This is a page that contains various documents and manuals that should assist you in using your Mac or iOS device. I have tried to separate the types of documentation and also indicate the more recent documentation for the latest operating systems when applicable.
Keyboard Command Documentation for the Mac
Most Recent
Instead of a downloadable document, I am placing a link here to access the latest keyboard shortcuts for MacOS pages. The reason being that this Apple Support page has a comprehensive list of system keyboard shortcuts as well as links to other specific feature keyboard shortcuts.
MacOS keyboard shortcuts
Learn iPad keyboard shortcuts – 2020
Learn iPad keyboard shortcuts – 2020
MacOS keyboard shortcuts for High Sierra.
MacOS keyboard shortcuts for High Sierra.
Mac OS shortcuts as of Sierra.
Mac OS Shortcuts as of Sierra.
The actual link on the Apple Support page to this document is
here.
Mac OS X keyboard shortcuts for El Capitan
Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts for El Capitan
Special Symbols and characters on a regular Mac keyboard Special Symbols and Characters on the regular Mac Keyboard.rtf
Older Documents for the Mac
Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts for Mavericks
Keyboard shortcuts for OS X Mavericks
Mac OS Keyboard Shortcuts for Mountain Lion
Mac OS X Keyboard Shortcuts for Mountain Lion.rtf
Apple keyboard shortcuts for Lion. Mac OS X Lion Keyboard Commands.rtf
Apple keyboard shortcuts for Snow Leopard
Apple_keyboard_shortcuts_for_Snow_Leopard.rtf
OS X keyboard commands as of Leopard key_commands_Mac_OS_Leopard.pdf
Keyboard Command Documentation for iOS
Most recent
Here is a document that lists a bunch of useful iPad keyboard commands broken down into applications. This document was kindly provided by Klyph Miller.
Here is a link to an Apple Support document that lists the most recent VoiceOver commands one can use with a Bluetooth keyboard. The article references the “Apple Magic Keyboard”, but these commands will work with most wireless keyboards.
control-voiceover-with-magic-keyboard
Bluetooth commands for iOS 9
Up-to-date Bluetooth Keyboard Commands for iOS 9
Braille Commands for iOS 7
iOS 7Braille Display Commands.txt
Older iOS Documentation
Keyboard shortcuts for the Apple Wireless keyboard for use with iOS 4 (converted from an email message by Esther that was posted on the VIphone list)
Apple_Wireless_Keyboard_Shortcuts_for_the_iPhone_and__iPad_for_iOS_4.rtf
Braille commands for using a Braille Display with the iPhone Note; I’d like to give credit to the person who created this document, so if they recognize it, please contact me or post a comment in this section iPhone Braille commands.doc
iOS 5 keyboard commands and gestures, courtesy of Keith Reedy, and written by Daniel Gˆransson of AxS Lab iOS 5 Voice_Over Gesture Keyboard Commands.rtf
iOS 5 Braille Commands with Braille Displays written by Daniel Gˆransson of AxS Lab
iOS_5 Braille Commands.rtf
Manuals and User Guides for the Mac
Most Recent
VoiceOver User Guide for MacOS Big Sur
VoiceOver Getting Started with High Sierra.
VoiceOver Getting Started with Sierra
VoiceOver Getting Started with Sierra
VoiceOver Getting Started with Sierra in Microsoft Word format:
VoiceOver Getting Started Guide for Sierra in MS Word Format.
VoiceOver Getting started with El Capitan
VoiceOver Getting Started Guide with El Capitan
VoiceOver Getting Started with Yosemite
VoiceOver Getting Started Guide for Yosemite.txt
VoiceOver Getting Started with Mavericks.
VoiceOver Getting Started Guide for Mavericks.txt
Macbook Pro User Guide, kindly contributed by Michael Gerwat. A Note from Michael please note: I have as far as possible with out changing the text, reproduced this manual for braille users who wish to print it in braille. Due to the fact that there were literally hundreds of visual symbols and odd characters, even after converting from pdf, I have changed a few things. For ease of reading I have put dashes between menu options, as the symbols used in the manual may interfere with normal braille printing. I have also left, for sighted users who may work with blind people, (visually impaired) for those folks who prefer that term, people so they can refer sighted people to a printed page in the hard copy of the manual. I have also left two returns between any web sites mentioned so we can easily search for them. In many cases, there are numbers and sub-headings with strange symbols in. I have deleted these and as far as possible replaced them with numbers. Some of these may be slightly out of sequence, due to the fact that there were lots of them and the convection process took out every single space between words! Another thing to note, this manual isn’t for the accessibility products that come with your apple, it is merely the actual operating manual of the machine. A lot of the information is useful only to sighted users or those who can see the screen. However, there is a lot of stuff that may come in handy. Also, I haven’t put in the list of supported telepone numbers because they converted all over the place andI don’t have a sighted person who can sort them all out. The same goes unfortunately for the contents page as well. I take no responsibility for any inaccuracies and have done my very best to faithfully produce the manual. Finally, I haven’t as yet, transcribed all the safety blurb at the end of the manual. I have left the web address at the end of the document where you can download or look at this if desired. Michael Gerwat. email: mike.gerwat@gmail.com if you want any information. It’s taken an age to do this. I’ve done in on a braille display as I am DeafBlind with two cochlear implants. Please enjoy.
macbook pro manual.rtf
Older Documentation for the Mac
VoiceOver getting started for Tiger (in MP3 format)
VoiceOver_GettingStarted_for_Tiger.zip
VoiceOver documentation for OS 10.5 Leopard
VoiceOver_Getting_Started_for_Leopard.rtf
VoiceOver Getting Started for Leopard (in 3GP audio format).
