Apple has unveiled a range of innovative accessibility features aimed at enhancing the cognitive, vision, hearing, and mobility experiences of users. Among these advancements is the introduction of the Personal Voice feature, designed for individuals who may lose their ability to speak. The feature enables users to create a synthesised voice that closely resembles their own, allowing them to engage in conversations with friends and family members.
How Apple’s Personal Voice feature will work:
To generate a Personal Voice, Apple users can read a series of text prompts aloud for approximately 15 minutes using their iPhone or iPad. Once the Personal Voice is created, it integrates with Live Speech, enabling users to type their desired message and have their Personal Voice articulate it to their intended recipient. In terms of security, Apple has emphasised that the feature utilises on-device machine learning to ensure the utmost privacy and security for its users.
Apple’s additional features:
In addition to Personal Voice, Apple has introduced streamlined versions of its core applications through a feature called Assistive Access, which aims to assist individuals with cognitive disabilities. The Assistive Access feature optimises apps and user experiences by simplifying them to their essential elements, thereby reducing cognitive load. Notable inclusions are a combined version of Phone and FaceTime, as well as modified editions of Messages, Camera, Photos, and Music apps. The modified versions boast high contrast buttons, large text labels, and additional accessibility tools.
Apple’s commitment to accessibility extends to the Mac platform as well. For individuals who are blind or have low vision, Apple has introduced a new detection mode in Magnifier, which allows users to interact with physical objects containing multiple text labels. As an example, Apple says a user can aim their device’s camera at a label, such as a microwave keypad, which the iPhone or iPad will then read aloud as the user moves their finger across each number or setting on the appliance. Furthermore, Apple has made adjustments to facilitate the resizing of text in Finder, Messages, Mail, Calendar, and Notes on the Mac platform.
Apple also highlighted various other accessibility features for Mac, including the ability for individuals who are deaf or hard-of-hearing to pair Made for iPhone hearing devices with their Mac. Additional enhancements include the ability to pause GIFs in Safari and Messages, customisation options for the rate at which Siri communicates, and the utilisation of Voice Control for phonetic suggestions when editing text. These features build upon Apple’s existing suite of accessibility offerings for Mac and iPhone, which encompasses Live Captions, VoiceOver screen reader, Door Detection, and more.
Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s senior director of global accessibility policy and initiatives, emphasised the company’s dedication to accessibility by stating, “Accessibility is part of everything we do at Apple. These groundbreaking features were designed with feedback from members of disability communities every step of the way, to support a diverse set of users and help people connect in new ways”.
