How To: Enable remote configuration of accessibility settings on Mac and iPad devices

By: Dave Marra, Senior Systems Engineer and Accessibility Specialist

At Apple, we believe that accessibility is essential to building a more inclusive world. We want everyone to be able to use our products in the ways that work best for them. And it’s our mission to make technology customizable to the diverse needs of all our users.

When it comes to technology in schools, we know that technology is most powerful when it empowers everyone. And, we also recognize that IT departments have a growing need to support and manage Apple's built-in accessibility features on iPad and Mac, allowing all users to do their very best work and to be productive, independent, and creative.

That's why, starting with macOS 10.9 Mavericks in 2018 and iPadOS 16 in 2022, we introduced the com.apple.universalaccess device management payload for macOS and the SettingsCommand.Command.Settings.AccessibilitySettings command for iPadOS.

For IT departments, these deployment tools enable remote configuration of specific accessibility settings for users who have difficulty with vision, hearing, or mobility on supported Mac devices, and vision and mobility on supported iPad devices.

These settings, which can also be deployed using a supported Device Management Service, are crucial for enforcing accessibility compliance across an organization’s managed Apple devices.

Note: Each device management service surfaces these settings differently. To learn how various accessibility settings are applied to your managed devices and users, please consult your device management service's official documentation.

On Mac, the built-in vision, hearing, and mobility accessibility properties that can be managed by IT on supported devices include:

Vision support

• closeViewFarPoint: The minimum zoom level in the Zoom options.
• closeViewHotkeysEnabled: If true, enables “Use keyboard shortcuts” in the Zoom options. (Default: false)
• closeViewNearPoint: The maximum zoom level in the Zoom options.
• closeViewScrollWheelToggle: If true, enables “Use scroll gesture” in the Zoom options. (Default: false)
• closeViewSmoothImages: If true, enables “Smooth images” in the Zoom options. (Default: false)
• contrast: The contrast value in the Display options. (Minimum: 0, Maximum: 1)
• mouseDriverCursorSize: The size of the cursor.
• voiceOverOnOffKey: If true, enables VoiceOver. (Default: false)
• whiteOnBlack: If true, enables Invert Colors in Display Accommodations. (Default: false)

Hearing support

• flashScreen: If true, enables “Flash the screen” in the Audio options. (Default: false)
• stereoAsMono: If true, plays stereo audio as mono. (Default: false)

Mobility support

• mouseDriver: If true, enables Mouse Keys in the Mouse & Trackpad options. (Default: false)
• mouseDriverIgnoreTrackpad: If true, ignores the built-in trackpad. (Default: false)
• mouseDriverInitialDelay: The initial delay before moving the mouse with Mouse Keys.
• mouseDriverMaxSpeed: The maximum speed for the cursor when using Mouse Keys.
• slowKey: If true, enables “Slow Keys” in the Keyboard options. (Default: false)
• slowKeyBeepOn: If true, enables “click key sounds” for Slow Keys. (Default: false)
• slowKeyDelay: The acceptance delay, in milliseconds, for Slow Keys.
• stickyKey: If true, enables Sticky Keys in the Keyboard options. (Default: false)
• stickyKeyBeepOnModifier: If true, enables the beep when a modifier key is set for Sticky Keys. (Default: false)
• stickyKeyShowWindow: If true, enables “Display pressed keys on screen” for Sticky Keys. (Default: false)

On iPad, the built-in vision and mobility accessibility properties that can be managed by IT on supported devices include:

Vision support

• BoldTextEnabled: If true, the system enables bold text. (Default: false)
• GrayscaleEnabled: If true, the system enables grayscale display. (Default: false)
• IncreaseContrastEnabled: If true, the system enables increase contrast. (Default: false)
• ReduceMotionEnabled: If true, the system enables reduced motion. (Default: false)
• ReduceTransparencyEnabled: If true, the system enables reduced transparency. (Default: false)
• TextSize: The accessibility text size apps that support dynamic text use. 0 is the smallest value, and 11 is the largest available. (Default: 4, Possible Values: 0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
• VoiceOverEnabled: If true, the system enables VoiceOver. (Default: false)
• ZoomEnabled: If true, the system enables zoom. (Default: false)

Mobility support

• TouchAccommodationsEnabled: If true, the system enables touch accommodations. (Default: false)

Why it Matters:

Technology works best when everyone can use it. With these new management tools, IT departments can pre-configure accessibility settings for users who need them, maintain those settings across Mac and iPad devices, and support users remotely, without having to manually configure each device.

Schools and organizations also have legal obligations to provide accessible technology. These tools help IT departments meet compliance standards and document that accessibility support is in place. Finally, these tools allow accessibility to be easily built into Apple deployment workflows, standardized accessibility support across an organization, and treat accessibility as a core requirement, not as an afterthought

For More Information:

For more information on the com.apple.universalaccess device management payload for macOS and the SettingsCommand.Command.Settings.AccessibilitySettings command for iPadOS, please visit:

For macOS: Device Management Profile: Accessibility | Apple Developer Documentation

For iPadOS: SettingsCommand.Command.Settings.AccessibilitySettings | Apple Developer Documentation

And for more information about the latest built-in Mac and iPad accessibility features that support all learners across every grade level and subject area, visit Get started with accessibility features on Mac - Apple Support.

Questions? Please Reach Out!

We’ve covered the main considerations for school IT admins needing to remotely configure key accessibility settings on Mac and iPad devices, but if you have additional questions — or would like to learn more about the built-in accessibility features found in every Apple device that support all learners — please feel free to reach out to your local Apple Education team. We’re always happy to help.