applied if you use VoiceOver to interact with BARD Mobile.

If you would like to learn more about Zoom or VoiceOver, please visit Apple's accessibility website for iOS devices at https://apple.com/accessibility/iphone/vision External. 

To activate Zoom or VoiceOver on your device, go to Settings> Accessibility if you are running iOS 13 or later, or Settings> General> Accessibility if you are running an earlier iOS version.

1.3: BARD Installation and Login

To install BARD Mobile for iOS, go to the App Store on your device and search for BARD Mobile. Once selected, press the Download button and when the download is complete, press the Open button. A new screen titled BARD service agreement shows the NLS Mobile End-User License Agreement. Once you have reviewed the document, you can scroll to the bottom of the page, place a checkbox in the Agree text field, and press the Start button. The screen then updates to the BARD Account screen. You can press Done, which is in the same position as the Start button from the previous page. VoiceOver announces the word “agree.” Then flick to this button and select. The Start button is at the bottom of the screen, and if you want to verify that the Agree button was selected, flick back to the Agree button, and VoiceOver will confirm by saying “selected agree.”

After you have selected the Start button, a BARD login screen will appear. Provide your BARD account login information here. Enter your username in the username text field following the Login Information heading and enter your password in the password text field that directly follows the username text field. Select the Return button on the on-screen keyboard or the Done button, if it’s active, on the bottom right corner of the keyboard to complete the login.

BARD Mobile will remember your username and password and users should only have to provide this information once unless you change the password through the BARD website. You are now ready to download books to your iOS device!

Section 2: Getting Started

BARD Mobile includes various features and functions to help you get the most out of the app. This section provides an overview of these features as you get started.

2.1: Tab Bar and Page Header

In BARD Mobile for iOS, the main navigation bar is called the Tab Bar. It is at the bottom of the screen. The navigation bar has four tabs: Bookshelf, Get Books, Settings, and Now Reading. These tabs represent the four main screens of the application. The Now Reading tab is only available when a title has been opened to read.

Each screen of BARD Mobile has a heading on the navigation bar at the top of the screen, directly below the device status bar, which displays information about your device, such as the current time and battery life. The heading provides information about the screen and the content being managed. Also, on the navigation bar—and depending on where you are in the app—there will be a Back button on the upper left corner or an Edit or Done button on the upper right corner.

The Back button allows the user to return to the previous screen quickly, while the Edit and Done buttons allow the user to customize categories, select titles to delete, and finalize actions.

2.2: Tab Bar

The tab bar is located at the bottom of the screen and contains four tabs representing the four main screens of the application. The tabs are Bookshelf, Get Books, Settings, and Now Reading. The Now Reading tab is only active when a title has been opened to read.

2.2.1: Bookshelf

The Bookshelf, located on the first tab, is where all your downloaded books are stored and where you access your books for reading. All audio and braille titles users have downloaded are listed in the Bookshelf. These titles are organized into four categories: Audio Books, Audio Magazines, Braille Books, and Braille Magazines. An additional category titled Help is where you can access this user guide.

Audio foreign-language titles, music materials, and books that you have downloaded will be automatically listed under the Audio Books category.

Braille foreign-language titles, music materials, and books that you have downloaded will be automatically listed under the Braille Books category.

2.2.2: Get Books

When users log in to BARD Mobile they start at Get Books, the second tab on the tab bar. Get Books allows you to access material on BARD such as Recently added to BARD, Previous downloads, Most popular books and Browse magazines. If there are items not yet downloaded, users can place items on their ish list for later review.

2.2.3: Settings

The Settings feature is located on the third tab on the tab bar. Users can manage their audio and display preferences—and their user account information—from this location. On the Settings screen, users can find the version of BARD Mobile that is currently running.

2.2.4: Now Reading

Now Reading, the fourth tab on the tab bar, is only available when a title has been opened to read. Users can activate this tab from any screen within BARD Mobile to access the book currently being read.

The Now Reading screen for audio books and magazines is like the advanced NLS digital talking-book player, with buttons used on the application that resemble the buttons on the player. The Now Reading screen for braille books and magazines is also like a digital talking-book player but with fewer controls.

The Bookshelf screen
Figure 1: The Bookshelf screen

Section 3: Bookshelf

3.1: Accessing and Learning More about Titles on Your Device

All downloaded titles are automatically placed into one of four categories listed in Bookshelf: Audio books, Audio magazines, Braille books, and Braille magazines. Users can also access the Help screen, which includes the user manual.

Books are listed alphabetically by title and can also be listed alphabetically by the Author’s last name or by the date the material was last opened. To change the listing order, select the Title, Author, or Latest button located at the top of the screen. Once the preference is set, the choice will continue for all items in the Bookshelf until the user makes a different preference selection.

A sample Audio books screen in the Bookshelf
Figure 2: A sample Audio books screen in the Bookshelf

The Search box is under the page header. First, type the beginning of a title or the author's last name in the search field. As you type, options will start to match the entry supplied. In the sample Audio books screen in Figure 2, for example, to search for a book by James Patterson, enter "pa." Because nothing else in the list matches "pa" for title or author, any books authored by James Patterson will be displayed (Figure 3).

Result of a search for "pa" in the sample Audio books list
Figure 3: Result of a search for "pa" in the sample Audio books list

Titles in Audio books or Audio magazines will list the title, author, or authors (if applicable) and the total reading time. Titles in Braille books or Braille magazines will list the title, author or authors (if applicable), and the number of series volumes.

To learn more about each book or magazine in Bookshelf, select the More Info button—which appears as a circle with a lowercase "i" located after the total time or the number of volumes. When you select this button, a screen with the heading Details opens and will list the title, author, annotation, narrator, total time, and book number. The Details screen for braille books will list the title, author, annotation, number of volumes, and book number. To access more titles by the same author, in the same subject category or categories, or the same series (if applicable), select the More Actions button—which appears as a blue circle with three dots. Choose "All books by [author]," “All books in [subject]," or "All books in [series title]." A list of related titles within the selected parameters will display. Depending on the status of the book or magazine, there is a Read, Downloading, or Queued for Download button near the bottom of the screen.

3.2: Reading Titles

There are three ways to read titles that are on your Bookshelf.

Method one: Starting from the Bookshelf, navigate to one of the four folders. Select a folder and decide what you would like to read, then select the title's name. The book or magazine will automatically open in the Now Reading screen.

Method two: Select the More Info button after selecting a title to read. This action will open the Details screen. At the bottom of the screen, select the Read button.

Method three: Select the Recently Read button from the top left corner of the Now Reading screen or use a three-finger swipe to access the Recently Read list. Select a title from the list and it will automatically open in the Now Reading screen.

You cannot read a book that has not been downloaded yet or is in the process of downloading.

3.3: Deleting Titles

Users can use the delete function for any titles from their Bookshelf and Wish list. After selecting an item to delete, swipe left on the title, revealing the delete option. Tap the delete option to complete the process. When using VoiceOver, flick up (or down) when the focus is on the title to be deleted. Double tap when you hear the delete option. You can also activate the Edit button on the upper right corner of the screen to reveal a Delete button.

