In addition to the options found in the Accessibility pane, iOS includes a number of other features that, while they are not accessibility features per se, could benefit those with special needs. Some of these include:
- Messages: includes an option for sending audio clips from within the app, which will be of benefit to people who can’t enter message text as quickly as they can speak. On the receiving end, these messages can be played back by just raising the device to hear them, making the interaction easier for those with motor difficulties. Video clips can also be sent in a similar way. For someone with a cognitive disability, the ability to see something in concrete terms with the help of a quick video clip will be helpful (a picture is worth a thousand words, right?).
- Siri now has an always-on listening mode where the user can just say “Hey Siri” to activate the personal assistant. To avoid draining the battery, this mode will only work when the device is plugged into power. This will be helpful to any individual who has difficulty pressing the Home button to activate Siri.
- The new support for a heath data API for tracking physical activity. For someone who is on the road to recovery (from an illness or an injury), such tools should prove helpful in keeping them on track and motivated about their progress. There is even an option for including a health card (with information about medications, allergies, and the like) in the lock screen. This idea will be taken even further when the new Apple Watch is released with a number of sensors for collecting health information that can be accessed with the Health app on iOS devices.
- A similar home automation API could come in handy for allowing people with motor difficulties to more easily control the appliances, lights, and other aspects of their home environment using iOS devices.
- NFC payments (Apple Pay) could make interactions at gas stations, pharmacies, and other places of public accommodation easier for people with motor difficulties. Rather than fumbling with a wallet to take out a credit card or loyalty card before buying a coffee, all that’s required is a simple tap of the phone (or upcoming watch) with the payment station.
The Apple Watch, to be released in early 2015, also points forward to new technologies and means of interaction that will benefit people with disabilities. A great example is the new haptic feedback provided by the Taptic engine in the Apple Watch, which will use subtle vibration patterns to guide someone when using turn-by-turn navigation with the Maps app. Hopefully this technology will appear in future iPhones, as it would be of great benefit for those who are blind.
You can also communicate with the Apple Watch using tap patterns, doodles, and what appear to be animated avatars, and I hope a similar app will eventually be added to iOS. These features could be very useful for young people who are on the autism spectrum or who otherwise have communication difficulties: for example, what would be easier than drawing a big heart to tell your parent you love them?
When you take into account all of the accessibility and other enhancements built into iOS 8, it is clear that Apple is truly focused on creating an ecosystem of hardware, apps, and services that work for everyone. These built-in features are a great example of universal design, an approach where accessibility is built in rather than bolted on through additional applications that have to be purchased and installed by the user. While iOS provides a great deal of customization through the large number of apps available in the App Store, out of the box a user has much of the accessibility toolkit he or she needs to access information and interact with the device on a level playing field with non-disabled peers. Furthermore, the ability to use the same device as everyone else, regardless of disability status, adds an element of social acceptability to iOS devices that cannot be underestimated when considering their use with marginalized populations.
