Apple announces new iPhone, iPad, Mac accessibility features for iOS 19
Apple announces new accessibility features coming this year for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other devices.
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.
"Accessibility Nutrition Labels are a huge step forward for accessibility. 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.
-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.
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