Latest news with #EricBridges
Forbes
15-05-2025
- Forbes
Apple Announces Trailblazing New Accessibility Features For Later This Year
The Apple logo is seen on a window of the company's store. (Photo by Mladen ANTONOV / AFP) (Photo by ... More MLADEN ANTONOV/AFP via Getty Images) In celebration of Global Accessibility Awareness Day today, earlier this week, Apple announced a raft of new accessibility features and updates – some of which will hopefully prove to be genuinely transformative for users with disabilities. Slated for release at an unspecified time later this year, the most universal new feature is undoubtedly what the Cupertino-based tech giant is terming Accessibility Nutrition Labels. These will apply to apps in the Apple App Store and allow developers to append a description of what on-device accessibility features are supported. These include tools like VoiceOver, Voice Control, Larger Text, Sufficient Contrast, Reduced Motion, and captions. Not only does this provide users with disabilities the option of making more informed choices, but also importantly introduces the notion of accessibility features positioned at a point of sale or download, incentivizing developers to leverage accessibility as a competitive advantage. Apple plans to provide additional guidance on the criteria developers will need to benchmark against before they can claim that their app supports accessibility features, and is likely to share more information on this at its annual Worldwide Developers Conference, which usually takes place in the summer. Commenting on the upcoming Accessibility Nutrition Labels, Eric Bridges, the American Foundation for the Blind's president and CEO said in a media release, 'Accessibility Nutrition Labels are a huge step forward for accessibility,' Further adding, 'Consumers deserve to know if a product or service will be accessible to them from the very start, and Apple has a long-standing history of delivering tools and technologies that allow developers to build experiences for everyone. These labels will give people with disabilities a new way to easily make more informed decisions and make purchases with a new level of confidence.' Another announcement that may end up flying under the radar but could prove to be entirely game-changing for individuals living with low vision is Apple's plan to enable zooming of the camera feed on its mixed reality headset, the Vision Pro. When the device was first launched early last year, access to its impressive camera array was blocked for third-party developers, and there was no native ability to zoom the passthrough image of the outside world. Zoomable video magnification will now enable wearers with poor eyesight that cannot be corrected with traditional lenses to significantly enhance their perception of their surroundings. This may prove very useful for capturing more context and detail in real-world scenes, recognizing faces, and enjoying live spectator events. Apple plans to further expand the use of its camera array to enable VoiceOver users, who may have more advanced sight loss than those who rely more on magnification, to use on-device machine learning to identify objects, describe surroundings, and find documents. Furthermore, those who use visual interpretation services like Be My Eyes will now be able to connect their Vision Pro directly to an operator for on-the-spot visual assistance. To offset privacy concerns, Apple will restrict access to the Vision Pro's main camera API to pre-approved developers only. For more ICT-related situations, a new feature entitled Magnifier for Mac will allow users to connect their iPhone or third-party camera to their laptop and use the Mac's new magnification feature to zoom in on and apply filters to what the camera is filming. This is likely to prove most useful in lessons and lectures where users will be able to comfortably view the whiteboard whilst simultaneously toggling through different elements such as documents and notes. There are also integrations with the new Accessibility Reader, which not only allows fonts, colors, and spacing on apps to be modified according to user preferences but can apply the same type of personalization to real-world textual images like books on a shelf or items on a restaurant menu. Though many of the brand-new features help with vision, one for those with hearing loss to look out for is surely the extension of Live Listen to Apple Watch. Live Listen turns Apple devices into a remote microphone to stream content directly into headphones or certain hearing aids. The new integration with Apple Watch will allow captions to be additionally displayed on the watch, which can also control the entire stream for a more lean-back and immersive experience. Apple new Live Listen integration with Apple Watch These are the main new features, but there is an additional raft of updates to features announced last year, which cover a wider span of disabilities such as cognitive impairments, speech difficulties, and motor disorders. Perhaps the most eye-catching of these is the updates to Personal Voice. Personal Voice is a feature that allows users who are in danger of losing their speech to create a synthetic version of their voice. Previously, it required the user to repeat 150 phrases, which is still relatively fast, to create the digital twin voice. Now, Apple has brought this training data set down to just 10 phrases whilst also providing a more authentic match to the original voice. Improvements have also been made to eye and head tracking capabilities, which allow users with dexterity and speech problems to navigate on-screen items using eye movement and gaze. Intriguingly, a new protocol has also been created to enable switch control through emerging brain-computer interfaces, which can output commands based on reading the user's brainwaves. Commenting on the exciting updates, Apple CEO Tim Cook said, 'At Apple, accessibility is part of our DNA.' Further adding, 'Making technology for everyone is a priority for all of us, and we're proud of the innovations we're sharing this year. That includes tools to help people access crucial information, explore the world around them, and do what they love.' 'Building on 40 years of accessibility innovation at Apple, we are dedicated to pushing forward with new accessibility features for all of our products,' said Sarah Herrlinger, Apple's senior director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives. 'Powered by the Apple ecosystem, these features work seamlessly together to bring users new ways to engage with the things they care about most.' Those things will, of course, be different for everyone, but with new features and updates as sweeping as they have been this year, it's hard to imagine that there will be too many folks feeling like they've been left out in the cold.
