Simple, step-by-step help for getting the most out of the Choiceworks Calendar.
Create a Calendar
A simple, step by step guide to making your first visual calendar in the Choiceworks Calendar app.
Open the app and tap Add
Start on the main app screen. In the top right corner, tap the Add Calendar (+) button to begin a new calendar.
Set the calendar information
Fill in the "Set calendar information" form. Give your calendar a name, add a photo if you like, then choose your options: turn US holidays on or off, pick a time interval, and set which day the week starts on. When you are happy with your choices, save the calendar.
See your new calendar
That's it. Your new calendar now appears on the main screen, ready for you to start adding days and activities.
Add Events to Your Calendar
A simple, step-by-step guide to adding events to a Choiceworks Calendar, so your day is easy to see and easy to share.
Open a calendar and tap Edit
Open the calendar you want to add an event to. In the top right corner, tap Edit to begin making changes.
Pick a day in month view
You are now in month view. Tap any day to choose it, and it will highlight in yellow. To move to a different month, use the arrows at the top. Then tap the plus button in the toolbar to open the Add Event dialog.
Fill in the event and save
In the Add Event dialog, choose an image, then set the date, time, duration, alarm, and how often it repeats. When everything looks right, tap Save to add it to the calendar.
Sync Across Your Devices
Choiceworks Calendar can keep your calendars backed up and matched across your own iPad and iPhone, all on your own Apple ID. Turn it on once and your calendars travel with you.
Sign in to iCloud
Make sure each device is signed into iCloud with the same Apple ID. In the device's Settings app, tap your name at the top to check. That is all Choiceworks Calendar needs. Syncing is on automatically from the start, and the iCloud Sync & Backup switch in the app's Settings lets you turn it off.
Your calendars stay matched
Your calendars save to your own iCloud automatically, and every device signed into the same Apple ID stays matched. Add an event on the iPad and it appears on the iPhone. Lose or replace a device, sign back in, and your calendars come back.
Check it any time
Tap the gear (Settings) icon and look at the iCloud Sync & Backup row. It tells you whether iCloud is available on this device. You can also use Back Up / Share Calendar any time to save your own copy.
Pick the Language Your Cards Speak
Choiceworks Calendar's picture cards can show and speak their words in English or Spanish. The words on the cards and the voice that reads them follow this choice. Everything else stays in the app's language.
Open Card Language
Tap the gear (Settings) icon on the main screen, then tap Card Language.
Choose a language
Pick Match App Language, English, or Spanish (Español). Match App Language is the everyday choice: the cards follow whatever language the app itself runs in.
To change the app's own language
Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad, scroll down and tap Apps, tap CW Calendar, then tap Language. Menus, buttons, and day labels follow the app's language; your own photos and words never change.
Customize Day Labels
The day screen's My Schedule and All Done headers can say anything your family says. Pick your own words like To Do or Finished, record them in your own voice, or turn a label off to hide it.
From the Menu
Tap the gear (Settings) icon, then tap Customize Day Labels. Choose which calendar (if you have more than one), then choose the My Schedule or All Done label.
Or right from a day
Open any day and tap Edit. Tap the My Schedule or All Done label, marked with a pencil, to open the same editor.
Make it yours and save
Type your own words, record audio in your own voice with the Record button, or use the Turn label off switch. Save with the checkmark. Reset to default brings back the original wording any time.
Pick the Picture Size on the Day Schedule
In the latest update, the iPad day schedule has the same minus and plus picture-size control that Choiceworks boards have, so the pictures can be exactly the size your child needs.
Open a day on your iPad
Open your calendar and tap a day to see its schedule. The picture-size control sits in the row of buttons at the top of the day schedule.
Tap minus or plus
Tap the minus to make every picture on the schedule smaller, or the plus to make them bigger. The schedule updates right away with each tap.
Set it once and it stays
Your size is saved automatically, so every day's schedule opens at the size you chose. Change it again any time.
