Apple Brings New Accessibility Features Helping Users with Disabilities

By Roxana Ion

Posted on May 19, 2022

Later this year, Apple is coming up with software features, offering users with disabilities new tools for navigation, health, communication, etc. 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. 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,” said Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s senior director of Accessibility Policy and Initiatives.

Due to advanced software, and machine learning, individuals who are blind or experience low vision can Door Detection to guide their last few steps to their destination.

Voice Control and Switch Control will help those with physical and motor disabilities to fully control Apple Watch from their iPhone with Apple Watch Mirroring, while those with hearing issues and hard of hearing community can track Live Captions on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. Support for screen reader VoiceOver is also on the table, with over 20 new languages.

Check out the 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 customised to recognise 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 customisation options such as bolding text and adjusting line, character, and word spacing for an even more accessible reading experience.