Phone Arena
14-05-2025
- Phone Arena
Apple announces new iPhone, iPad, Mac accessibility features for iOS 19
Apple is adding new accessibility features to its devices this year, developed to help those with disabilities use their iPhone, iPad, or Mac without struggling. New Accessibility Nutrition Labels will be coming to the App Store, and these won't reveal the sugar content or the amount of carbs in a frozen dinner. These accessibility nutrition labels will show off accessibility features available with a certain app. This will let users know if they will be able to use that app because of their disabilities before they download it. The labels will show whether an app will work with accessibility features such as Voice Control, Larger Text, Reduced Motion, VoiceOver, Sufficient Contrast, captions, and more. The accessibility nutrition labels will be found on the App Store worldwide. -Eric Bridges, president and CEO, the American Foundation for the Blind. A new accessibility feature called Braille Access turns the iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Vision Pro into a braille note taker. Typing with the Braille Screen Input or a connected braille device, users can open any app, and take notes in braille. Users will a;sp be able to do math calculations with Nemeth Braille. The latter is employed in classrooms to help teach math and science to students with low vision capabilities. Braille Ready Format (BRF) files can be opened by users directly from Braille Access. This will unlock a wide variety of books and files previously created on a braille note-taking device. An integrated form of Live Captions allows users to transcribe conversations in real time directly on braille displays. Braille Access for iPhone. | Image credit-Apple Did you know that Magnifier on iPhone and iPad has been around since 2016? They have helped users of those devices with poor vision read texts, zoom in for a close look, and help them see what is around them. Now, Magnifier is coming to the Mac. The app will work with the user's camera, allowing it to magnify a screen or a whiteboard. The Continuity Camera turns your iPhone's camera into a webcam for your Mac. It will also work with an attached USB camera. Magnifier for Mac will also help you read documents using Desk View; this feature shows your face and an overhead view of your desk at the same time. Magnifier for Mac. | Image credit-Apple If you have low vision or are dyslexic, Accessibility Reader will give users ways to customize text including the font, color, and spacing. It is built into the Magnifier app for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. It can be launched from any app. The Vision Pro is getting improved Zoom that will allow users to magnify everything including their surroundings. Personal Voice, which allows those losing their voice to record certain messages before they are no longer able to say them, will also be improved. Using AI and Machine Learning, users will be able to create a more pleasant and natural sounding voice in under a minute using only 10 recorded phrases. The feature will now support Spanish (Mexico). Some of these new accessibility features might be previewed by Apple during the WWDC Keynote on June 9th. This will commence at 10 am PDT/1 pm EDT.
Time of India
13-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Apple announces Accessibility Nutrition Labels on App Store, Braille Access, and more new accessibility features coming to iPhone, Mac, and other devices later this year
Apple announced a suite of new accessibility features Tuesday that will roll out across its device ecosystem later this year, including first-ever Accessibility Nutrition Labels for the App Store and a Magnifier app for Mac to help users with visual impairments. The tech giant's announcement, made on the eve of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, includes innovative updates to Live Listen, Personal Voice, and visionOS, alongside entirely new features like Braille Access and Accessibility Reader that leverage Apple silicon and on-device machine learning. "At Apple, accessibility is part of our DNA," said Apple CEO Tim Cook. "Making technology for everyone is a priority for all of us, and we're proud of the innovations we're sharing this year." App Store gets Accessibility Nutrition Labels Among the most significant updates is the introduction of Accessibility Nutrition Labels on App Store product pages, providing detailed information about an app's accessibility features before download. These labels will highlight support for features like VoiceOver, Voice Control, Larger Text, and captions, giving users with disabilities more confidence in their app purchases. Eric Bridges, president and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind, called the labels "a huge step forward for accessibility," noting that "consumers deserve to know if a product or service will be accessible to them from the very start." New tools for visual and hearing accessibility Apple is bringing its Magnifier app to Mac, connecting to cameras so users with low vision can zoom in on surroundings like screens or whiteboards. The app supports multiple live session windows for multitasking and customizable views for adjusting brightness, contrast, and color filters. For deaf and hard-of-hearing users, Live Listen controls and real-time Live Captions are coming to Apple Watch, allowing the watch to serve as a remote control for listening sessions. Personal Voice is becoming faster and more natural-sounding, requiring only 10 recorded phrases and less than a minute to create a voice, and will add support for Mexican Spanish. Braille Access and system-wide Reading Mode The new Braille Access feature will transform Apple