Apple introduces new accessibility features for the blind and deaf

Manzana has introduced new accessibility features, combining innovations at the level of hardware, software and machine learning, which will arrive throughout this year and will help users with disabilities to navigate, connect and take full advantage of the brand’s products.

One of these new services is the ‘door detection‘ (Door Detection, in English), which can be used by blind or visually impaired people -through their iPhone and iPad- to travel the last meters to their destination, thanks to audio messages that they will receive from their device when pointing with the camera towards the area they are going to.

This system it will help determine the distance they are from the door, describe its attributes (including whether it is open or closed) and, in the case of being closed, if it can be opened by pushing, turning a knob or pulling a handle. You will also be able to read the signs or symbols around it. This new feature combines the power of LiDAR, camera, and device machine learning.

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Other accessibility innovations come directly to Apple Watch. Specifically thanks to the Apple Watch Mirroring tool, which helps mobility-impaired users control Apple Watch remotely from their paired iPhone and, in this way, access applications such as blood oxygen measurement, pulse control or the ‘Mindfulness’ service.

With Apple Watch Mirroring, users can control Apple Watch using iPhone assistive features such as Voice Control and Switch Control, and use features including voice commands, sound actions, small hand gestures, head tracking or external switches as alternatives to touching the watch face.

In addition, the company has announced that VoiceOver, Apple’s industry-leading screen reader for blind and low-vision usersadds support for more than twenty new locales and additional languages, including Catalan, Bengali, Bulgarian, Ukrainian, and Vietnamese, among others.

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For its part, for the deaf and hard of hearing community, Apple introduces live captions on iPhone, iPad and Mac. Users can more easily follow any audio content, whether it’s on a phone or FaceTime call, a video conferencing app, or social media. Users can also adjust the font size to make it easier to read.

“Apple integrates accessibility into all aspects of our work, and we are committed to designing the best products and services for everyone.”, said Sarah Herrlinger, senior director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives at Apple. “We are excited to introduce these new features, which combine the innovation and creativity of the Apple teams to give users more options to use our products in the way that best suits their needs and lives,” she added.

Source: Elcomercio

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