Apple's latest accessibility video is one of its best, but it also gives me hope for VR

Date:
Sat, 03 Dec 2022 12:01:44 +0000

Description:
To mark International Day of Disabled Persons, Apple released a video showing some accessibility features in real-world use.

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Earlier this week, Apple marked International Day of Disabled Persons 2022, held every year on December 3, with a video called The Greatest that
showcased how some of its users were using its accessibility features , from door detection to sound alerts.

As I Am the Greatest (with the Marliya Choir) by Spinifex Gum plays in the background, youre shown a few scenarios employing accessibility features on iOS and macOS such as Magnifier, Door Detection, and Image Descriptions on an iPhone , alongside alternate pointer controls on Mac , such as head tracking
& facial expressions.

Granted, its an ad when it boils down to it - a bunch of features shown off that you can use on Apples devices. However, you cant deny that theres something special here, and it makes an impact as to how far software has
come that almost anyone can use these devices as well as anyone else.

Yet, with rumors of an Apple VR headset allegedly coming in 2023, it makes me wonder how Apples accessibility features could go one step beyond when it comes to AR and VR. The era of calling Accessibility as an easter egg is over

As you watch this two-minute video (theres an audio-described version , as well), youre struck by how these seven users, not actors, are going about their lives using an iPhone, a Mac, and an Apple Watch to help them with day-to-day tasks. For example, you see a hearing-impaired mother being
alerted on her Apple Watch that her newborn child is crying, so she goes and tends to her. You can switch this on by going to Settings > Accessibility > Sound Recognition , then turn on Sound Recognition to select certain alerts for some sounds.

Meanwhile, Julliard-trained jazz pianist Matthew Whitaker caught my attention with how he was using the detection feature in a scene where hes using an iPhone to help him read out what it says on the door. I've been told that
door detection works with any iPhone that features a LIDAR scanner , so an iPhone 12 Pro and above, and it can work for distances of up to 20 feet.

Watching how Detection Mode in the Magnifier app was reading the Stage word
on the door, it struck me how this could be the start of something greater. Imagine a headset that could automatically read out items on a menu wherever you directed your eyes or other detection notifications for distance.

Also, if youre walking a dog, for example, the headset could let you see clearer on a foggy morning to pick up a stick that the dog may have dropped beside you, or it could instruct you where the stick is, and how close it is. (Image credit: Apple)

All of these come back to accessibility and how it can enrich someones lifestyle. For too long, theres been content describing Accessibility
features as easter eggs or hidden features, and its time for that to change. Its videos like The Greatest that shows just how Detection Mode and Voice Control not only help users every day but to thrive as well.

The rumored headset could take these features to the next level, and if it does get announced in 2023, the first question for me wont be about how much it will cost, but what accessibility features are included from day one.

The video is one of Apples best in recent years - now lets see what else the category can do to better enrich other peoples lives.



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Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/news/apples-latest-accessibility-video-is-one-of-its -best-but-it-also-gives-me-hope-for-vr


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