The Apple podcast transcription feature was officially launched in iOS 17.4, but the company says that it actually introduced a very limited version way back in 2018.
Apple says that it took so long to launch as a fully-fledged accessibility feature because the company wanted to make it universal, and to incorporate learnings from Apple Music lyrics …
Expand Expanding Close
It’s still a few weeks until WWDC, but Apple has already pre-announced some of the innovative features coming to iOS 18, visionOS 2, and its other platforms via an accessibility news drop. Later this year we’ll be getting Vision Pro-style eye tracking on iPad and iPhone, powerful Vocal Shortcuts to create custom device voice commands, Live Captions for augmented reality on visionOS, and a hands-free CarPlay mode.
One other iOS 18 feature announced, which is sure to be beneficial to an especially broad array of users, is called Vehicle Motion Cues. This feature aims to reduce or eliminate motion sickness for iPhone users riding in the car.
Expand Expanding Close
The iOS 18 accessibility features yesterday previewed by Apple have been hailed as “life-changing” by a disability campaigner.
Accessibility advocate Colin Hughes praised Apple for responding to a key request he made via 9to5Mac back in March …
Expand Expanding Close
Today amid a wealth of accessibility announcements, including hands-free CarPlay and the futuristic Live Captions on Vision Pro, Apple announced that iOS 18 would be introducing a powerful new voice feature. Vocal Shortcuts will enable system-wide action triggers based on custom phrases you set, with no need to say “Siri.”
Expand Expanding Close
Today in advance of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Apple outlined a variety of exciting new accessibility updates coming to its platforms later this year. From bringing the Vision Pro’s eye tracking tech to the iPad and iPhone, to music haptics, and more.
One new accessibility feature coming to Vision Pro users is Live Captions. Built especially for the deaf or hard of hearing, Live Captions will—as the name implies—take everything being spoken around you and present it in written form, all in real-time.
Expand Expanding Close
Apple today announced new accessibility features that will debut later this year in iOS 18 and its other operating systems (although as usual, Apple does not specifically refer to ‘iOS 18’ prematurely).
The headline addition is Eye Tracking, which will allow iPhone and iPad users with physical disabilities to control their devices just by looking at it with their eyes, with a new iOS gaze system somewhat similar to Vision Pro. Other new features include music haptics, Vehicle Motion Cues, and more …
Expand Expanding Close
The new Sonos app launched today and was met with swift and intense backlash for removing many features and capabilities that long-standing customers value. While the company made an official statement on the matter, it hasn’t appeared to address a concerning issue – the update has broken accessibility for visually impaired users.
Expand Expanding Close
Disability campaigner Colin Hughes has described eight ways that AI accessibility features could turbo-boost the experience of using Apple products this year.
Hughes – who is quadriplegic, and previously shared with us the ways in which Apple tech helps him in his daily life – is excited by the company’s focus on artificial intelligence …
Expand Expanding Close
Apple launched two amazing new accessibility features this year called Personal Voice and Live Speech. They allow users to not only create and securely store a replica of their voice but also to allow iPhone to speak for them. Today Apple has shared the moving story of a disability advocate and physician who has found himself using the feature along with a new video that he narrates with is own Personal Voice called “The Lost Voice”.
Expand Expanding Close
Disabled people who rely on Apple’s accessibility features say that Voice Control has fallen behind Siri in both accuracy and capabilities, despite being an essential rather than a nice-to-have.
They say it’s frustrating to see the Cupertino company continue to make improvements to Siri, while Voice Control – which is key to many disabled people being able to use Apple tech – has apparently been forgotten …
Expand Expanding Close
The cost of Apple tech – in the form of an iPhone and Apple Watch – has been accepted as disability-related expenses, as part of a social care assessment of a severely disabled man who relies on Siri for much of his daily routine …
Expand Expanding Close
Visually impaired people face plenty of challenges when navigating a busy city like New York, and never more so than using the NYC subway system. That looks set to change with the help of the Commute Booster accessibility app, which has passed the first stage of testing with flying colors.
The trickiest part of a subway commute for anyone who has loss of sight or is visually impaired is the so-called “middle mile,” and it’s here the app can help …
Expand Expanding Close
iOS 17 has solved one of the biggest accessibility hurdles for iPhone users with limited movement: the dreaded ‘You need to unlock your iPhone first’ message.
Siri is of course a massive accessibility win for people like 9to5Mac friend and quadriplegic Colin Hughes, allowing voice control of a wide range of tasks. But until now, there’s been a major hurdle …
Expand Expanding Close
There’s no sign of any letup in the Reddit controversy. After the company threatened protesting moderators, it’s now facing pushback from moderators with disabilities …
Expand Expanding Close
As part of its preview of iOS 17 accessibility updates coming this year, Apple announced a pair of new features called Live Speech and Personal Voice. Live Speech allows users to type what they want to say and have it be spoken out.
Personal Voice, on the other hand, is a way for people who are at risk of losing their ability to speak to create and save a voice that sounds like them. Apple says it’s designed for people at risk of losing their ability to speak, such as those with a recent diagnosis of ALS.
With the first beta of iOS 17 now available, you can now try out Personal Voice for yourself.
Expand Expanding Close
While Personal Voice was one of the most exciting of the upcoming accessibility features Apple announced this week, you may have thought it wasn’t relevant to most people. But a new report today suggests that we should all take advantage of it when iOS 17 launches.
That’s because loss of speech ability can occur very suddenly through medical conditions like ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis). By the time people realize they need a synthesized voice that sounds like them, it may be too late …
Expand Expanding Close
Yesterday saw the announcement of a flurry of Apple accessibility improvements, including a new “Assistive Access” interface option, Live Speech, and Personal Voice. These have been welcomed by people who rely on accessibility features, though they would like to see greater ambition for one of the features.
The Personal Voice feature was the one to get the most attention, needing just 15 minutes of training in order to allow users to have their iPhone play speech in their own voice …
Expand Expanding Close
As part of a flurry of new accessibility improvements announced by Apple today, the company says that Made for iPhone hearing aids can pair directly with Macs for the first time. Previously, pairing was only available with an iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch.
Compatible products already support pairing with more than one Apple device, so this move should make it much easier for people who use both Macs and iOS devices …
Expand Expanding Close
Following the arrival of PiP video call support in February, WhatsApp is starting to roll out a new “Voice Status” feature for iOS. As the name conveys, the capability lets users post status updates via voice.
Expand Expanding Close
A new Apple accessibility video highlights a variety of features designed to offer independence to people with a range of disabilities.
Set to the soundtrack “I Am the Greatest” by Spinifex Gum (with Marliya Choir), it opens by showing a woman telling Siri to set her morning scene …
Expand Expanding Close
AirPods Pro can serve as affordable hearing aids, with one study suggesting that they perform as well as dedicated devices costing four-figure sums.
Apple is believed to have hearing aid functionality as a medium-term goal for AirPods as part of its commitment to Accessibility, and has already made some moves in this direction …
Expand Expanding Close
Apple’s platforms have long been praised for their dedication to industry-leading accessibility features. Apple itself does an excellent job in this regard, but there’s also an entire industry of other companies and researchers developing innovative new ways to use iPhone and iPad for improved accessibility.
A new story today from Semafor highlights ongoing work by New York-based company Synchron, which is working on computer-brain implant technology that allows patients to control an iPhone or iPad using their brain.
Expand Expanding Close
Apple Glasses Accessibility features could see the long-rumored devices make a huge difference to the lives of those with disabilities.
The point was made by Colin Hughes, the disability campaigner who recently shared the ways in which Apple tech allows him to live a more independent life despite almost no use of his limbs …
Expand Expanding Close
For severely disabled people, it’s no exaggeration to say that Apple Accessibility transforms lives – but it can be difficult to appreciate the impact that even minor-sounding changes can make until you see it for yourself.
Colin Hughes is a former TV producer and now disability campaigner who kindly showed me around his home to see how he uses both Accessibility features and HomeKit control to maximize the independence he retains over his daily life …
Expand Expanding Close