The same story is repeating itself as last year, and it is possible that it will become a tradition. Apple presented a series of improvements to iOS, watchOS and macOS dedicated exclusively to users with a certain type of disability just days away from WWDC 2022. These are accessibility novelties that more than one person will surely appreciate when they appear throughout this year.
“There is an open door with a sign that says: Bakery”
The first of these novelties is a door detector for the blind. This person will be able to hold your iPhone and, when you approach a door, Siri will describe important details to you: if the door is closed or open, if it has a panel, or how it can be opened if it is closed (in pressing, pulling or using a door handle). ).
For this new feature to work, the iPhone has been using LiDAR sensors as well as object and text recognition that have been built into iOS for some time. It will be available through the Magnifier app that comes pre-installed on every iPhone.
For people with reduced mobility, iOS is going to have a new mode with which we can see the Apple Watch screen of the iPhone itself. Thus, people who cannot move their arms will be able to continue to use the sensors of the watch but at the same time they will be able to view and control their screen remotely.
Also added a number of new gestures for the Apple Watch screen, with which we can perform certain actions without having to navigate through menus and options.
Another important point is the real-time captioning of FaceTime calls or content which is viewed at that time. For people who are deaf, this can be ideal, and you can also respond by writing a text so that it sounds dictated by the voice in that same video conference. It can even be used when talking to someone next to you.
For people with speech limitations, Siri will allow you to customize the wait time before processing a response. Books will let you further customize the look of your eBooks, and a new option will let you recognize everyday sounds like a doorbell or alarm clock so that the iPhone itself sends us a notification when it rings.
Finally, Apple will launch special content for people with special needs in Books, Podcasts, the App Store, Maps, Apple Music, Fitness+ and Apple TV. all these functions will be published completely privately: All data will be processed on the device itself and therefore Apple’s servers will not see what is described or transcribed.
