How Apple devices are empowering people with disabilities to live more independently

Some of the notable accessibility features of Apple devices include Magnifier tools, Voice Over, Assistive Access, and more.

Smartphones, computers, smartwatches, and gadgets have become so deeply integrated into our lives that there is hardly a day that goes by without using any one of those things. They help us get work done, get food or clothes right to our doorstep with just a few taps on the screen.

Older generation often mock millennials, Gen Xs, and Zs are really spoiled with technology to get work done easily and have become too reliant on devices. They also blame smartphones and social media platforms for the degeneration of human values and such.

But, I believe technology is like fire. The latter can be used to cook food, and if it is in the wrong hands, it can burn the house down. Similarly, technology can be misused by people who lack morals, but if used with good intentions, it can transform life for good.

The latest advancements in smartphone technology have improved the quality of life, particularly for people with disabilities.

Smart devices now come with several value-added features that can help people with low vision, voice loss, hearing loss, and other disabilities to make life easier. Among them, Apple devices have been the best in terms of delivering a better user experience.

Some of these features include Magnifier tools, Voice Over, and Assistive Access introduced with iOS 17 that allows users to customize their interface and make it easier to press buttons and navigate the phone.

With International Day of Disabled Persons celebrated on December 3, we had the opportunity to interact with people with disabilities who have found these features to be of real help in carrying out their day-to-day life better than before.

"I waited long enough before landing my first job, and I attribute much of that to the world of Internet. Initially, I associated technology closely with employment, acknowledging that without it, securing a job would have been impossible for me. However, as technology has continued to progress, my perspective has evolved. Nowadays, I perceive technology more as a contributor to my sense of independence. Modern devices now interact with me in a manner akin to a living being, executing tasks according to my commands. This is especially significant for a person who is highly dependent for basic functionality due to very limited motor skills. The ongoing advancement in technology not only assists me in my daily and work life but also, with each innovation, propels me toward greater independence," said Narendra VG, who has low vision and physical disability.

Narendra VG has low vision and physical disability.

Bengaluru-based Narendra VG is a manager at a non-profit company that takes care of livelihood training for persons with vision impairment and works for accessibility.

Narendra uses the Detection mode of the Magnifier feature. It notifies the user when people or an object like a door is nearby with sounds, speech, or haptic feedback. The feedback becomes more frequent when a person gets closer.

Narendra VG using Magnifier tool on his iPhone.

I also had the opportunity to interact with an inspirational woman, Dhanya Ravi. She suffers from Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), a rare genetic disorder that causes brittle bones and makes her highly vulnerable to breakage. Dhanya has fractured 200 bones since birth, which is why she is called 'glass woman'.

Despite such odds, Dhanya has managed to achieve great success in life. She has built the non-profit Aasmaan Foundation Trust to assist people with disabilities in leading dignified lives, distributing powered wheelchairs, and helping with education.

Dhanya Ravi founder of Aasmaan Foundation Trust.

Dhanya has actively participated in TedEx talks to inspire people and has even won several state and national awards for her work in assisting disabled communities.

Dhanya uses the talk-to-text feature to message people on her iPhone and Mac devices.

"Generally, the whole iOS operating system itself assists me in navigating the application hassle-free (on all devices). I experience a lot of comfort with the keyboards on my Macbook. The flat keys are easy to access for me to type," Dhanya said to DH.

She also uses an Apple Watch, as it offers the freedom to speak directly from her wrist. Apple Watch also supports the dictation feature to respond to messages directly from the watch.

Dhanya Ravi using the voice control feature to dictate message.

"Apple Watch has been a great experience in answering calls without mess. I can keep the phone away, and the AirPod and Watch help me manage calls while I ride a wheelchair and work. Recording and listening to music through an airpod is something I enjoy a lot. Other accessibility features that assist my daily usage are screen auto brightness, read text, and personal voice," noted Dhanya.

Moses Chowdari Gorrepati, executive director and trustee of Enable India, has low vision. He was a former candidate for EnAble India and now manages the organization.

For the uninitiated, EnAble India is an NGO for people with disabilities. For more than two decades, it has helped hundreds and thousands of differently-abled citizens to lead dignified life independently.

Moses Chowdari Gorrepati using Voice Assistant Siri to perform action on Apple Watch.

Moses, too, uses the detection feature of the Magnifier tool on his iPhone.

"I believe computers and phones are eyes for the visually impaired. Using solutions has certainly changed my life from being dependent to being the primary breadwinner and managing the investments of my family. But emotionally, it gave me the freedom to do things when I wanted to do them. For instance, growing up, I was dependent on others to read; I had to schedule things as per their availability. Now I can exercise my own choice. My spouse is a person without disability; I contribute equally to this partnership, for example, ordering grocery items or shopping for my child online; otherwise,  it would all fall on my wife," said Moses.

Moses Chowdari Gorrepati using Detection mode on Magnifier feature of his iPhone.

I also interacted with Debashree Bhattacharya, who has a locomotor disability. She suffers from residual paralytic polio, which differs from the typical form by affecting all four of my limbs to varying degrees. She has limited upper body strength, due to which performing everyday tasks with her arms poses a challenge.

Debashree is a digital marketing executive at Enable India, is new to Apple devices, and is now in love with AirPods.

"I extensively use AirPods nowadays, which facilitate seamless transitions between devices. In my work, I engage in phone interactions and participate in Zoom or Teams meetings on my laptop. Previously, switching between devices was time-consuming and tiring, as I had to disconnect and reconnect earphones. With AirPods, I can swiftly switch between devices. It eliminates the inconvenience of earphones slipping out of my ears with even the slightest movement. This feature also allows me to move around during calls without the hassle of wires. I prefer voice commands for device interaction. So, Siri, the voice-activated virtual assistant, enables me to perform various tasks hands-free. This feature improves my productivity by saving my energy," said Debashree.

Debashree Bhattacharya digital markeeting executive at Enanle India.

She also makes good use of the voice-over feature on compatible Apple devices. And the Magnifier feature helps her see far-distance objects, signage, and texts.

"Using all this technology, it helps in leading life independently with ease," Debashree noted.

In the recent iOS 17 update, Apple introduced the personal voice feature. It allows users with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neurone disease (MND), who are at risk of losing their ability to speak, to save their voice on the iPhone (iPad and Mac).

The iPhone owner will be asked to read 150 phrases in the audio recording. And the speech is processed securely on the device overnight while the device is charging and connected to Wi-Fi. The hard work  will be taken care by the iPhone's neural engine (present on Apple Silicon).

The next day, users can start using the Live Speech feature. They can just type and have the words spoken out loud using the Personal Voice feature that sounds like them.

The latest Apple ad (below) marking the International Day of Physical Disability, it has shown a heart warming story of how the father with ALD with the help iPhone's Personal Voice talks his daughter. 

The interesting thing about the ad is that it is performed by genuine user Dr. Tristram Ingham and his daughter. He has facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD), which causes progressive muscle degeneration starting in the face, shoulders, and arms, and can ultimately lead to an inability to speak 

Dr. Ingham is a physician, associate professor of epidemiology and a disability advocate from Wellington, New Zealand.

“This year we announced features for vision, hearing, mobility, cognitive and speech accessibility, and we wouldn’t have been able to do that without working with individual users and disability organizations around the world. We believe deeply in the disability community mantra of 'nothing about us without us,’ and we build for all users, not just for some. And whether we’re designing new features or incorporating user feedback, it is so important to us to ensure that the the perspectives of people with disabilities, internally and externally, are always a part of the process,” said Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s Senior Director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives.

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