Apple today announced the upcoming launch of several new accessibility features that will be added to its various products and services.
Apple says these options are intended for people with mobility, vision, hearing, and cognitive disabilities and underscore Apple's belief that accessibility is a human right. The press release states:
At Apple, we've long believed that the best technology in the world should meet the needs of everyone, and our teams work tirelessly to build accessibility into everything we make. With these new features, we're pushing the boundaries of innovation with next-generation technologies that bring the fun and features of Apple technology to even more people—and we can't wait to share them with our users.
There are new features for communicating with support staff, operating the iPad, navigating the Apple Watch and much more. Below is an overview.
AssistiveTouch, iPad eye tracking, SignTime & more
- Background Noise – Apple is adding a background noise feature designed to minimize distractions to help users focus, stay calm, or rest. Bright sounds, dark sounds, ocean, rain, or stream sounds can be set to play in the background to mask unwanted ambient or outside noise. Apple says the sounds will mix with or be drowned out by other audio and system sounds.
- AssistiveTouch – For users with limited mobility, AssistiveTouch enables users to use Apple Watch without touching the screen or controls. Built-in motion sensors, the optical heart rate sensor, and on-device machine learning let Apple Watch detect subtle differences in muscle movement and tendon activity that control an on-screen cursor through hand gestures such as a pinch or a squeeze. AssistiveTouch will be available later this year.
- iPad eye tracking – Later this year, iPadOS will support third-party eye tracking devices so people can control the iPad with their eyes.
- SignTime – SignTime will allow customers to communicate with AppleCare and retail customer service through a web browser using American Sign Language in the US, British Sign Language (BSL) in the UK, or French Sign Language (LSF) in France. SignTime launches on May 20.
- New Memoji customizations – There are new Memojis that better represent users with oxygen tubes, cochlear implants, and a soft helmet as headgear.
- VoiceOver improvements – Recent updates to VoiceOver enable users to explore more details about people, text, table data, and other objects in images.
- MFi hearing aid improvements – Apple is introducing new support for bidirectional hearing aids, enabling hands-free phone calls and FaceTime calls. Next-generation models from MFi partners will be available later this year.
- Audiograms for Headphone Fittings – Headphone fittings will receive support for audiograms, allowing users to adjust their audio by importing their recent hearing test results.
- Sound Actions for Switch Control – This replaces physical buttons and switches with mouth sounds – such as a click, pop, or “ee” sound – for non-speaking users with limited mobility.
- Display and text size settings – Will be customizable on a per-app basis for users with color blindness or other visual impairments to make the screen easier to see.
If you want to see the full announcement, you can find it in Apple’s newsroom. (Image: Apple)
