Software features coming later this year offer users with
disabilities new tools for navigation, health, communication, and
more
Apple® today previewed innovative software features that
introduce new ways for users with disabilities to navigate,
connect, and get the most out of Apple products. These powerful
updates combine the company’s latest technologies to deliver unique
and customizable tools for users, and build on Apple’s
long-standing commitment to making products that work for
everyone.
Using advancements across hardware, software, and machine
learning, people who are blind or low vision can use their iPhone®
and iPad® to navigate the last few feet to their destination with
Door Detection; 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; and the Deaf and hard of hearing community can follow
Live Captions on iPhone, iPad, and Mac®. Apple is also expanding
support for its industry-leading screen reader VoiceOver with over
20 new languages and locales. These features will be available
later this year with software updates across Apple platforms.
“Apple embeds accessibility into every aspect of our work, and
we are committed to designing the best products and services for
everyone,” said Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s senior director of
Accessibility Policy and Initiatives. “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.”
Door Detection for Users Who Are Blind or Low Vision
Apple is introducing Door Detection, a cutting-edge navigation
feature for users who are blind or low vision. Door Detection can
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. 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 combines the power of LiDAR, camera, and
on-device machine learning, and will be available on iPhone and
iPad models with the LiDAR Scanner.1
Door Detection will be available in a new Detection Mode within
Magnifier, Apple’s built-in app supporting blind and low vision
users. 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. In addition to 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
Apple Watch becomes more accessible than ever for people with
physical and motor disabilities with Apple Watch Mirroring, which
helps users control Apple Watch remotely from their paired iPhone.
With Apple Watch Mirroring, users can control Apple Watch using
iPhone's assistive features like Voice Control and Switch Control,
and use inputs including voice commands, sound actions, head
tracking, or external Made for iPhone switches as alternatives to
tapping the Apple Watch display. Apple Watch Mirroring uses
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.2
Plus, users can do even more with simple hand gestures to
control 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 or pause media in the Now Playing
app, and start, pause, or resume a workout. 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 to iPhone, iPad, and Mac for Deaf and Hard
of Hearing Users
For the Deaf and hard of hearing community, Apple is introducing
Live Captions on iPhone, iPad, and Mac.3 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. Users can also adjust 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. 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 because Live Captions are generated on device,
user information stays private and secure.
VoiceOver Adds New Languages and More
VoiceOver, Apple’s industry-leading 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.4 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. Additionally, 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.
Additional Features
- With Buddy Controller, users can ask a care provider or
friend to help them play a game; 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
can adjust how long Siri waits before responding to a request.
- Voice Control Spelling Mode gives users the option to
dictate custom spellings using letter-by-letter input.5
- Sound Recognition can be customized to recognize sounds
that are specific to a person’s environment, like their home’s
unique alarm, doorbell, or appliances.
- The Apple Books® app will offer new themes, and
introduce customization options such as bolding text and adjusting
line, character, and word spacing for an even more accessible
reading experience.
Celebrating 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+℠, trainer Bakari
Williams 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. Additionally, 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 features 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.
Guides from Gallaudet University — the world’s 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® will 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”), Ali Stroker (“Christmas Ever After”),
and more.
- Door Detection and People Detection features in Magnifier
require the LiDAR Scanner on 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). Door
Detection should not be relied upon in circumstances where a user
may be harmed or injured, or in high-risk or emergency
situations.
- Apple Watch Mirroring is available on Apple Watch Series 6 and
later.
- 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. Accuracy of Live
Captions may vary and should not be relied upon in high-risk
situations.
- VoiceOver, Speak Selection, and Speak Screen will add support
for Arabic (World), Basque, Bengali (India), Bhojpuri (India),
Bulgarian, Catalan, Croatian, Farsi, French (Belgium), Galician,
Kannada, Malay, Mandarin (Liaoning, Shaanxi, Sichuan), Marathi,
Shanghainese (China), Spanish (Chile), Slovenian, Tamil, Telugu,
Ukrainian, Valencian, and Vietnamese.
- Voice Control spelling mode is available in English (US).
Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction
of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in
innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple TV.
Apple’s five software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, and
tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and
empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store,
Apple Music, Apple Pay, and iCloud. Apple’s more than 100,000
employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth, and
to leaving the world better than we found it.
NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information visit Apple Newsroom
(www.apple.com/newsroom), or call Apple’s Media Helpline at (408)
974-2042.
© 2022 Apple Inc. All rights reserved. Apple, the Apple logo,
iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Mac, AirPlay, AssistiveTouch, FaceTime,
Siri, Apple Books, Apple Store, Apple Fitness+, App Store, Apple
Podcasts, Apple Music, and Apple TV are trademarks of Apple. Other
company and product names may be trademarks of their respective
owners.
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