- This week, Apple previewed a number of powerful accessibility features that combines hardware, software, and machine learning. These are the details.
This week, Apple previewed a number of powerful accessibility features that combines hardware, software, and machine learning. These software features will be coming later this year and it offers users with disabilities new tools for navigation, health, communication, etc.
Through advancements across hardware, software, and machine learning, people who are blind or low vision can use their iPhone and iPad for navigating the last few feet to their destination with Door Detection. And users with physical and motor disabilities who may rely on assistive features like Voice Control and Switch Control can fully control Apple Watch from their iPhone with Apple Watch Mirroring. The Deaf and hard-of-hearing community can follow Live Captions on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Plus Apple is also expanding support for its industry-leading screen reader VoiceOver with over 20 new languages and locales.
Door Detection For Users Who Are Blind or Low Vision
Apple plans to introduce Door Detection, which is a navigation feature for users who are blind or have low vision. Door Detection will be able to help users locate a door upon arriving at a new destination, understand how far they are from it, and describe door attributes, including if it is open or closed, and when it’s closed, whether it can be opened by pushing, turning a knob, or pulling a handle. Plus Door Detection can also read signs and symbols around the door, like the room number at an office, or the presence of an accessible entrance symbol. This new feature utilizes the power of LiDAR, camera, and on-device machine learning, and will be available on iPhone and iPad models with the LiDAR Scanner.*
Door Detection is going to be available in a new Detection Mode within Magnifier, which is Apple’s built-in app supporting blind and low vision users. And Door Detection, along with People Detection and Image Descriptions, can each be used alone or simultaneously in Detection Mode, offering users with vision disabilities a go-to place with customizable tools to help navigate and access rich descriptions of their surroundings. Along with the navigation tools within Magnifier, Apple Maps will offer sound and haptics feedback for VoiceOver users to identify the starting point for walking directions.
Advancing Physical And Motor Accessibility for Apple Watch
The Apple Watch is becoming more accessible than ever for people with physical and motor disabilities with Apple Watch Mirroring, which helps users control the Apple Watch remotely from their paired iPhone. And with Apple Watch Mirroring, users can control Apple Watch using iPhone’s assistive features like Voice Control and Switch Control, and use inputs like voice commands, sound actions, head tracking, or external Made for iPhone switches as alternatives to tapping the Apple Watch display.
Apple Watch Mirroring utilizes hardware and software integration, including advances built on AirPlay, to help ensure users who rely on these mobility features can benefit from unique Apple Watch apps like Blood Oxygen, Heart Rate, Mindfulness, and more (available on Apple Watch Series 6 and later).
Users can also do more with simple hand gestures for controlling the Apple Watch. With new Quick Actions on Apple Watch, a double-pinch gesture can answer or end a phone call, dismiss a notification, take a photo, play/pause media in the Now Playing app, and start/pause/resume a workout. And this builds on the innovative technology used in AssistiveTouch on Apple Watch, which gives users with upper body limb differences the option to control Apple Watch with gestures like a pinch or a clench without having to tap the display.
Live Captions Come For Deaf And Hard of Hearing Users
For the Deaf and hard of hearing community, Apple is launching Live Captions on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.** Users can follow along more easily with any audio content — whether they are on a phone or FaceTime call, using a video conferencing or social media app, streaming media content, or having a conversation with someone next to them. And users can also adjust the font size for ease of reading.
Live Captions in FaceTime attribute auto-transcribed dialogue to call participants so group video calls become even more convenient for users with hearing disabilities. And when Live Captions are used for calls on Mac, users have the option to type a response and have it spoken aloud in real-time to others who are part of the conversation. And since Live Captions are generated on the device, user information stays private and secure.
VoiceOver Getting New Languages
VoiceOver – which is Apple’s screen reader for blind and low vision users – is adding support for more than 20 additional locales and languages, including Bengali, Bulgarian, Catalan, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese. And users can also select from dozens of new voices that are optimized for assistive features across languages.
