Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Apple Begins Selling Accessibility Accessories on its Online Store

MacRumors

MacRumors

macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
69,444
40,545



Apple recently updated its online storefront with the addition of a new "Accessibility" category, which is broken up into sections pertaining to the assistance of individuals with impairments related to vision, physical and motor skills, and learning and literacy (via Amvsement).

There are 15 total products broken up into each of the three sections, with further sub-categories allowing users to shop the online store specifically looking for accessories that support the iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Some of the products include the HumanWare Brailliant BI 32 Braille Display that sits in front of a Mac's keyboard to allow anyone who is blind the ability to fully navigate OS X -- and even iOS -- with a lightweight, Bluetooth-enabled braille keyboard.

apple-accessibility-store.jpg

Some of the other accessibility products offer more creative outlets, like the Skoog 2.0 Tactile Musical Interface for iPad, which lets anyone create music using the multi-purpose buttons on each side of the 5-sided cube. Thanks to the Skoog's versatility in tapping, squeezing, or twisting to create responsive sound, the accessory is said to encourage "expressive music making for children, parents, teachers, and musicians."

It was rumored late last year that Apple would begin selling accessibility accessories in its physical retail stores in "early 2016," but it seems the company decided to rollout a few options to its online store first. For anyone close to an Apple Store location, Apple is offering a Personal Pickup option for the new accessories, as well.

The new product category follows Apple's ongoing accessibility efforts that encourage the use of its products by as wide a group of people as possible, including those with physical and mental impairments.

Read More: Apple Celebrates Autism Acceptance Month With Two New Videos

Article Link: Apple Begins Selling Accessibility Accessories on its Online Store
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2016/05/05/apple-accessibility-accessories-online/
  • Like
Reactions: apolloa and appledefenceforce
I took an English class a few years ago with a blind woman. She was using a stock Macbook Air without issue.

Apple has always been leaps and bounds ahead of other OEM's when it comes to accessibility features being rolled right into the core of their products.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Simche, Lopov Jack, Keane16 and 1 other person
I think this is a little overdue, but now that it is here, I think it's just great. We all should be able to interact with our devices easily. Well done.
 
I hope I never need to use any kind of accessibility feature other than for aesthetics. Good on Apple for upping the game on accessibility.

Kinda shocked no one has said anything bad about this story yet. Usually there are people moaning about something....
 
  • Like
Reactions: Keane16
rtomyj said:
I hope I never need to use any kind of accessibility feature other than for aesthetics. Good on Apple for upping the game on accessibility.

Kinda shocked no one has said anything bad about this story yet. Usually there are people moaning about something....
Click to expand...

This story stinks. (Actually not but I wanted to be the first to blow up a perfectly nice story!)
 
  • Like
Reactions: Gasu E. and 5105973
LovinKansas said:
This story stinks. (Actually not but I wanted to be the first to blow up a perfectly nice story!)
Click to expand...
There, we got that out of the way!

This is the side of Apple I love and respect. It's a freaking miracle that they've been able to give back the ability to communicate to so many people. I know that when I suffered an illness and was unable to speak and write legibly, it was such a help to have the ability to download an app and type in what I needed to say and have my iPhone speak for me.

I only wish all of this accessibility technology had been around when I was a kid and they took my autistic best friend away from me and put him somewhere, probably institutionalized him, because he could only communicate with me and not the other students or teachers. I think he would have been able to communicate with everyone if only they tried harder to reach him and the knowledge we have now about autism had been there in 1973.
 
rtomyj said:
I hope I never need to use any kind of accessibility feature other than for aesthetics. Good on Apple for upping the game on accessibility.

Kinda shocked no one has said anything bad about this story yet. Usually there are people moaning about something....
Click to expand...

I was thinking the same thing!! :)
Always respected this, from accessibility options dating back to System 7, to Steve showing the deaf using FaceTime to sign at the iPhone 4 unveiling, to this... very impressive!
[doublepost=1462462041][/doublepost]
LovinKansas said:
This story stinks. (Actually not but I wanted to be the first to blow up a perfectly nice story!)
Click to expand...

