iOS 14 accessibility feature alerts users of sounds via text - Business Insider

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Apple's iOS update comes with a new accessibility feature — but big tech still has a long way to go if it wants to be truly accessible

Two crossed lines that form an 'X'. It indicates a way to close an interaction, or dismiss a notification.Sarah Katz is a freelance writer who covers the intersection between disability and mental health, relationships, entertainment, and public services.

Still, many in the deaf and hard-of-hearing community are excited for the new update — and it could lay the groundwork for further sounds to be incorporated.I was born deaf more than 30 years ago, so I consider myself skilled at navigating an inaccessible world. But despite my visual attentiveness and high-powered hearing aids, some events escape my notice.

Given Apple's use of Haptic Touch technology, which provides tactile sensations in the form of vibrations for other features, Girma hopes the company will also incorporate custom haptic alerts for distinct sounds, including on the Apple Watch: "We should be able to know if the doorbell is ringing or the baby is crying through a distinct touch on our wrist.

Wavio's technology, which goes much further than Apple's feature, recognizes over 500 "critical and convenient household sounds that we are prioritizing based on consumer research and unmet needs." That includes beeping, coughing, crashing, crying, fire, gunfire, cries for help, ringing, and shattering, among others — a list that will continue to grow as its dataset develops.

Howard Rosenblum, chief executive officer at the National Association of the Deaf, a civil-rights organization for the deaf and hard-of-hearing, said he appreciates the efforts of Apple and other companies that seek to improve the accessibility of everyday life. But he also noted that they would benefit from employing deaf people.

"[A]ny assistive 'technology,' whether digitally-powered or with a cold nose and warm heart, that has the potential to bring about greater ease in daily living is a welcome addition to the ways we as humans seek to be more aware of the environments around us," Miller said.

 

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