Color Code Your Events
Give each kind of event its own color, or give each child their own color, so anyone can read the calendar at a glance.
Color one event
Open the event and look for the color circle next to Done at the top. Tap it and pick a color from the menu. That event now shows in its color on the calendar.
Give a child their own color
Open your child's calendar settings and tap Color. Pick a color from the same palette. All of that child's events show in their color, so two kids' days are easy to tell apart.
Mix the two
An event's own color always wins. So you can give everything Emma's purple, and still make the dentist appointment red so it stands out.
Take a color off
Tap the color circle again and choose None. The event goes back to the child's color, or to the plain look if no child color is set.
Using Calendar with VoiceOver
Choiceworks Calendar works with VoiceOver, Apple's built-in screen reader, so a blind or low-vision parent, teacher, or child can use it by listening and touch.
Turn on VoiceOver
Go to Settings, then Accessibility, then VoiceOver, and turn it on. If you have set the accessibility shortcut, you can also triple-click the side button to turn VoiceOver on and off any time.
Open the calendar and swipe
Swipe right or left to move from one item to the next. Choiceworks Calendar reads each day and event aloud as you land on it. Double-tap to open or play what you are hearing.
What reads aloud
The parts that matter speak, so the calendar works without sight: the days of the month, each day's events, and the buttons and switches you use to move around the app.
We built this for real families
If something does not read the way you expect, tell us at info@beevisual.com. We keep improving how Calendar works for blind and low-vision families, and your note helps.
Reorder Events
Put the events on a day in the order that works best, so the schedule reads from top to bottom the way your child expects.
Tap Edit to start
Open your calendar and tap Edit in the top right corner. This turns on edit mode, where you can make changes to days and events.
Pick the day you want
While in month view, tap the day you would like to change. The day will highlight in yellow so you know it is selected.
Switch to day view
Tap Day near the top left to open that single day. Now you can see all of its events listed one below the other.
Drag to reorder
Press and hold the gray handles on the right side of an event, then drag it up or down into the order you want. Let go to drop it in place.
Create Repeat Events
Have an activity that happens again and again? Set it up once and let it repeat. Here is how to make an event recur on your Choiceworks Calendar.
Tap Edit
Open your calendar and tap the Edit button. This lets you start adding and changing events.
Pick the start day
In the month view, tap the day you want your event to begin. The day will highlight in yellow so you know it is selected.
Open the Add Event dialog
Tap the plus button in the toolbar to open the Add Event dialog for that day. This is where you give your event a name, a picture, and a time.
Turn Repeat on and save
Find the Repeat switch and turn it ON to make the event recur. Then choose how often it should repeat, like daily or weekly, and tap save.
Countdown to an Event
Build excitement for a trip, a birthday, or any big day by showing your child exactly how many days are left.
Start the countdown
Tap the day of your big event so it highlights, then tap the "123" countdown button in the corner of your calendar. The countdown window opens for that day, and you confirm the event to start. This turns any event into a friendly day-by-day countdown.
Watch the days count down
The countdown begins and shows a big "days until" number, so your child can see at a glance how close the day is. Use the pause and stop controls at the bottom whenever you need them. This is a wonderful way to build anticipation for a trip or birthday.
Print or Share a Calendar
Two different needs, and the app does both: a paper or PDF copy, or handing the whole calendar to another caregiver so they can use it with your child too.
Tap the Share icon
Open the calendar you want to share. In the top right corner, tap the Share icon. The standard share menu appears.
For a paper or PDF copy
Choose Print to send it to a printer, or use Save to Files (or your device's print-to-PDF) to keep or email a PDF, handy for the fridge or a backpack.
To hand the calendar to another caregiver
From the share menu, AirDrop it to someone right next to you, or pick Mail or Messages to send it to a co-parent, grandparent, teacher, or therapist. You can also email it to yourself, or choose Save to Files to keep a copy you can reopen later.
They import it and start using it
When the other person opens the calendar file, Choiceworks Calendar asks to import it. They tap Import, then Open, and the calendar is now on their device, ready to use with your child, the same routines, pictures, and structure.