VoiceOver_Getting_started_with_Leopard.zip
VoiceOver OS 10.6 Snow Leopard documentation
VoiceOver_Getting_Started_for_Snow_Leopard.rtf
VoiceOver Getting Started for Mac OS X Snow Leopard (in Daisy format, created by Greg Kearney) VoiceOver Getting Started SL 202.zip
VoiceOver Getting Started with Lion in Braille (comes in 3 volumes). VO Getting Started Lion.zip
VoiceOver Getting Started with Lion in RTF format
VoiceOver Getting Started with Lion.rtf
VoiceOver Getting Started with Mountain Lion in RTF format.
VoiceOver Getting Started with Mountain Lion.rtf
A different version of the VoiceOver Getting Started with Mountain Lion Manual, contributed by Michael Gerwat
apple mountain lion for VoiceOver.rtf
Manuals and User Guides for iOS
Most Recent
The iOS 11 user manual for the iPhone can be found here
The iPad and iOS 11 User Guide can be found here.
User guide for the Apple Watch.
Go here for the iOS 10 User Manual.
The same goes for those still using iOS 9.
Look here for it.
iPhone iOS 8 User Guide
iphone user guide for iOS 8.rtf
iPad iOS 8 User Guide
ipad user guide for iOS 8.1.rtf
iPod Nano G7 user guide
iPod_Nano_7th_Gen_User_Guide.rtf
iPod Shuffle G4 User Guide
iPod_Shuffle_4th_Gen_User_Guide.rtf
Older Manuals and User Guides for iOS
iPad 1 user guide
iPad_user_guide.rtf
iPad 2 (iOS 4.3) user guide
ipad_2_user_guide.rtf
iPad (iOS 5.0) user guide
ipad user guide for iOS 5.0.rtf
iPad iOS 6 User Guide
ipad user guide for iOS 6.0.rtf
iPhone iOS 4-1 user guide
iPhone_iOS4-1_User_Guide.doc
iPhone iOS 4.2 and 4.3 user guide
iPhone_User_Guide_for_iOS_4.2_and_4.3.rtf
iPhone iOS 5.0 user guide
iphone user guide for iOS 5.0.rtf
iPhone iOS 5.1 user guide
iphone user guide for iOS 5.1.rtf
iPhone iOS 6.0 user guide
iphone user guide for iOS 6.rtf
iPod Touch G4 (for iOS 4.3) user guide
iPod_touch_iOS4_User_Guide.rtf
iPod Touch G4 (for iOS 5.0) user guide
ipod touch user guide for iOS 5.0.rtf
iPod Nano G4 user guide
iPod_Nano_G4_user_guide.rtf
iPod Nano G5 User Guide
iPod_Nano_5th_Gen_User_Guide.rtf
iPod Nano G6 user guide
iPod_Nano_6th_Gen_User_Guide.rtf
Apple TV 2nd Generation Setup Guide
Apple_TV_2nd_gen_Setup_Guide.rtf
Apple TV 2nd Generation Setup Guide (in Daisy audio format)
Apple_TV_2nd_gen_Setup_Guide.zip
Tutorials and Other Documentation
Mac
A tutorial for Garage Band 6, (Version 3) courtesy of Keith Reedy, 11/2011
GarageBand_6_with_Voiceover_editing_using_loops_and_more.rtf
iCal Guide for Leopard, courtesy of Keith Reedy
Ical_Guide_Leopard.rtf
Using VoiceOver with the VueScan scanning application and Read Iris Pro OCR Package, courtesy of Keith Reedy and written by Anne Robertson
vuescan.zip
Using Mac Applications in Tiger, courtesy of Keith Reedy, and written by John W. Hess
Using MAC Applications with Voiceover tiger edition.rtf
Using Mac Applications in Leopard, courtesy of Keith Reedy, and written by John W. Hess
Using_Mac_Applications_with_Voiceover_the_Leopard_Edition.rtf
Using Mac Applications in Snow Leopard, courtesy of Keith Reedy, and written by John W. Hess
Using_Mac_Applications_with_Voiceover_the_Snow_Leopard_Edition.txt
Spell Checking in Tiger, courtesy of Keith Reedy and written by Keith Reedy, John W. Hess and others.
spell_checking_in_TextEdit_Mail_and_Web_mail_in_Tiger.rtf
iOS
Some helpful tips for using the Siri Assistant on the iPhone 4S, as well as some dictation tips.
Note that this document does apply to all of the subsequent iPhone models and iPad models that have SIRI available.
Siri Tips for Dictation.rtf
King of Dragon Pass Tutorial A brief tutorial for the iDevice game, King of Dragon Pass, originally posted on the Mac Visionaries list in multiple parts. This tutorial was written by Anouk Radix, and is posted here with the author’s kind permission. The editing was done by me, so I take responsibility for any errors of that kind.
King of Dragon Pass Tutorial.rtf
I just got a macbook air for my birthday. I’m looking forward to learning to use it. Thanks for the helpful info.
You are very welcome. I’m glad that the information provided here is helpful to you. That’s why I have taken the time to maintain this site.
John
hey John, I have a question about apple mail. I sent a message and now, every time I open mail, it is there, and it it resends it also. How can I make the message go away? At least, it is sending a copy to me. I’m not sure what is up with that.
With this message, is the to field set to yourself and is the message appearing in your sent items folder each time it is sent? You can also check your mailbox list and see if an Outbox is visible. If the message is present, just delete it from the Outbox.
I’ll try that. I did all this messing with email before i listened to your tutorial yesterday LOL. Sorry. You have a great web site. If I need Apple Accessories, I’ll remember to click the link on your site so that you can make a little money. I can’t thank you enough for suc a great service.
Thank you very much. Please feel free to write me directly at john@macfortheblind.com should you need any additional help.