I am not aware of any specific features for visually impaired which is why I'm planning on running assistive tech eg JAWS, ZoomText, alongside. Unfortunately these aren't optimised for design software, so it's a case of trial and error. They also need a lot of RAM to run so you will need a high spec desktop or laptop. I have tried to use photo editing, virtual labs, on standard laptops, but the constant panning, and zooming in and out causes eye strain and is rather frustrating so I'm not sure how your student will cope with an iPad. My setup consists of a 17 inch laptop connected to a 27 inch monitor to reduce the frequency of panning and zooming in and out. I also have an electronic magnifier that sits on the desk (it's called a CCTV, not to be confused with a security camera) to project any drawings, printed text onto the monitor or my laptop, depending on what I'm doing. I also have other magnification gadgets that can be connected to the laptop, monitor or a tablet. It's a case of suggesting all the available VI software and hardware to your student to find out what the preferred setup is. Not sure if you can customise the layout of the tools in AutoCad, but that may be helpful to your student if it's possible so that they can find all the tools they use most often easily without having to struggle searching as this can waste a ridiculous amount of time. Hopefully someone in the know will respond to our questions and shed some more light.