When you delete any titles from within the category selected, activate the Done button on the upper right corner of the screen or the Bookshelf back button on the upper left corner.

Double tap once you hear the delete option. Users can activate the Edit button on the upper right corner of the screen to reveal the Delete button. Select the Delete button to remove the title.

Once finished deleting titles from your Wish list, activate the Done button on the upper right corner of the screen.

Section 4: Get Books

Get Books is the second tab on the tab bar, following the Bookshelf. It is used to access and download titles currently on BARD. Within this tab, users can browse BARD and access the Wish list, Recently added to BARD, Previous downloads, Most popular books, Browse magazines, and the BARD website.

Get Book screen with Search as the first choice
Figure 4: Get Books tab

Materials on your Wish list in the BARD website will appear on your Wish list in Get Books. Materials on your Previous downloads list in BARD website will appear on your Previous downloads list in Get Books. Titles on your Wish list and Previous downloads list, or on the Recently added, Most popular books, or Browse magazines categories, can be downloaded to your device. Titles accessed through the BARD website’s search option must be added to your Wish list before they can be downloaded.

You can view titles that are available on BARD through different categories within Get Books. The first category is Wish list, where you can add titles of interest. The second set of categories is organized within the Recently added to BARD section, and they are: Audio books, Audio magazines, Braille books, and Braille magazines. The third category is Previous downloads. The fourth set of categories is organized within the Most popular books section, and they are Audio books and Braille books. The fifth set of categories is organized within the Browse magazines section, and they are Audio magazines and Braille magazines. The sixth and final category is titled BARD website.

4.1: Wish List

Titles on your Wish list are presented in scrollable lists that are accessed with the flick gesture or scrolling. Title, author, reading time (for audio), and the number of volumes (for braille) will display for each entry.

Titles are listed in the order they were added to your Wish list, with the most recent titles at the top.

Books can also be listed alphabetically by title and by the author’s last name. To change the listing order, select the Title or Author button located at the top of the screen. Once the preference is set, the choice will continue for all items in the Bookshelf until the user makes a different preference selection.

The Search box is under the page header. First, type the beginning of a title or the author's last name in the search field. As you type, options will start to match the entry supplied.

Because this list may contain both braille and audio materials, the braille or audio icon indicates the format. VoiceOver will announce the format after the author’s name. Select the More Info button to access more information about individual titles on this list. The Details screen will then be displayed.

Users can delete any title from their Wish list from the Details screen. Users can download a title by selecting the Download button. For example, select the More Actions button and choose “All books by [author],” “All books in [subject],” or “All books in [series title]” from the pop-out menu. A list of related titles within the selected parameters will display. If you wish to subscribe to a book series, select “Subscribe to [series title].”

See Section 4.7 to learn about downloading titles to your device. See Section 4.9 to learn more about subscribing to series and magazines.

4.2: Recently Added to BARD

BARD Mobile lists the audio and braille books most recently added to BARD. They are listed within one of four categories under the Recently added to BARD section: Audio books, Audio magazines, Braille books, and Braille magazines.

Recently added titles are presented in scrollable lists that you can flick or scroll through. Title, author, and reading time (for audio) and number of volumes (for braille) will display for each entry. Each list is divided into sections based on the date the titles were added to BARD. A table index is available to help you navigate through the lists by the date the titles were added.

To access more information about individual titles in this list, select the More Info button. The Details screen will display.

From the Details screen, you can add this title to your wish list by selecting the Add to wish list button; download the title by selecting the Download button; or access all available titles by the same author, in the same subject categories, and (if applicable) in the same series by selecting the More Actions button.

Select the More Actions button and choose “All books by [author],” “All books in [subject],” or “All books in [series title]” from the pop-out menu. A list of related titles within the selected parameters will display. Additionally, if you wish to subscribe to a book series, select “Subscribe to [series title]”.

See Section 4.7 to learn about downloading titles to your device. See Section 4.9 to learn more about subscribing to series and magazines.

4.3: Previous Downloads

The Previous downloads list in Get Books lists items you have downloaded from BARD. You can directly download these titles to your iOS device. Titles in Previous downloads are presented in scrollable lists to flick or scroll through. Each entry will display the title, author, reading time (for audio), and the number of volumes (for braille). A table index is provided to help navigate the lists shown by date and by when initially downloaded.

Because this list may contain both braille and audio materials, the braille or audio icon in the table cell indicates the format. VoiceOver will announce the format after the author’s name. Select the More Info button to access more information about individual titles in this list. The Details screen will display.

Select the More Actions button and choose “All books by [author],” “All books in [subject],” or “All books in [series title]” from the pop-out menu. A list of related titles within the selected parameters will display. If you wish to subscribe to a book series, select “Subscribe to [series title].”

See Section 4.7 to learn about downloading titles to your iOS device. See Section 4.9 to learn more about subscribing to series and magazines.

The Most popular books feature lists the most frequently downloaded titles within two categories: Audio books and Braille books.

The most popular titles are presented in scrollable lists that you can flick or scroll through. Title, author, and reading time (for audio) and number of volumes (for braille) will display for each entry. You can download these titles to your device directly.

Select the corresponding More Info button to view the Details page. Users can add a title to their wish list by selecting the Add to wish list button or download a title by selecting the Download button.

To access more information about individual titles in this list, select the More Info button. The Details screen will display.

You can add a title to your wish list by selecting the Add to wish list button; download a title by selecting the Download button; or access all available titles by the same author, in the same subject categories, and (if applicable) in the same series by selecting the More Actions button.

Select the More Actions button and choose “All books by [author],” “All books in [subject],” or “All books in [series title]” from the pop-out menu. A list of related titles within the selected parameters will display. Additionally, if you wish to subscribe to a book series, select “Subscribe to [series title].”

See Section 4.7 to learn about downloading titles to your device. See Section 4.9 to learn more about subscribing to series and magazines.

4.5: Browse Magazines

The Browse magazines section lists available audio and braille magazine titles.

Select a magazine title to read and then access the list of issues available. The title and reading time (for audio) and the number of volumes (for braille) will display for each entry. Each list is divided into sections based on

the date the issues were added to BARD. A table index is available for navigation by the date the issues were added.

You can download these titles to your device directly from this category.

Press the “+” button, located on the top right corner of your device, to subscribe to a magazine. Once you confirm by pressing OK, new issues will be placed on your wish list once available.

Press the “–” button, located on the top right corner of your device, to cancel a subscription to a magazine. Once you confirm by pressing OK, no further issues will be added to your wish list.

Select the corresponding More Info button to see the Details page. You can add this title to your wish list by selecting the Add to wish list button, then download the title by selecting the Download button. See Section 4.7 to learn about downloading titles to your device.

4.6: Search BARD

Users can search NLS collections through the Search on the Get Books screen. Currently, the new Search option on iOS version 2.0 does not return non-English titles. Patrons searching for non-English titles should continue to use the BARD website to find and add titles to their Wish Lists for downloading.

