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At its annual Worldwide Developer's Conference this week, Apple previewed some of the new features coming to its iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS platforms later this year. At this point, it's worth noting that this software is still in beta form, and not all features--particularly, the specifics of how they will be implemented--are finalized. With that said, below is what Apple has told us will be coming for users of accessibility features:…

Welcome Back to WWDC

It doesn't feel like a whole year since I covered a WWDC keynote, but it really has been that long. Now we're back here again, reviewing what Apple announced at this year's keynote event. Did Apple reveal a Siri-based smart speaker? A new set of Macs? New iPads? What's in the upcoming macOS, iOS, and other software? Well, I'm here to give you all the highlights so you don't have to watch the full video (though you…

Digital Assistants are becoming standard in most modern homes. They are available on most devices and computers in some form. They are gradually working more and more together as an environment. Looking ahead to the future, I can not yet tell if we are heading towards Star Trek or more towards the Jetsons. With all these 'currently fringe' technologies beginning to overlap, I hope the future focus remains on accessing life, as well as the technology. With this in mind, I thought a more…

Welcome to the May 2017 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to the latest news and podcasts. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Blackbox - think outside…

We are pleased to announce that the 2017 inductees into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame, as chosen by the AppleVis community, are Timecrest: The Door and Nearby Explorer.

First opened in 2011, the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is one of the ways in which the AppleVis community seeks to…

Today is the sixth annual Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD); when people are encouraged to talk, think and learn about digital access and inclusion. Our own message today for everybody involved in designing and developing software for Apple platforms, is a simple one: Make accessible design a core part of your development philosophy and practice - not just because it is the right thing to do, but because accessible design…

In addition to the previously announced Apple Store sessions and updated App Store collections, Apple has now released a series of seven videos on its YouTube channel to mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day on 18 May…

On May 8, Sprint released a new update to the Sprint IP Relay app. While the description only states that there are "Miscellaneous bug fixes", one of those bug fixes is very significant... it restores access for braille users. Until now, braille users have not had a reliable solution to access relay via their mobile devices.

What is Text Relay Anyway?

For those unfamiliar, text relay allows a deaf or DeafBlind person to access the phone system through a relay operator, who…

Today has seen another round of software updates from Apple. In addition to the release of iOS 10.3.2, there have also been updates for the Mac, Apple Watch and fourth-generation Apple TV.

The release notes for macOS 10.12.5 report the following changes:

• Fixes an issue where audio may stutter when played through USB headphones
• …

Apple has today released iOS 10.3.2 to the public.

At the time of posting, release notes are not yet available. However, as a minor 10.x.x update, there are unlikely to be any significant changes to outward-facing features—with the focus of this release being on bug fixes and under-the-hood performance improvements.

For blind and low vision users, our testing indicates that Apple has made only limited progress towards addressing…

To mark Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), Apple stores all over the world will be hosting accessibility-related sessions on May 18, 2017—providing people with an opportunity to explore the built-in accessibility features of Apple products.

You can check here to see if your local Apple Store is participating. And, if so, book a place.

Apple will also be updating…

We are pleased to announce that voting for the 2017 inductees into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is now open.

Now in its sixth year, the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is one of the ways in which the AppleVis community seeks to recognize developers of accessible iOS applications. Apps in the Hall of Fame can be liberating; empowering; life-changing; provide access to information that sighted users take for granted; or, in…

A Verbal Prehistory

In an earlier stage of my eyesight I did a lot of zooming in on the screen. My set up was such that the magnified portion of the screen followed the mouse cursor most of the time. I would use Control-2-finger scroll on the trackpad to zoom in and out. While this worked fine, it forced me to use both hands to accomplish the maneuver. Ugh! I felt like a caveman, having to set down my coffee just to navigate with two hands. :-)

I had already been…

In what could soon be coming as the first of its kind, Humanware appears to be developing a new braille display and app for synchronizing notes with iDevices. In late April, an app hit the App Store called Brailliant Sync. According to the description by Harpo, the app is designed "for synchronizing notes between Gmail, IMAP and similar servers and Brailliant 14 Braille…

Welcome to the April 2017 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy on the AppleVis website. Below, you'll find a selection of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to the latest news and podcasts. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Accessible MasterMind (…

update 8 May

Apple has issued a clarification statement in which it says that its original announcement was misinterpreted and the changes to affiliate commission rates for App Store purchases aren’t as drastic as people have widely believed and reported. It now appears that only the commission rate for in-app purchases is being cut.

At this point, it is unclear as to whether…

I started taking piano lessons for the first time in the so-called days of yore -- that is, when I was 12 years old and, like many teenagers, didn't appreciate the value of getting my feet wet in the field at that opportune age. I was simultaneously attending English classes and, given the fact that I didn't have a piano at home to practice, I even came to the conclusion that the time I might spend at, or on, the piano can be devoted to English. As an Iranian I knew how mastering English…

We are pleased to announce the launch of community accessibility ratings, giving members of the AppleVis community an opportunity to submit their own accessibility ratings for all apps listed in one of our App Directories.

When viewing an App Directory entry, logged-in users will now be presented with the option to add their own accessibility rating of the app. By submitting your own ratings, you help to ensure that our information regarding what is likely to be the first thing that…

Yo, human! - Proofreading Mac, a VoiceOver Activity: Accessing Life with Adaptive Technology

Before my VoiceOver adventures began I was able to proofread my creative and technical writings quickly and easily. My constant struggle with grammar aside, I could find misspellings and punctuation errors, even capitalization and formatting issues with ease. I could quickly blast through multi-page documents in a matter of minutes. Then my longtime visual orientation completely evolved…

Apple has today released iOS 10.3.1 to the public, one week after the release of iOS 10.3.

While full release notes for iOS 10.3.1 are not yet available, the iOS 10.3.1 update screen says the following about the update:

iOS 10.3.1 includes bug fixes and improves the security of your iPhone or iPad.

…