These new languages, locales, and voices will also be available for Speak Selection and Speak Screen accessibility features. Plus VoiceOver users on Mac can use the new Text Checker tool to discover common formatting issues such as duplicative spaces or misplaced capital letters, which makes proofreading documents or emails even easier.
More Features
— Through Buddy Controller, users can ask a care provider or friend to help them play a game. And Buddy Controller combines any two-game controllers into one, so multiple controllers can drive the input for a single player.
— With Siri Pause Time, users with speech disabilities are able to adjust how long Siri waits before responding to a request.
— Voice Control Spelling Mode offers users the option to dictate custom spellings using letter-by-letter input (currently in English).
— Sound Recognition can be customized for recognizing sounds that are specific to a person’s environment, like their home’s unique alarm, doorbell, or appliances.
— The Apple Books app will new themes and introduce customization options such as bolding text and adjusting line, character, and word spacing for an even more accessible reading experience.
Global Accessibility Awareness Day
This week, Apple is celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day with special sessions, curated collections, and more:
— SignTime will launch in Canada on May 19 to connect Apple Store and Apple Support customers with on-demand American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters. SignTime is already available for customers in the US using ASL, the UK using British Sign Language (BSL), and France using French Sign Language (LSF).
— Apple Store locations around the world are offering live sessions throughout the week to help customers discover accessibility features on iPhone, and Apple Support social channels are showcasing how-to content.
— The Accessibility Assistant shortcut is coming to the Shortcuts app on Mac and Apple Watch this week to help recommend accessibility features based on user preferences.
— This week in Apple Fitness+, Bakari Williams (trainer) uses ASL to highlight the features available to users that are part of an ongoing effort to make fitness more accessible to all, including Audio Hints, which are short descriptive verbal cues to support users who are blind or low vision, and Time to Walk and Time to Run episodes becoming “Time to Walk or Push” and “Time to Run or Push” for wheelchair users. Plus Fitness+ trainers incorporate ASL into every workout and meditation, all videos include closed captioning in six languages, and trainers demonstrate modifications in each workout so users at different levels can join in.
— Apple Maps is featuring a new guide from the National Park Foundation (Park Access for All) to help users discover accessible features, programs, and services to explore in parks across the US. And guides from Gallaudet University — a premier university for Deaf, hard of hearing, and Deafblind students — feature businesses and organizations that value, embrace, and prioritize the Deaf community and signed languages.
— Users can explore accessibility-focused apps and powerful stories from app creators in the App Store; check out the Transforming Our World collection in Apple Books, featuring stories by and about people with disabilities; and learn about creative ways technology is advancing accessibility in Apple Podcasts.
— Apple Music is going to highlight the Saylists playlists, a collection of playlists that each focus on a different sound. Choosing one and singing along is a fun and engaging way to practice vocal sounds or speech therapy.
— The Apple TV app will highlight the latest hit movies and shows featuring authentic representation of people with disabilities. Plus viewers can explore guest-curated collections from the accessibility community’s standout actors, including Marlee Matlin (“CODA”), Lauren Ridloff (“Eternals”), Selma Blair (“Introducing, Selma Blair”), and Ali Stroker (“Christmas Ever After”).
KEY QUOTE:
“Apple embeds accessibility into every aspect of our work, and we are committed to designing the best products and services for everyone. We’re excited to introduce these new features, which combine innovation and creativity from teams across Apple to give users more options to use our products in ways that best suit their needs and lives.”
— Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s senior director of Accessibility Policy and Initiatives
* iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPad Pro 11-inch (2nd and 3rd generation), and iPad Pro 12.9-inch (4th and 5th generation).
** Live Captions will be available in beta later this year in English (US, Canada) on iPhone 11 and later, iPad models with A12 Bionic and later, and Macs with Apple silicon. And the accuracy of Live Captions may vary and should not be relied upon in high-risk situations.