Users can search by Keyword, Title, Author, or Annotation and limit their search results be audio or braille format. Unless modified, the app defaults to Keyword, which will search for matches across hundreds of metadata fields that include title, author, and annotation, as well as all other catalog data including narrator, subjects, and dates.

Keyword search can provide users with flexibility. For example, to find a Terry Pratchett book narrated by Nick DePinto, a user can simply input “dePinto terry" (without quotations). Other examples include inputting “grisham client” (without quotations) to find the correct John Grisham book title, “The Client.” Users can browse and search Keyword by subjects as well by searching, “mystery amish” (without quotations) to find a popular Amish series books or “reacher” to find the related book series titles. There are many possibilities with Keyword searches; and searches can support quotations and capitalization for exactness.

Search box contains two words "depinto" and "terry" before hitting "Go" button
Figure 5a: Search inputs "depinto" and "terry"
Keyword search results for "depinto" and "terry" showing books
Figure 5b: Search results for "depinto terry" with a download button

To search by Title, users can input incomplete titles without capitalization. For example, input “shining” (without quotations) to get results title results including “The Shining.”  Input “Jonathon strange” (without quotations) to get the result for “Jonathon Strange & Mr. Norrell.” 

Title search with word "shining"
Figure 6a: Title search input with "shining"
Title search results from "shining"
Figure 6b: Title search results from "shining" with download buttons

Searching by Author provides similar flexibility with incomplete search terms and supporting different name formats. Users can submit “Mary Clark” (without quotations) to find all the Mary Higgins Clark titles, or just “Patterson” to find different authors with the last name Patterson. Users can also use quotations for exactness and submit “Patterson, James” (with quotations or without) to find a complete listing of works by James Patterson in the collections.

Author search input Mary Clark
Figure 7a: Author search input "mary" and "clark"
Author search results with download buttons
Figure 7b: Author search results with download buttons

After search results are presented, a user can refine their initial search by making edits to it directly in the search input box. Users can also resubmit the edited search term and modify the search type or format. Search results, which default to best match first, can be resorted by alphabetical title, author’s last name, or latest publication date.

Users can directly download books from their initial search results pages or have the choice of downloading directly to their device from the book’s details page or adding the book to their Wish list.

4.7: Downloading Titles

There are two methods to download books or magazines to your device.

Method one: Select the title you would like to download from a Get Books category. An alert box titled Confirmation will appear on the screen. Select the Cancel button within the alert box to cancel the option to download or select the OK button within the alert box to confirm that you would like to download the selected title. When you select ok, the alert box will fade away and a downloading progress bar will appear directly below the title you have chosen to download. You may download up to three titles simultaneously.

VoiceOver announces downloading progress as a percentage. When a book is downloading, flick to the right until you reach the progress bar of the title being downloaded. VoiceOver will say “progress” followed by the percentage downloaded.

Method two: Activate the More Info button located after the name of the title you would like to download. Selecting the More Info button will open a screen labeled Details, from which you can activate the Download button at the bottom of the

screen. You may download up to three titles simultaneously. If three titles are currently downloading, the button will be replaced by a Queued for Download button. To pause downloading, select the title currently downloading.

Books that are downloading will automatically be removed from your wish list and filed within the appropriate category in Bookshelf.

4.8: Canceling and Deleting Titles in Process of Downloading

If you want to cancel downloading a book or delete a title from the Bookshelf, activate Bookshelf, which is the first tab of the tab bar. Select the category the title is in, then cancel or delete the download by activating the Edit button to reveal the Cancel or Delete buttons. Depending on the download status of a title, select the Cancel or Delete button. When finished canceling or deleting, activate the Done button on the upper right corner of the screen.

To delete a title from your wish list, activate the Edit button within the wish list category. Deleted titles will be removed from the list.

4.9: Subscribing and Unsubscribing to Book Series and Magazines

BARD Mobile allows you to subscribe to a book series or a magazine. When you subscribe to a book series or a magazine, BARD will automatically place newly added titles in the series or newly added editions of the magazine on your wish list. There are two ways to subscribe/unsubscribe.

To subscribe to a magazine series in the Get Books Browse Magazines tab, go to the magazine series, then press the “+” button, located on the top right corner of your device, to subscribe to a magazine. Once you confirm by pressing OK, new issues will be placed on your wish list once available.

To unsubscribe from a magazine series in the Get Books tab, go to the magazine series, then press the “–” button, located on the top right corner of your device, to cancel a subscription to a magazine. Once you confirm by pressing OK, no further issues will be added to your wish list.

To subscribe to a book series in the Get Books tab, bring up the details from a book in the series by selecting the More Info button. The user can press the More Actions button. The buttons, in addition to the Download and Add to wish list should be, All books by the author or authors, all books in the category of the book. If it is a bestseller, then there will be a button named All books in Bestsellers. If it is a part of a series of books, there will be a button named All books in the (name of series) series and Subscribe to the (name of series) … series. Press the Subscribe to the (name of series) … series button to subscribe to the series.

To unsubscribe to a book series in the Get Books tab, bring up the details from a book in the series by selecting the More Info button. The user can press the More Actions button. The buttons, in addition to the Download and Add to wish list should be, All books by the author or authors, all books in the category of the book. If it is a bestseller, then there will be a button named All books in Bestsellers. If it is a part of a series of books, there will be a button named All books in the (name of series) series and Unsubscribe from the (name of series) series. Press the unsubscribe from the (name of series) series button to unsubscribe from the series.

Section 5: Settings

BARD Mobile allows you to adjust audio, display, and user account settings to optimize your reading experience through the Settings tab, the third tab on the tab bar.

BARD Mobile settings for iPad users are displayed in a split-view screen, like the iPad device settings screen. In BARD Mobile, the left pane lists all the setting options available—audio, braille and display, and user account—and the right pane lists all the subordinate actions available within each of the settings, as selected on the left pane.

While in the subsections of Settings, iPad users will need to navigate to the left pane to return to the main Settings options. iPhone and iPod touch users can return to the main Settings screen by selecting the Settings Back button located on the upper left corner of the screen.

Audio settings on iPad (top) and iPhone/iPod Touch
Figure 8a: Audio settings on iPad
Audio settings on iPad (bottom) and iPhone/iPod Touch
Figure 8b: Audio settings on iPhone/iPod Touch

5.1: Audio Settings

The first button on the Settings screen is the Audio settings button. Through the Audio settings button, you can adjust the narration speed and tone, turn on or off the background playback and auto-lock during playback, enable or disable automatic start playback and automatic five- second rewind features, turn on or off Skippable (Play or Skip) and Verbosity options, and the Silence button beeps option. You can also restore BARD Mobile audio settings to their default values.

5.1.1: Speed

The narration speed is set at 100 percent and is adjustable by a slider, which is located near the top of the Audio settings screen.

A slider is used to adjust the speed to pre-set values between 50 and 300 percent. VoiceOver users can quickly adjust the speed by flicking one finger

on the screen, either upward or downward. Flicking upward increases the speed in increments of 25 percent and flicking downward decreases the speed in similar increments. If VoiceOver is not enabled, you can slide the slider to the left to decrease the speed or to the right to increase the speed.

Changing the Speed setting only affects titles not previously opened.

