In an attempt to make its devices increasingly accessible to the majority of users, Apple recently announced an exciting number of new features to help people with hearing, cognitive and physical disabilities .
One of the first features to be introduced is SignTime , a sign language interpreting service for users with hearing loss who wish to contact the company’s customer service. It will be a completely free service, which will be available in the Apple Store without having to book in advance.
It will be accessible with a browser and, therefore, on all devices that are equipped with a camera.
However, this is a service that, for the moment at least, will only be available to offer French, British and American Sign Language. Which means that, for now, it will initially be released in France, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Apple Watch AssistiveTouch
The firm of the bitten apple has also announced a service on the Apple Watch, its popular smart watch, which would help simplify its use for users who have a physical disability .
Called AssistiveTouch , it offers the ability to control the connected watch without having to touch the screen . To do this, the device uses machine learning in order to analyze sensors, including the optical heart rate monitor, the accelerometer and the gyroscope, detecting the movements of tendons and muscles.
This means that it would be enough to carry out certain gestures, such as clenching the fist, flexing the wrist or pinching the fingers to move a cursor on the screen and access the different menus or commands.
Eye tracking support on iPad
Continuing in the area of physical disability, Apple has also announced that iPad will soon be compatible with eye-tracking systems developed by third parties , which would allow users to move a pointer located on the screen and click on different elements, only through of his gaze.
In addition, VoiceOver , the screen reading software especially useful for visually impaired users, will also receive various updates, with more details about the images, such as reading and navigating within the text that appears in a snapshot, or the description of the pose of a person and / or objects. In addition, the “Annotate” function will offer the ability to add custom descriptions.
New headphones coming soon
In addition, Apple Certified Partners (MFi) is expected to launch new two-way headphones in the near future, which would be compatible with both the iPhone and iPad.
They are devices with a built-in microphone that offer the possibility of using FaceTime or making phone calls through the use of hands-free. In addition, the company is also adding support for audiograms , hearing test results, which allow certain frequencies to be automatically adjusted to make them more audible.
Other cool features
Other equally useful features are also announced for the end of the year. For example, the launch of a system that allows using mouth sounds instead of physical buttons is expected , especially useful for people with limited mobility and non-verbal communication.
In addition, it would also be possible to modify the different display and text options for each application, or choose new options to personalize our Emoji, adding, for example, a flexible protective helmet, an oxygen tube or a cochlear implant.