devices into full-featured braille note takers, allowing users to open any app by typing with Braille Screen Input or a connected braille device. Users can take notes in braille format, perform calculations using Nemeth Braille, and open Braille Ready Format files directly. Accessibility Reader introduces a system-wide reading mode that makes text easier to read for users with dyslexia or low vision. Available across Apple's ecosystem, it offers extensive customization options for font, color, and spacing, with support for Spoken Content. Apple is also enhancing visionOS accessibility with updates to Zoom that let users magnify everything in view using Apple Vision Pro's main camera, and Live Recognition will use on-device machine learning to describe surroundings and read documents. The company is celebrating Global Accessibility Awareness Day with dedicated retail displays, special Today at Apple sessions, and curated content across Apple Music, Apple TV+, Books, Podcasts, and the App Store. AI Masterclass for Students. Upskill Young Ones Today!– Join Now
Tom's Guide
13-05-2025
- Tom's Guide
Apple just announced huge accessibility upgrades for iPhone, Macs and more — 9 biggest new features
Apple is making its devices easier to use for those with impairments. The company announced many new accessibility features scheduled to arrive later this year for iPhone, Mac, Vision Pro and more. Some of the most interesting features are designed for those with vision impairments, but accessibility features are coming that are intended to benefit everyone. In total, Apple revealed 20 new accessibility features. Here's the complete list of new features coming to Apple devices later this year: This update will highlight accessibility features within apps and games on the App Store. While Apple can bake tons of accessibility features into the operating system, the company can't control what third-party app developers do with their apps. With this update, Apple can show users whether apps accommodate their specific needs. "These labels will give people with disabilities a new way to easily make more informed decisions and make purchases with a new level of confidence," Eric Bridges, the president and CEO of the American Foundation for the Blind, said. Magnifier is one of the most popular accessibility features on iPhone and iPad, and it's coming to Mac now. Apple says the feature will "make the physical world more accessible for users with low vision." It connects to the user's camera, including an iPhone with Continuity Camera or a USB camera, allowing them to zoom in on anything and see it on their Mac's display. This could be a game-changer for those with vision impairments, as a Mac has a larger screen to work with than a phone. Apple is changing braille on iPhone, iPad, Mac and Vision Pro. Users can open any app by typing with Braille Screen Input or a connected braille device. For blind Apple users, this could open up a world of technology independence not previously available. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. With the new feature, users can take notes in braille format and perform calculations using Nemeth Braille. The feature will support Braille Ready Format (BRF) files directly in Braille Access. Apple's new Accessibility Reader is a system-wide reading mode designed to simplify text for users with a wide range of disabilities. Apple specifically cites users with dyslexia or low vision as candidates to use the new feature. The feature will let users customize text and focus on content they want to read with tweaks for font, color and spacing. It also adds support for Spoken Content. Apple says it can be launched from any app and is built into the Magnifier app for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. Apple is bringing Live Listen controls to Apple Watch with new features, including real-time Live Captions. An iPhone is still required to do the live captions, users can view the results on their Apple Watch, giving them an easy way to follow along with a conversation without holding their phone. This is one of the more useful features for anyone who's hard-of-hearing or deaf. Apple cites that Live Listen sessions can be controlled from across the room, so there's no need to get up in the middle of a meeting or during class, which sounds more convenient. This looks incredible, but it's only available to the relatively limited pool of Apple Vision Pro owners. With a new update to Zoom, you can use Apple Vision Pro to magnify anything in view. VoiceOver is getting improvements, too. Live Recognition in visionOS uses on-device machine learning to describe surroundings, find objects, read documents and perform other tasks. These features sound like something straight out of the future and might make the Vision Pro a worthwhile purchase for people with specific disabilities. This feature is built for people who risk losing their ability to speak. It uses on-device machine learning and artificial intelligence to create a smoother, more natural-sounding voice so they can continue communicating with friends and loved ones. If you use a Mac while on the road and deal with motion sickness, this feature provides animated dots on the screen to help reduce the feeling of motion. Besides the feature coming to Mac, Apple is also adding new customization options for the dots on iPhone, iPad and Mac. This one is useful for people with vision impairments and anyone wanting to make their screen easier to read in the car. Like iPhone and iPad, which already have a large text option, you'll now be able to read more easily on CarPlay. Another cool feature is an update to Sound Recognition that lets it hear the sound of a crying baby along with the previously supported sounds.