5.1.2: Tone

The narration tone—or the level of bass or treble in the reading voice—is set to zero and is adjustable between the values of negative 4 and positive 6 by a slider. The Tone slider is the second setting option on the Audio settings screen, directly after the Speed slider tool.

VoiceOver users can quickly adjust the tone by flicking one finger on the screen, either upward or downward. Flicking upward increases the treble and decreases the bass in increments of one. Flicking downward decreases the treble and increases the bass in similar increments.

5.1.3: Background Playback

The third setting option located on the Audio settings screen, following the Tone slider, is the Background Playback setting. This switch provides the option of allowing a book to play while the application is closed. Note: This setting is on by default. When you close BARD Mobile or your device enters sleep mode, your book will continue to play. If you switch to off, BARD Mobile will stop.

5.1.4: Auto-Lock during Playback

iOS devices have an auto-lock setting, which turns off the display to save the battery life and prevent unintended operation. Users can change this setting if they wish. Auto-lock during playback only allows the app to continue running when Background Playback is enabled.

The Auto-Lock during playback setting is the fourth setting option, directly after the Background Playback option on the Audio settings screen.

5.1.5: Automatic Start Playback

The Automatic start playback setting is the fifth setting option, directly after the Auto-lock option on the Audio settings screen. When set to on, audiobooks and magazines will begin to play. When set to off, the user will have to activate the Play/Stop button on the player interface in the Now Reading screen to initiate playback of titles. Automatic start playback is the default setting.

5.1.6: Automatic 5 second rewind

The Automatic 5 second rewind setting is the sixth setting option, directly after the Automatic start playback option on the Audio Settings screen.

When set to on, audio materials will automatically rewind five seconds from the last reading position when opened in the Now Reading screen.

5.1.7: Skippable

The fifth setting option on the Audio settings screen is the Skippable setting, located directly after the Automatic 5 second rewind setting. The Skippable button is used to enable or disable the narration of elements that producers have marked as skippable within the book.

BARD Mobile will play content within books marked as “skippable” by default. Skippable material may include items such as sidebars, page numbers, and footnotes. To change this setting, select the Skippable button, then activate the Skip button. Activate the Play button if you would like

BARD Mobile to play material that is marked as “skippable.”

5.1.8: Verbosity

Modifying Verbosity only affects the behavior of BARD Mobile when VoiceOver is off.

The Verbosity setting affects the number of spoken messages the application will provide as you navigate a book using the buttons on the Now Reading screen. These messages are like the messages you might hear when using your digital talking-book player. For example, choose the Bookmark button to create a bookmark in BARD Mobile and you will hear the message “bookmark inserted.” Select the button again, at that same point in the book, and you will hear the message “bookmark removed.” When VoiceOver is enabled, the Verbosity setting will not affect VoiceOver speech.

By default, the Verbosity option is on, and spoken messages are provided. Changing the Verbosity setting only affects titles not previously opened.

5.1.9: Silence button beeps

The Silence button beeps option allows you to silence the beeps that sound when you activate any of the button controls in the Now Reading screen.

When Silence button beeps is set to off, audible beeps will sound when the Sleep Timer, Bookmark, Previous, Menu, Next, Rewind, Play/Stop, Forward, Speed, and Tone buttons are activated in the Now Reading screen. When it is set to on, the beeps will not sound. The Silence button beeps option is off by default.

5.1.10: Restore Defaults

At the bottom of the User Settings screen, a button is labeled Restore Defaults. This button is used to reset all audio settings to BARD Mobile default values.

5.2: Braille and Display Settings

The second button on the Settings screen, following the Audio settings button, is the Braille and Display settings button. Through Braille and Display settings, you can adjust the display contrast, turn braille reflow on or off, adjust the braille display length, set and adjust braille autoscroll, or restore BARD Mobile braille and display settings to their default values. See Section 8.6 for instructions on adjusting the font size.

 

5.2.1: Contrast

BARD Mobile uses black text on a white background as the default. You can select another contrast option for the text in relation to the background. In addition to black text on a white background, you can choose white text on a black background, black text on a yellow background, or yellow text on a black background.

To change your Contrast setting, select the Contrast button, which is the first button on the Braille and Display settings screen. Then select the users contrast option.

5.2.2: Braille Reflow and Braille Display Length

Braille Reflow allows BARD Mobile to tailor line lengths to match your braille display size, breaking lines only when necessary (e.g., at the ends of paragraphs) to provide a smoother reading experience.

Braille Reflow is set to off, but you can change this option. Select the Braille Reflow button to turn it on. The Braille Display Length is 40. Select the Braille Display Length button to change the display length. A new screen will appear. Flick one finger up or down on the picker item to select the desired value. Available values are: 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 32, and 40.

For a full description of Braille Reflow, see Section 7.10.

5.2.3: Braille Autoscroll

Braille Autoscroll is set to off by default but selecting the Braille Autoscroll button will turn autoscroll on. The default value for Autoscroll Time per Line is 1,500 milliseconds (1.5 seconds) for a 40-cell display. If you change the display length, this amount will be prorated. For example, if you set display length to 20, the Autoscroll Time per Line will change to 625 milliseconds. The default Time per Character on the line is 50 milliseconds. When Braille Autoscroll is turned on, these values can be increased or decreased from their defaults.

For a full description of Braille Autoscroll, see Section 7.11.

5.2.4: Restore Defaults

Near the bottom of the Braille and Display Settings screen is a button labeled Restore Defaults. This button is used to reset all display settings to the BARD Mobile default settings.

5.3: User Account Settings

The BARD Mobile user account allows you to access the BARD login information. They also allow you to download materials using your mobile network if your device has cellular capabilities; to control auto-lock during downloads; and set your format preference.

5.3.1: BARD Account

BARD Mobile allows multiple users to use one device. Different users log into BARD Mobile using their unique username and password. This is accomplished through the User Account Settings button, the third button on the Settings screen listed after the Visual Settings button.

When you make this selection, a BARD account Details screen with your current login information appears. Listed in two text fields, one above the other, are your username and your password. Select the first text field, the username text field, to enter the username and select the second text field to enter your password.

If you have a temporary or expired password, you must update it first on the BARD website using a web browser. Then it must be entered in BARD Mobile to continue accessing books and magazines through the application

If you enter your password incorrectly more than five times, your account will be locked for 15 minutes.

5.3.2: Download over Mobile Network

The option to download materials over a mobile network only appears in User Account Settings if your device has cellular capabilities. When on, you can download titles using your mobile network.

5.3.3: Auto-lock during Download

This setting will prevent a device from sleeping while a download is in progress. Turning it on will allow your device to go to sleep during download, which will interrupt the download process.

5.3.4: Show Me

This setting allows you to display books in a preferred format: both audio and braille, audio only, or braille only. Titles in both formats will display in lists of available materials, by default. Choose audio only or braille only to display titles in the preferred format only. All displays of book lists in the Get Books section, other than the Wish list, Previous downloads, and BARD website, will adhere to this setting. The Bookshelf screen will hide submenus for audio and braille materials according to the setting unless items in those categories are already on the device.

