In honor of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Apple has introduced a range of new accessibility features designed to assist individuals with disabilities and impairments in using their iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices more effectively. These upcoming tools include Assistive Access, Live Speech, and Personal Voice, among others.
Assistive Access, tailored for users with cognitive disabilities, offers a customized experience by merging apps and presenting a distinct interface with high-contrast buttons and large text labels. This feature enables seamless communication through Phone and FaceTime applications, making it easier for users with cognitive challenges to connect with loved ones, share photos, and enjoy music. Apple developed Assistive Access with feedback from individuals with cognitive disabilities and their trusted supporters.
Live Speech, on the other hand, focuses on aiding non-verbal individuals in communication. It allows nonspeaking iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to type what they want to say during calls, FaceTime conversations, or in-person interactions. The typed text is then converted into speech, facilitating effective communication for those who are unable to speak or have lost their speech over time.
Another innovative feature is Personal Voice, which employs machine learning to generate a unique automated voice that sounds like the user. This tool specifically caters to individuals at risk of losing their ability to speak due to conditions like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). By reading randomly chosen text prompts into their microphones for 15 minutes, iPhone and iPad users can create a Personal Voice that closely resembles their own. Initially available for English speakers, this feature requires devices with Apple silicon.
Apple has also introduced Point and Speak, designed to assist people with visual impairments. Utilizing the camera and LiDAR scanner on iPad and iPhone devices, Point and Speak enables visually disabled individuals to interact with physical objects, such as home appliances, that have multiple text labels. This feature works in conjunction with VoiceOver and other Magnifier app functionalities, such as People Detection, Door Detection, and Image Descriptions, facilitating navigation within the physical environment. Point and Speak currently supports various languages, including English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Cantonese, Korean, Japanese, and Ukrainian.
In addition to these features, Apple will roll out several other accessibility enhancements later in the year. This includes the ability to pair Made for iPhone hearing devices with Mac units, a Voice Control guide with phonetic suggestions for text editing, and the option for Deaf or hard-of-hearing users to directly pair Made for iPhone hearing devices with Mac and customize them for their hearing comfort. Apple is also introducing text size adjustment across Mac apps, allowing users with low vision to easily adjust text size in applications like Finder, Messages, Mail, Calendar, and Notes. Furthermore, users sensitive to rapid animations can have moving elements, such as GIFs, automatically paused in Messages and Safari.
These new accessibility features from Apple reflect their commitment to inclusivity and support for individuals with disabilities. As the tech giant prepares for its upcoming Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), where iOS 17 and iPadOS 17 are expected to be showcased, these accessibility advancements further emphasize Apple’s dedication to providing an accessible and inclusive user experience.
Additionally, Apple highlights its efforts to create inclusive physical spaces in its retail stores in India. Features such as adequate spacing between display tables to accommodate wheelchairs and braille on staircase sidebars for the visually impaired demonstrate Apple’s commitment to accessibility in both the digital and physical realms. The company is also offering portable hearing loops to enhance the customer store experience.
In conclusion, Apple’s introduction of these new accessibility features demonstrates its ongoing commitment to empowering individuals with disabilities and enabling them to fully utilize their devices. By prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity, Apple is striving to make technology more accessible to everyone.