Good to know: it shares a copy
Sharing sends a snapshot of the calendar as it is right now, so it makes a separate copy on the other person's device. Changes you make later will not show up on theirs, and theirs will not show on yours. For most families sharing a calendar or two, that is exactly what you want, and to send an update you just share it again.
Create Custom Images and Audio
Make your calendar personal by adding your own photos and voice recordings to any event.
Open the event editor
Tap the event you want to change to open the event editor. This is where you can update the title, image, and sound for that event.
Open the image chooser
Tap the event's picture to open the image chooser. From here you can pick a new image or create a custom one.
Take or pick your own photo
In the image editor, tap the camera icon in the top right corner. You can take a new photo or choose one from your photo library.
Add a label, photo, and your voice
In the image setup screen, type a label so you know what the picture is, and use the camera to set the photo if you have not already. Tap the red Record button to record your own voice, then tap the green Playback button to hear it back. Re-record any time until it sounds just right.
Back Up Calendars
Keep a safe copy of your calendars so you never lose your hard work. Here is how to save a backup file and bring it back when you need it.
Save your calendars as a file
Tap the Share button, then choose the backup or export option. This saves all of your calendars into one file you can keep.
Choose where to keep it
You can save the file right on your iPad in Files or iCloud Drive, so it is always within reach. If you have a Mac, connect the iPad with its charging cable, open a Finder window, click your iPad's name in the list on the left, click the Files tab, and drag the file across. No computer, or a Windows one? Saving to Files or iCloud Drive on the iPad keeps your copy just as safe.
Bring your calendars back
To restore from a backup, open Settings and tap Import Calendars, then pick the file you saved earlier. Your calendars will return just as they were.
Sync to Apple Calendar
Turn on one switch and your Choiceworks calendars appear in the built-in Apple Calendar app, on every Apple device the family uses.
Turn on the sync switch
Tap the gear (Settings) icon to open the settings menu, then find "Sync to Apple Calendar" and turn the switch on. Like any iOS switch it is white when off and turns green when on.
Allow calendar access
iOS will ask for permission to use your calendar. Tap "Allow" so Choiceworks can add your calendars. If you tap "Don't Allow" by mistake, you can turn access back on later in the device's Settings app: scroll to CW Calendar in the app list and allow Calendars.
See them in Apple Calendar
That's it. Your Choiceworks calendars now show up inside the built-in Apple Calendar app, each one named "Choiceworks - " followed by the calendar's name. Events appear right alongside the family's other calendars, and they sync automatically to all of their Apple devices.
Lock Editing with a Passcode
Lock Editing with a passcode so your child can use the calendar freely without changing or deleting anything.
Turn the passcode on
In the settings menu, turn on Passcode and choose a code. Editing then stays locked until the code is entered, so a child can use the calendar without changing it.
If you forget your passcode
No calendars or data are lost. On the passcode screen, tap Forgot Passcode?. The app asks you to confirm it is really you with your device passcode or Face ID, then turns the Calendar passcode off so you can set a new one.
Raise your hand
Questions make the app better
Some of the most valuable help we get comes from users. If you have a question, ask it. Chances are twenty-five other families are stuck on the exact same spot. If something does not work the way you expected, or you wish the app did something it does not, write to info@beevisual.com. A speech pathologist in Australia raised his hand recently. It made our day, and the app got better for everyone.
If Choiceworks Calendar helps, say so
One good day is worth saying
If something is not working, write to info@beevisual.com and give us the chance to fix it. We usually can, quickly, and you will hear back from the founder herself. And if Choiceworks Calendar helped your family get through the day, even one day, that is worth saying. Leave an honest review on the App Store and tell us what it did for your child. Reviews from real families are how the next family finds us.
Choiceworks®, Choiceworks® Calendar, and Bee Visual® are registered trademarks of Bee Visual, LLC.
Choiceworks® is protected under U.S. Patent No. 8,740,623.