Section 6: Now Reading for Audio Users

The Now Reading tab, the fourth and last tab on the tab bar, is used to read audio and braille titles that are downloaded onto your device. Section 6 outlines the steps necessary to play audio titles only. See Section 7 for the steps necessary to read braille titles.

Now Reading screen (audio)
Figure 9: Now Reading screen (audio)

6.1: Title Bar

At the top of the Now Reading screen is the title bar. It displays the title of the book you are reading, a Recently Read button on the left corner, an AirPlay button, and a Navigation button on the right corner.

Activating the Recently Read button will bring up a list of all available titles that have been previously opened, sorted by the most recently read.

Because this list may contain items in both braille and audio formats, items are identifiable by either a braille or audio icon. VoiceOver will announce the title and format. Select the title you want to read, and it will automatically load at your current reading position.

Activating the AirPlay button will bring up a panel with AirPlay options. Activating the Navigation button provides an alternate way to navigate through the book contents and allow you to access your Skippable settings. For further details on book navigation options, please see Section 6.13.

6.2: Title Information

Located on the top portion of the Now Reading screen is the title information section. On the iPhone, this information includes the title of the section being currently read, the current reading time, and current position within the book. The title information presented on the iPad also displays the author, narrator, and book number of the title.

6.3: Current Position

You can navigate through the book using the current position slider, located after the title information. It indicates your current position in the book, compared to the total length of the book, and is used to adjust your position within the book.

VoiceOver users can quickly adjust the position by flicking one finger on the screen, either upward or downward. Flicking upward will move the reading position toward the end of the book in increments of 10 percent and flicking downward will move the reading position toward the beginning of the book in similar increments.

If VoiceOver is not enabled, adjust the slider to the left to move the reading position toward the beginning of the book or to the right to move the reading position toward the end of the book.

6.4: Sleep Timer

Directly following the current position slider is the Sleep Timer button, which is used to stop playback after a set period or at the next chapter boundary.

Activating the Sleep Timer button repeatedly (within 3 seconds) will cycle through the available options. Activating it once will set the Sleep Timer for 15 minutes, twice will set it for 30 minutes; three times will set it for 45 minutes; four times will set it for 60 minutes; and five times will set the Sleep Timer to stop playback at the end of the current boundary set on the Menu button (see Section 6.7). VoiceOver users can activate the options for the Sleep Timer settings using a double tap. At the conclusion of the selected period the volume will fade for 10 seconds, and playback will stop. Activating the Play/Stop button will cancel the Sleep Timer.

If hints are enabled on the device, flicking to the Sleep Timer button after it has been set will indicate the remaining time until playback stops. Activating the Sleep Timer button while the book is not playing will initiate playback and then stop playback at the designated time. Activating the Sleep Timer button while the book is playing will reset the timer to the selected setting.

6.5: Bookmark

Following the Sleep Timer button is the Bookmark button. Selecting the Bookmark button will insert or delete a bookmark at the current reading position.

While reading the book, select the Bookmark button at any time to mark points you may wish to return to later. Selecting the Bookmark button while playing a book will not disrupt the narration. The bookmark will be kept in memory even if you turn off BARD Mobile or select another title to read.

To remove a bookmark while reading a book, return to within 5 seconds of the marked position and select the Bookmark button. If you are not currently reading the book, the reading position must be exactly at the existing bookmark to remove it.

You can review all your bookmarks for the title you are currently reading through the Navigation screen. To access the screen, select the Navigation button on the upper right corner of the navigation bar. The Bookmark button follows the Page button on the Navigation screen. (Note that the iPad Navigation screen is displayed as a pop-up.)

6.6: Previous

The next button on the Now Reading screen is the Previous button, which is used to move backward one navigation point to the previous point as selected with the Menu button. If BARD Mobile is in stop mode, each time the Previous button is activated, the book narrator will read the heading of the new item selected. If it is in play mode, playback will start from the new location.

Pressing the Previous button for an extended time will move navigation toward the beginning of the book in increments of five navigation items, or by tens for pages. VoiceOver users can double tap and hold the button to accomplish the same result.

6.7: Menu

The Previous button is followed by the Menu button. Its purpose is to select the navigation you would like to use when moving between points of the book, through the Previous or Next buttons. Navigation points such as chapters, sections, or bookmarks vary with each title. Your menu button selection will be saved for each book.

6.8: Next

Following the Menu button is the Next button, which is used to move forward one navigation point to the next point as selected with the Menu button. If BARD Mobile is in stop mode when the Next button is activated, the book narrator will read the heading of the item selected. If it is in play mode, playback will start from the new location.

Pressing the Next button for an extended time will move navigation toward the end of the book in increments of five navigation items, or by tens for pages. VoiceOver users can double tap and hold the button to accomplish the same result.

6.9: Rewind

The Rewind button is directly after the Next button and just before the Play/Stop button. It is used to move the reading position backward. Select the Rewind button to move backward 5 seconds in the book or double tap to move backward 10 seconds. If VoiceOver is enabled, you can triple tap the button to move backward 10 seconds in the book.

If you continue to press the button, however, you will keep moving backward. If you press the Rewind button for longer than 10 seconds, the reading position will continue moving backward in increments of up to one hour.

Beeps during rewind indicate you have passed a navigation point.

6.10: Play/Stop

After the Rewind button is the Play/Stop button. Activate the button to either start or stop playing a title.

You will hear a beep each time you activate the button, unless you have activated Silence button beeps in the Audio settings section of the Settings tab. If VoiceOver is on, you will hear the word “stop” when halting play. After you have started playing an audio title, VoiceOver users can use a two- finger double tap to stop or restart audio playback.

6.11: Forward

The Forward button is directly after the Play/Stop button, and it is used to move the reading position forward. Select the Forward button to move forward 5 seconds in the book. VoiceOver users can triple tap the button to move forward 10 seconds in the book.

If you continue to press the button, the farther forward you will move. If you press the Forward button for longer than 10 seconds, the reading position will continue moving forward in increments of up to one hour.

Beeps heard while forwarding indicate you have passed a navigation point.

6.12: Speed and Tone

The Speed and Tone button and slider are at the bottom of the Now Reading screen. The Speed and Tone button changes the function of the slider, allowing it to interchangeably adjust values.

Select Speed to adjust the speed to pre-set values between 50 and 300 percent using the slider. VoiceOver users can quickly adjust the speed by flicking one finger on the screen, either upward or downward. Flicking upward increases the speed in increments of 25 percent and flicking downward decreases the speed in similar increments. A triple tap, with the focus on the Speed function, resets the speed value to the global value set in the application settings for Audio settings.

See Section 5.1.1 for information on setting the global speed value.

If VoiceOver is not enabled, you can adjust the slider to the left to decrease the speed or to the right to increase the speed.

Select Tone to change the amount of bass or treble in the narrator’s voice using the slider. VoiceOver users can quickly adjust the tone between values of negative 4 and positive 6 by flicking one finger on the screen, either upward or downward. Flicking upward increases the treble and decreases the bass in increments of one. Flicking downward decreases the treble and increases the bass in similar increments. A triple tap, with the focus on the Tone function, resets the tone value to the global value set in the application settings.

