Earlier this week, Apple marked the International Day of Persons with Disabilities 2022, which takes place every year on December 3, with a video titled ‘The Greatest’ that showed how some of its users were using Accessibility features from door detection to audio alerts.
As Spinifex Gum’s “I Am the Greatest” (with Marliya chorus) plays in the background, you are shown some scenarios using accessibility features in iOS And the macOS Such as magnifier, section detection and descriptions of images on file Iphone Alt cursor controls alt on macsuch as head tracking and facial expressions.
It’s certainly advertising when it comes down to it – the set of features on offer that you can use on Apple devices. However, you can’t deny that there is something special here, and it affects how far the software has gone so that almost anyone can use these devices as well as everyone else.
However, with rumors of having Apple VR headset Allegedly coming in 2023, it makes me wonder how Apple Accessibility features It can go even further when it comes to augmented and virtual reality.
The era of calling accessibility an “Easter egg” is over.
While watching this 2 minute video (there is a Audio described version (Opens in a new tab)And the Also), you’re amazed at the way these 7 users, not actors, go about their lives with iPhone, Mac, and apple watch to help them with daily tasks. For example, you see a hearing-impaired mom being alerted on her Apple Watch that her newborn baby is crying, and you go and take care of her. You can turn this on by going to Settings > Accessibility > Voice Recognitionthen turn on Voice Recognition to select specific alerts for certain sounds.
Meanwhile, the juilliard jazz pianist Matthew Whitaker (Opens in a new tab) How he was using the detection feature caught my eye in a scene where he uses his iPhone to help him read what he says at the door. I was told that door detection works with any iPhone that has a LIDAR scanner I am still iPhone 12 Pro and above, and can operate for distances of up to 20 feet.
Watch how Detection mode in the Magnifier app He was reading the word “phase” on the door, it struck me how this could be the start of something bigger. Imagine a headset that can automatically read items in a list wherever you point your eyes or other distance detection notifications.
Also, if you’re walking a dog, for example, a headset could let you see clearer on a foggy morning to pick up a stick the dog might have dropped next to you, or it could guide you where stick and how close it is.
It all comes down to accessibility and how it can enrich someone’s lifestyle. For a long time, there’s been content describing accessibility features as “Easter eggs” or “hidden features,” and it’s time to change that. It’s videos like ‘The Greatest’ that show how Detect Mode and Voice Control can not only help everyday users but also thrive.
The rumored headset could take these features to the next level, and if it’s announced in 2023, my first question wouldn’t be about cost, but what accessibility features were included from day one.
The video is one of the best Apple has made in recent years – now let’s see what the class can do to better enrich the lives of others.