Is "pretending" to be an insensitive schmuck in any way fundamentally different from actually being one??
*confused*
*doesn't get "joke"*
 
NT1440 said:
I took an English class a few years ago with a blind woman. She was using a stock Macbook Air without issue.

Apple has always been leaps and bounds ahead of other OEM's when it comes to accessibility features being rolled right into the core of their products.
Click to expand...
I think it's great that Apple is highlighting accessibility. They rightfully deserve praise for helping to raise awareness of the options for those with disabilities or challenges who want to use iOS and OSX. We differ in opinion regarding your leaps and bounds comment. It's just not true. The good thing is, it's not true because pretty much all the major tech players have dedicated a fair amount of effort to the area of accessibility. Again, that's a damn good thing. The characterization of Apple being leaps and bounds ahead isn't accurate. That is, unless you have some supporting evidence or anecdotes that make you feel that way.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: Fancuku
rdlink said:
There's no real money in doing so, but they have been putting a lot of effort into it for many decades.
Click to expand...
With my increasing disillusionment with Apple's Mac and OS X lines (the prolonged wait for an MBP update; dropping their focus on Pro apps and hardware), their continued focus on a likely non-profitable aspect of their computer business does encourage me to think well of them.
The hard-hearted part of me can't help but conclude, however, that it's mostly because they couldn't stomach the backlash if they were to drop support for such a sympathetic customer base (look what happened after the UK's Conservative Chancellor's Budget adversely affected disabled welfare claimants…)
 
Seeing stuff like this makes me happy. I think that Apple could also improve on making it easier for developers to make their apps more accessible as well as to make them much more capable in using these products.
 
wait one. I thought iPhone WAS an accessibility accessory. (the UI for dummies) --of which I'm proudly one : )
 
69Mustang said:
I think it's great that Apple is highlighting accessibility. They rightfully deserve praise for helping to raise awareness of the options for those with disabilities or challenges who want to use iOS and OSX. We differ in opinion regarding your leaps and bounds comment. It's just not true. The good thing is, it's not true because pretty much all the major tech players have dedicated a fair amount of effort to the area of accessibility. Again, that's a damn good thing. The characterization of Apple being leaps and bounds ahead isn't accurate. That is, unless you have some supporting evidence or anecdotes that make you feel that way.
Click to expand...

Pretty easy. I have supported a blind user over the years. His Windows PC required three third-party software products that together cost more than the computer in order to provide functionality that wasn't quite as good as what the Mac has baked in. Same was true with his telephone. He had to carry a Symbian phone that required third party software to be somewhat functional. His iPhone is usable for him right out of the box.

So yes, leaps and bounds.
[doublepost=1462486975][/doublepost]
CliftonHighgrov said:
With my increasing disillusionment with Apple's Mac and OS X lines (the prolonged wait for an MBP update; dropping their focus on Pro apps and hardware), their continued focus on a likely non-profitable aspect of their computer business does encourage me to think well of them.
The hard-hearted part of me can't help but conclude, however, that it's mostly because they couldn't stomach the backlash if they were to drop support for such a sympathetic customer base (look what happened after the UK's Conservative Chancellor's Budget adversely affected disabled welfare claimants…)
Click to expand...

So, if your "hard-hearted" voice is always there talking in your ear perhaps nobody can really do anything nice for you...
 
  • Like
Reactions: apolloa and Keane16
rdlink said:
Pretty easy. I have supported a blind user over the years. His Windows PC required three third-party software products that together cost more than the computer in order to provide functionality that wasn't quite as good as what the Mac has baked in. Same was true with his telephone. He had to carry a Symbian phone that required third party software to be somewhat functional. His iPhone is usable for him right out of the box.

So yes, leaps and bounds.
Click to expand...

I'm going to go out on a limb here. Based on what I've seen of your Apple defensive posting history, you're probably comparing an old Windows PC with a modern Mac. Your anecdotes tend to be a bit disjointed in their connections. If I'm wrong, I'll apologize. But since your experience uniquely qualifies you to make that assertion, I'd love more detail about the PC/Mac comparison you mentioned. Leaps and bounds should be easily evidenced.

Using an iPhone's accessibility features right out of the box isn't something that's unique, or related to your PC/Mac anecdote either. The same can be done on WinPhone and Android.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back