See Section 5.1.2 for information on setting the global tone value.

If VoiceOver is not enabled, you can slide the slider to the left to increase the bass and decrease the treble or to the right to increase the treble and decrease the bass.

Changing the speed or tone setting on the Now Reading screen will only affect the book you are currently reading.

6.13: Book Navigation

To access the Navigation screen, activate the Navigation menu located on the top right corner of the Now Reading screen. (Note that the iPad Navigation screen is displayed as a pop-up.) The Navigation screen provides you an alternate way to navigate through the contents of the book you are reading. The text on the Navigation screen can be enlarged using the pinch to zoom method.

At the top of the Navigation screen, there is a Navigation heading and a button labeled Skippable on the upper right corner. The Skippable button is used to play or skip the narration of elements that producers have marked as “skippable” within the book.

BARD Mobile will play content within books marked as skippable by default. Skippable material may include items such as sidebars, page numbers, and footnotes. To change this setting for a book, select the Skippable button, then activate. This can also be controlled through Settings>Audio Settings Options.

Use the Contents, Page, or Bookmark buttons located directly after the Navigation screen heading to navigate through the book. If applicable, selecting the Contents button will allow you to navigate, or jump, through the book by chapter or section; selecting the Page button will allow you to

jump to a particular page number; and selecting the Bookmark button will allow you to jump to a set bookmark. By default, the Bookmark button contains options to jump to the beginning of the book and the end of the book.

A triangle located next to a navigation item indicates that the item can be expanded to display additional information. VoiceOver will announce the triangles as a plus (to expand) or minus (to collapse), and the level. You can double tap and hold to expand or collapse the selected items. If VoiceOver is not enabled, tap and hold to expand or collapse.

Once you have chosen a point in a book to jump to, the Navigation screen will close, and the player will be set to read from the selected navigation point. Select the Navigation button to return to the book without making a selection.

Navigation screen
Figure 10: Navigation screen

6.14: Switching between Titles

On the Now Reading screen you can quickly switch to other titles on your bookshelf by swiping left or selecting the Recently Read button (book icon in the top left corner of the title bar). When using VoiceOver use a three-finger left swipe. A pop-out panel (on iPads) or a new screen (on iPhones) will display listing all available titles that have been previously opened, sorted by the most recently read. Because this list may contain items in both braille and audio formats, items are identifiable by either a braille or audio icon.

VoiceOver will announce title and format. Select the title you wish to read, and it will automatically load at your current reading position. If you select an audio item and have Automatic start playback turned on in Audio Settings, the book will begin playback once you select the title from the Recently Read list. If you have Automatic 5 second rewind enabled, the book will pick up five seconds prior to the last reading position.

Section 7: Now Reading for Braille Users

The Now Reading tab, the fourth and last tab on the tab bar, is used to read audio and braille titles that are downloaded onto your device.

A refreshable braille display is required to read braille titles with this application. BARD Mobile does not translate braille files into visually readable, fully spelled-out text, but uses contracted braille. Note that the Reading Window displays UEB (Unified English Braille) contracted braille. Please see section 7.1 below for further information on contracted braille.

Gestures described below to operate BARD Mobile when reading braille materials are based on VoiceOver being enabled.

Section 7 covers the steps necessary to read braille titles only. Section 6 covers the steps necessary to read audio titles.

7.1: Contracted Braille

Almost all NLS braille materials downloadable from BARD are in contracted braille.

To read a contracted braille book or magazine with BARD Mobile, you must set braille input and output to eight-dot, and you must turn off single-letter Quick Nav. Even with eight-dot braille turned on, BARD Mobile will display your book in six-dot braille. You can turn eight-dot braille input on with dots 2-3-6-spacebar. You can turn eight-dot braille output on with 1-2-4-5- spacebar. Both can also be set from within braille on the VoiceOver settings menu of the users iOS device. The command for toggling single-letter Quick Nav is spacebar with dots 1-2-3-4-5-7.

7.2: Now Reading (Braille) Screen Layout and Reading a Braille Book

It may be helpful to think of the Now Reading screen as three distinct sections:

  1. The section above the reading window containing the screen header, the navigation button, and the search box
  2. The reading window itself
  3. The section below the reading window containing the volume number display, the page and line number display, the Bookmark button, and the Previous, Menu, and Next buttons
Now Reading screen (braille)
Figure 11: Now Reading screen (braille)

When the Now Reading screen first appears, the VoiceOver focus is at the top of the screen and the braille display shows the title of the book as the header. You can move through the elements of the screen by using the “flick right” gesture on your device or the “pan braille right” command from a braille display.

Beginning with BARD Mobile 1.3, you can flick into the reading window from above it or below it and your reading position will be retained. Each time you close the app or switch to a different title, BARD Mobile will remember your reading position. When you return to the Now Reading: Braille screen, you can resume reading by pressing the shortcut key r or by flicking into the reading window.

7.3: Braille Shortcut Keys

Listed below are shortcut keys that can be used from a braille display that includes a braille keyboard or with a Bluetooth keyboard. They are usable from any point on the Now Reading screen when a braille book or magazine

is displayed. Some shortcut keys need their respective feature turned on in Settings before they work. Those are indicated in the table below by an asterisk.

Action Key Braille Dots Comments
Menu (Navigation Level) m Dots 1-3-4 Cycles through the options available on Navigation Level button, such as line, volume, page, and bookmark. The first press of the menu key reports the current setting. Subsequent presses cycle through the available options.
Previous Element p or ‘ Dots 1-2-3-4 or dot 3 Moves to the previous instance of the currently selected Navigation Level button. For example, if Navigation is set to page, then this shortcut will move to the previous page.
Next Element n or , Dots 1-3-4-5 or dot 6 Moves to the next instance of the currently selected Navigation Level button. For example, if Navigation is set to page then this shortcut will move to the next page.
Volume Navigation v Dots 1-2-3-6 Moves to the Navigation screen with volume selected. Note that you will no longer be on the Now Reading screen and so the shortcuts will not work until you return to Now Reading.
Page Navigation a Dot 1 Moves to the Navigation screen with the page selected.
Bookmark Navigation k Dots 1-3 Moves to the Navigation screen with the bookmark selected.
Where am I? w Dots 2-4-5-6 Displays the volume, page, and line number of the current position in the braille item.
Action Key Braille Dots Comments
Search Text s Dots 2-3-4 Moves the focus to the search box. Text editing is activated, the edit box is ready for text entry and further use of the braille keyboard will enter text and not act as shortcuts. Text must be entered in the same form it would be found in the contracted braille item. The only exception to this is the entry of the dots 4-5-6 character where you need to enter dots 4- 5-6-7.
Bookmark b Dots 1-2 This has the same function as the bookmark button on the Now Reading screen. It adds and removes bookmarks.
Reading Window r Dots 1-2-3-5 Moves the focus to the reading window showing the current line of the braille book.
Last Reading Position l Dots 1-2-3 Each time the application is closed while a braille title is being read, the application will store the last reading position. This key will move the focus to the “stored last” reading position. The last reading position is updated each time a new line is displayed in the reading window.
Skips to next non- blank line t Dots 2-3-4-5 When reading a braille book or magazine this key will advance the user to the next line containing text.
Toggles braille reflow on and off *d Dots 1-6 and then 1-4-5 This key sequence will toggle the reflowing of the braille text on and off. The default is 40 cells. To reflow to a display length shorter than 40 cells, the desired length must be configured in settings.
Toggles braille autoscroll on and off */ Dots 1-6 and then 3-4 This key sequence will toggle the automatic scrolling of the braille text on and off. The default is off. To activate this feature, turn braille autoscroll on in settings.
Action Key Braille Dots Comments
Increases braille autoscroll speed *+ Dots 1-6 and then 3-4-6 This key sequence increases the braille autoscroll speed. Note that autoscroll must first be activated in the settings. Changes made to braille autoscroll while reading will not be saved globally when the app is closed but will not be saved with each book.
Decreases braille autoscroll speed *- Dots 1-6 and then 3-6 Decrease the braille autoscroll speed. Note that autoscroll must first be activated in the settings. Changes made to braille autoscroll while reading will not be saved globally when the app is closed but will be saved with each book.

