This year
iOS accessibility did not get the prime-time attention that it did during last year's
WWDC Keynote, but
iOS 7 still includes many new
accessibility features. When
iOS 7 launches in the fall, users of all abilities will find beneficial features. iOS 7 is still in beta so
Apple can always add or remove features before the final release to the public. Through the Apple Keynote and other sources a number of
accessibility features have been detailed. These new features will improve on current accessibility features such as
VoiceOver,
Guided Access,
Speech Selection,
Assistive Touch, and
Zoom. This post will be updated as new information becomes available on iOS 7 accessibility.
Click read more to learn about iOS 7 accessibility.
Customize Captioning
iOS 7 will also allow users customization the font and size of subtitles. Currently the subtitles are small and can be hard to read particularly on the iPhone and iPod touch. In iOS 7 the font, size, and color of subtitles can be changed.
Use Camera to Redeem iTunes Gift Card
One of the coolest features for the blind and visually impaired in iOS 7 is the ability to redeem iTunes gift cards using the devices
camera. This will allow users who cannot read the small codes printed on the back of iTunes gift cards to redeem their gift cards easily without assistance. This feature originally debut on
iTunes 11 on the Mac.
Siri Improvements
Along with updated
Siri functionality Apple has added multiple high quality
text-to-speech voices. The voices are both male and female and sound much better than the previous Siri voice. It is not clear is these new voices will be available for VoiceOver and Speak Selection or exclusive to Siri.
Switch Control
According to
AppAdvice iOS 7 beta 2 also includes Switch Control. Little is known about the feature but the name suggests that iOS 7 will allow a user to control their device through switches. These switches are designed for people with physical disabilities who may only be able to activate one or two large switches. A separate post on
MacRumors say that iOS 7 will allow users to control their device with head movements. From the screenshot it appears that head movement could be part of Switch Control and be used to activate a switch but it is unclear at this time. Below is a video of Switch Control.
New APIs to Help Developers Build More Accessible AppsLast year in
iOS 6 Apple included Guided Access which could put the device in a single app mode. Guided Access was targeted for users with autism. This year iOS 7 will add a Guided Access API for developers. This feature will allow developers to build apps that integrate deeply with Guided Access to give users more control of Guided Access.
iOS 7 is also reported to include new APIs to allow developers to detect blinking and smiling which could help disabled users control their device. It has also been reported on
9to5mac that Apple will include a text-to-speech API which would allow developers to easily integrate text-to-speech into their app.
iOS 7 is looking like a great release for all iOS users including users with disabilities. Apple is likely to change feature until iOS 7 is released to the public in the fall.
Wireless service provider Sprint has released a new iOS app that captions conversations in real time. The app uses computerized speech recognition service to caption the caller on the other end. The user can hear the other caller if they are able to and use the captions if they are unable to hear the person on the other end of the line. Then they can respond by voice. It is unclear how accurate the automated captioning will be with people with heavy accents or in loud environments. Sprint says the following about the app:
