Apple has just announced ahead of its WWDC 2023 event new software features coming this year for cognitive, speech, and vision accessibility.
One of the main features introduced is Assistive Access which allows for a much simpler user interface that shows only the essentials on one’s iPhone or iPad.
This includes a single app for Calls, Messages, Camera, Photos, and Music. It will also display high-contrast buttons and larger icons and text for better accessibility.
Assistive Access is the product of feedback from people with cognitive disabilities. Other features of Assistive Access include an emoji-only keyboard and the option to record a video message.
They can also choose either a grid-based layout for their home screen and apps or a row-based layout for those who are more comfortable with text.
Then there’s Live Speech on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. This allows users to type what they want to say to have it then be spoken out loud during calls, FaceTime, or even in-person.
Live Speech was designed for those who are unable to speak or have lost their speech. The feature can also save commonly used phrases for faster responses.
Live Speec
Users can also use Personal Voice to create an artificial voice that sounds exactly just like them if ever a time comes when they can no longer speak.
Personal Voice works by having users read a random set of text prompts to record 15 minutes of audio on either iPhone or iPad.
It then uses machine learning to integrate with Live Speech for users to then speak with their voice by simply typing on the screen.
Personal Voice
There’s also Detection Mode in the Magnifier app on iPhone and iPad that offers Point and Speak for users with blindness or low vision.
This helps users interact with physical objects by pointing towards text or labels and having it read out loud to help navigate their physical environment.
Voice Control
Other features introduced include the following:
- Deaf or hard-of-hearing users can pair Made for iPhone hearing devices directly to Mac and customize them for their hearing comfort.
- Voice Control adds phonetic suggestions for text editing so users who type with their voice can choose the right word out of several that might sound alike, like “do,” “due,” and “dew.” Additionally, with Voice Control Guide, users can learn tips and tricks about using voice commands as an alternative to touch and typing across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.
- Users with physical and motor disabilities who use Switch Control can turn any switch into a virtual game controller to play their favorite games on iPhone and iPad.
- For users with low vision, Text Size is now easier to adjust across Mac apps such as Finder, Messages, Mail, Calendar, and Notes.
- Users who are sensitive to rapid animations can automatically pause images with moving elements, such as GIFs, in Messages and Safari.
- For VoiceOver users, Siri voices sound natural and expressive even at high rates of speech feedback; users can also customize the rate at which Siri speaks to them, with options ranging from 0.8x to 2x.