7.4: Navigation

To the right of the Now Reading screen’s header is the Navigation button.

Navigation menu in the Now Reading screen (braille)
Figure 12: Navigation menu in the Now Reading screen (braille)

When you activate the Navigation button, you will have access to the Volume, Page, and Bookmark buttons, which you can use to navigate the book. These buttons are located directly after the Navigation screen heading. Selecting one of these buttons will cause a list of the selected elements to appear. BARD Mobile lets you navigate by page number, and the Bookmark button contains additional options to jump to the beginning or end of the book. The text on the Navigation screen can be enlarged using the pinch to zoom method.

Once you select an item from the list of navigation points, the Navigation screen will close, and the selected navigation point will appear in the reading window. To leave the Navigation screen without selecting an option, double tap the Back button.

7.5: Text Search

Directly below the screen header and the Navigation button is the search box. Double tapping the search field or entering the s shortcut key will put you into edit mode. You will need to type the search term in contracted braille, exactly as it appears in the book. The only exception to this is when you are searching for a dots 4-5-6 character, for which you must enter dots 4-5-6-7.

After entering your term, you can use the touch screen or the braille display to move to the Go button. The VoiceOver focus will be taken to the line of the book on which your search term appears. If your search term was not located, you will hear an ascending tone and the words “no match” will appear on the braille display.

7.6: Setting and Removing Bookmarks

Below the reading window are lines of text indicating the current volume number and the current page and line number. Below these lines and to the right is the Bookmark button. Double tapping this button or entering the b shortcut key will add a bookmark at your current location in the text. To move to a previously set bookmark, you can either open the Navigation screen and select the Bookmark button to display the list of bookmarks, or you can set the menu function to Bookmark and use the Next or Previous keys.

To remove a bookmark, navigate to the line of text where the bookmark is located and select the Bookmark button or enter the b shortcut key.

7.7: Menu

Near the bottom of the screen is a row of three buttons: Previous, Menu, and Next. Double tapping the Menu button will change the increments by which the Next and Previous buttons move. The Menu button can also be activated with the shortcut key m. The Jump By options on the menu are line, page, volume, and bookmark. Once you have performed a search,

“jump by search keyword” will also appear on the menu. When you load a new book, the menu jump increments will be set to page by default. After that, BARD Mobile will remember the setting you last used.

7.8: Previous

To the left of the Menu button is the Previous button, and it is used to move backward one navigation point to the previous point as selected with the Menu button.

7.9: Next

To the right of the Menu button is the Next button, and it is used to move forward one navigation point to the next point as selected with the menu button.

7.10: Braille Reflow

Braille Reflow was added to make reading braille books and magazines easier with braille displays shorter than 40 cells.

NLS braille books and magazines are formatted with 38 to 40 cells per line. Reading them on a shorter-length display can be awkward, as each line is broken into at least two lines, usually of different lengths. Braille Reflow allows BARD Mobile to tailor line lengths to match the user's braille display size, breaking lines only when necessary (e.g., at the ends of paragraphs) to provide a smoother reading experience.

Braille Reflow is off by default. To use Braille Reflow, it must be turned on in Settings>Display Settings. Once turned on, you will have an opportunity to select the desired display length using the picker item. Available display length values are: 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 32, 40.

The shortcut key d will toggle Braille Reflow on and off. When turned on, text will reflow to the value selected in Settings. If no value is selected in Settings, use of the shortcut key will reflow braille to the default setting of 40 cells.

When Braille Reflow is active, paragraphs will be indented as usual, page numbers will be correctly positioned and other items such as lists of ingredients in a recipe will be properly formatted. However, Braille Reflow is done automatically, so it is possible that there may be occasional instances when the reflow is not done correctly.

7.11: Braille Autoscroll

Autoscroll allows the user to read a braille book with minimal hand movement. When autoscroll is activated, the braille display will begin advancing automatically. A fixed amount of time is set for the display of each line and an additional small amount of time is set for the display of each character on a line so the app will display short lines for a shorter time than longer lines.

You can start and stop autoscrolling with the / (slash, dots 3-4) key and increase/decrease the rate at which the display advances with the + (plus,

dots 3-4-6) and – (minus, dots 3-6) keys respectively. Each press of the (+) or (-) keys will change the Autoscroll Time per Character value by 5 milliseconds and will have no effect on the Autoscroll Time per Line value.

The speed can be changed while autoscrolling is active or inactive but not while it is disabled.

When braille autoscroll is enabled, an additional button will appear on the Braille: Now Reading screen, labeled "Scroll" and "Stop." Activating this button begins automatic scrolling, and activating it again stops autoscrolling. This behavior is analogous to starting and stopping audio playback when reading an audiobook.

When braille autoscroll is enabled, the speed slider will also appear. Adjusting this slider varies the Autoscroll Time per Character setting.

7.12: Switching between Titles

On the Now Reading screen, you can quickly switch to other titles on your bookshelf by swiping left or selecting the Recently Read button (book icon in the top left corner of the title bar). When using VoiceOver, use a three-finger left swipe. A pop-out panel (on iPads) or a new screen (on iPhones) will display listing all available titles that have been previously opened, sorted by the most recently read. This list may contain items in both braille and audio formats, so items are identifiable by either a braille or audio icon. VoiceOver will announce title and format. Select the title you wish to read, and it will automatically load at your current reading position. If you select an audio item and have Automatic Start Playback turned on in Audio settings, the book will begin playback once you select the title from the Recently Read list. If you have Automatic Five Second Rewind enabled, the book will pick up five seconds prior to the last reading position.

Section 8: Tips and Hints

8.1: When VoiceOver Is Enabled

  1. When reading an audio title, once playback has begun, you can stop it at any time with a two-finger double tap (also known as the magic tap) anywhere in the app. The magic tap will also start and stop playback outside of the app if BARD Mobile is the current source of audio.
  2. Double tap the Rewind or Forward buttons to jump 5 seconds toward the beginning or end of the book; triple tap to move 10 seconds toward the beginning or the end of the book.
  3. Double tap and hold or triple tap to expand and collapse items in the navigation menu. Two double taps perform the same function on a Bluetooth keyboard.
  4. When the current position slider is selected, the current reading position within an audiobook can be adjusted by flicking upward or downward. A finer adjustment can be achieved by a tap-and-hold gesture, and then sliding left or right.
  5. When a list of books becomes long, a quick way to navigate the list is to use the table index located along the right side of the screen. Tap the far-right side of your screen and VoiceOver will announce “table index.” The table is adjustable by flicking either up or down one letter at a time, or through a tap-hold-and-slide gesture. Slide up or down to move quickly through the letters.

8.2: Downloading Titles

To quickly pause downloading, select the name of the title. If you are downloading multiple titles at one time and would like to change the order of the downloads in queue, tap the name of the title you would like to download first.

8.3: Contracted Braille

  1. Any contracted braille file with a .brf file extension can be read by BARD Mobile. An easy way to bring the file into the app is through Dropbox. With the Dropbox app on your iOS device, navigate to the file and double tap it. The file will be displayed on the screen. Double tap the Share button in the upper right corner. You will be presented with a menu. Double tap the Open In button. You will see a list of apps including BARD Mobile that may be able to open the file. Select Copy to BARD Mobile, and the file will be brought into BARD Mobile. You will be placed in the Now Reading screen.
  2. When conducting a search within a braille book or magazine, use the s key (dots 2-3-4). This will move the focus to the search box. Text editing is activated, and the edit box is ready for text entry. Text must be entered in the same form it would be found in the contracted-braille item. The only exception to this is the entry of the dots 4-5-6 character, where you need to enter dots 4-5-6-7.

8.4: Using VoiceOver Activities to Apply Braille Settings

Beginning in iOS 13, a new VoiceOver feature has been added called Activities. It allows the user to associate a set of VoiceOver settings with a particular app or context within an app. Creating a VoiceOver activity can be a useful way to ensure you have the braille settings necessary for the proper display of braille books and magazines in BARD Mobile.

There are three VoiceOver settings that are necessary to read braille in BARD Mobile. To create an activity that includes these settings, do the following:

  1. Go to Settings>Accessibility>VoiceOver>Activities.
  2. Double tap on Activities.
  3. Double tap Add Activity.
  4. The Add Activity screen has one text field at the top followed by many buttons and switches that are grouped into five headings.
  5. The text field is Name. The word "Activity" followed by a number will already be in the edit box. You can accept that or edit it.
  6. In Verbosity Settings, double tap on Punctuation. This will bring up a new screen with four options. They are Default, All, Some, and None. Double tap on Some. You will hear "Selected, Some."
  7. Double tap on the Back button in the upper left corner of the screen.
  8. In the Braille Settings section, double tap on Braille Output. This will bring up a screen with three options. They are: Uncontracted Six-dot Braille, Uncontracted Eight-dot Braille, and Contracted Braille. Double tap on Uncontracted Eight-dot Braille. You will hear "Selected, Uncontracted Eight-dot Braille."
  9. Double tap on the Back button in the upper left corner of the screen.
  10. In the same section, double tap on Braille Input. This will bring up a screen with three options. They are: Uncontracted Six-dot Braille, Uncontracted Eight-dot Braille, and Contracted Braille.
  11. Double tap on Uncontracted Eight-dot Braille. You will hear "Selected, Uncontracted Eight-dot Braille."
  12. Double tap on the Back button in the upper left corner of the screen.
  13. In the Automatic Switching section, double tap the Apps button. A list of all the apps installed on your phone will appear. Flick down until you reach BARD Mobile and double tap it. You will hear "Selected, BARD Mobile." On this screen, you can select more than one app to have these settings applied.
  14. When you have finished selecting apps, double tap on the Back button in the upper left corner of the screen.
  15. Double tap on the Add Activity, Back button in the upper left corner of the screen.
  16. Your new activity should now be listed on the Activities screen.

8.5: Now Reading (Audio)

While playing a title, if you unintentionally move forward or backward by selecting the Next or Previous buttons, it is possible to “undo” this action and return to your original place. To do so, select the button of the opposite action within 5 seconds. For example, if you are reading Chapter 4 and you accidentally select the Next button and jump to Chapter 5, within 5 seconds select the Previous button to return to your previous location within Chapter 4.

8.6: Settings - Font

You can adjust the font size in BARD Mobile with your iOS device. BARD Mobile supports Dynamic Type. To increase the font size in BARD Mobile, go to your device settings. Select Display/Brightness, and then select Text size. Use the slider to increase or decrease to a size between 0 and 100 percent.

Larger sizes are available in Accessibility settings. Select General in your device settings, then select Accessibility. Choose Larger Text. Turn Larger Accessibility Sizes on and use the slider to increase or decrease the font size.

8.7: Side Loading Titles

Books that are stored on your computer can be side loaded onto BARD Mobile by using services that allow you to store your files in the cloud and access them from your phone, computer, or the company website. To side load audio items, they must be zipped, with each book or magazine zipped as a separate file. You do not have to zip braille books before importing them, but if you do not, BARD Mobile will treat each braille file as a separate book.

Please note that each protected audio item must receive a unique key from BARD to play on your mobile device. Audio items that have been side loaded will not play until your mobile device is able to contact BARD.

Dropbox and Airdrop are popular third-party file-sharing applications that can be used to side load titles on BARD Mobile. The following instructions for using these applications have been included here as a courtesy to BARD Mobile users. This inclusion does not imply that these applications are supported or endorsed by the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled.

8.7.1: Loading Books via Dropbox

  1. On a Windows or Mac computer, put each zip file that you want to import into a Dropbox folder.
  2. Open Dropbox on your mobile device and find the same folder.
  3. Double-tap the zip file you want to import.
  4. Double-tap the Share button in the lower right corner of the screen.
  5. You will be presented with a menu. Double-tap the Export File button, and from the following list, double tap the Open In button, then the More button.
  6. You will see a list of apps that your device thinks can accept the file.
  7. Select Copy to BARD Mobile.
  8. The file will be brought into BARD Mobile. You will be placed in the Now Reading screen.
  9. Once you have copied a file from Dropbox to BARD Mobile, the BARD Mobile app will appear on the list of items in step 5.

8.7.2: Loading Books via Airdrop from a Mac

  1. Locate the zip file in Finder.
  2. Press VO-Shift-M to open the context menu.
  3. Choose Share, and press Return or Right Arrow.
  4. Choose AirDrop.
  5. Make sure your iOS device is unlocked. On your Mac, press VO- Right Arrow until you reach an Airdrop table.
  6. Press VO-Shift-Down Arrow to interact with the table. Your iOS device should appear there.
  7. Press VO-Space to select it. You will hear some beeps, and the file is copied to your device.
  8. When the file finishes downloading, you are asked which app you want to use to open it. Select BARD Mobile. BARD Mobile will open, and the item is loaded.

Last updated: 9/28/22

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