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Presbyopia and Apple Watch - Concerns?

greyhounds4

greyhounds4

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 11, 2014
61
16
Is anyone else who needs to wear reading glasses concerned about being able to read the face of the Apple Watch? It just occured to me that I might have to be taking out my reading glasses every time I want to use one of the features. I know I will be OK for reading the time, but I wonder if you can adjust the font size for text messages and notifications?
 
Don't know. Not too worried though - I usually don't need reading glasses unless the lettering is microscopic. It's blurry, but I can make it out ok.
 
greyhounds4 said:
Is anyone else who needs to wear reading glasses concerned about being able to read the face of the Apple Watch? It just occured to me that I might have to be taking out my reading glasses every time I want to use one of the features. I know I will be OK for reading the time, but I wonder if you can adjust the font size for text messages and notifications?
Click to expand...

I am concerned about it as I do use reading glasses and need them to do anything with my Pebble, iPhone and even iPad other then tell the time. It is annoying having to take my glasses out of my bag and out of their case to use other functionality but I don't have a choice. The watch face I currently use on my Pebble uses large digital numerals for this reason. It's unfortunately a fact of life I have to live with.
 
How is it reading a watch currently?

And no, I'm not being a sarcastic jerk, I promise. I just think it is a good comparison. :p There's an option to change text size to make it larger, which I think should help people with blurry reading vision drastically.
 
greyhounds4 said:
Is anyone else who needs to wear reading glasses concerned about being able to read the face of the Apple Watch? It just occured to me that I might have to be taking out my reading glasses every time I want to use one of the features. I know I will be OK for reading the time, but I wonder if you can adjust the font size for text messages and notifications?
Click to expand...

I don't know. Do you need reading glasses when you look at your phone?
 
In some cases I would have thought that you could change the face enough so you could read it. I don't know if watches of this sort need to follow any ADA compliance. I've never thought about it until your thread.

It would be something to look into though if you're concerned.
 
GoCubsGo said:
In some cases I would have thought that you could change the face enough so you could read it. I don't know if watches of this sort need to follow any ADA compliance. I've never thought about it until your thread.

It would be something to look into though if you're concerned.
Click to expand...

They do not, and neither do any other general consumer electronic devices like computers or phones. ADA doesn't apply to such things. It applies to things in public like walk-up services and entrances. Apple has always been very supportive of differently abled users and there are likely to be provisions for such in the case of the watch.

Some notion of what assistive features will exist was indicated by a leak of the Apple Watch App earlier this year: http://atmac.org/apple-watch-accessibility-details-revealed
 
Mascots said:
How is it reading a watch currently?

And no, I'm not being a sarcastic jerk, I promise. I just think it is a good comparison. :p There's an option to change text size to make it larger, which I think should help people with blurry reading vision drastically.
Click to expand...

I haven't worn a watch in a decade! Right now I can use my iPhone 6Plus without glasses to read the time, and can make out what the notifications are saying - but that is a slight stretch. Texts are fine since I have adjusted my text font to a larger one.

Guess that I will have to see just how small the text is on the watch. I'm still getting one though!!! I just had not even thought about this until I asked a friend who said that she did not think that she would be able to read such small print even WITH her glasses on. That got me to thinking .....
 
How in the world is this any different from requiring reading glasses with a conventional watch?

First, oh noes, people are liable to lose one of their bands because they're two pieces and now this. It amazes me how many people act like Apple has just invented the watch.
 
JayLenochiniMac said:
How in the world is this any different from requiring reading glasses with a conventional watch?

First, oh noes, people are liable to lose one of their bands because they're two pieces and now this. It amazes me how many people act like Apple has just invented the watch.
Click to expand...

There is quite a difference in being able to look at your watch and see the time - likely in a fairly large font or an entire Mickey Mouse - then being able to read entire text messages and notifications. Of course the latter are going to be much smaller and require a greater visual acuity. So while I could certainly read an everyday watch (if I wore one) for the time, I am likely going to need to pull out my reading glasses for the level of information that an Apple Watch will provide. :)
 
greyhounds4 said:
There is quite a difference in being able to look at your watch and see the time - likely in a fairly large font or an entire Mickey Mouse - then being able to read entire text messages and notifications. Of course the latter are going to be much smaller and require a greater visual acuity. So while I could certainly read an everyday watch (if I wore one) for the time, I am likely going to need to pull out my reading glasses for the level of information that an Apple Watch will provide. :)
Click to expand...

Okay, this is different from using the iPhone how?
 
Mascots said:
How is it reading a watch currently?

And no, I'm not being a sarcastic jerk, I promise. I just think it is a good comparison. :p There's an option to change text size to make it larger, which I think should help people with blurry reading vision drastically.
Click to expand...

I wear an Omega diver's watch, and I can read it without reading glasses. The face is blue and the hands and number ticks are silver, so there is a good contrast. Reading the small numbers for the day/date can sometimes be challenging, though.

Most of the time, I can read text on my iPhone too.

I suspect every person will be different here, depending on their situation. Good to know about the Accessibility features.

Edit: Just went to the Apple Store via the app on my iPhone. Most of the watch faces can be set to white features on a black background, and I can read those without reading glasses. It remains to be seen about other text, etc.
 
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JayLenochiniMac said:
How in the world is this any different from requiring reading glasses with a conventional watch?

First, oh noes, people are liable to lose one of their bands because they're two pieces and now this. It amazes me how many people act like Apple has just invented the watch.
Click to expand...

This is a legitimate concern for a lot of people I know, including my parents. I don't think it is on par with the lameduck argument of losing a bands; in this case we have a lot more text crammed onto a small, digital screen. In comparison to a analog watch in which you have the only a clock face, there's just more information to decode that requires context vs a standard watch which always has the same context (i.e., the time, so you only need to make out the direction of the hands).
 
I have to wear glasses all the time because I am near sited as well as far sited. So it will not effect me because I wear progressive lens. But I can see people who only use reading glasses that this would be a problem. Your arm can only stretch so far. Those with reading glasses know what I am talking about.
 
greyhounds4 said:
Is anyone else who needs to wear reading glasses concerned about being able to read the face of the Apple Watch? It just occured to me that I might have to be taking out my reading glasses every time I want to use one of the features. I know I will be OK for reading the time, but I wonder if you can adjust the font size for text messages and notifications?
Click to expand...

I have the same problem, but I have seen on one of the Apple videos how you can adjust the size of the Icons. I,m sure there is probably a way to adjust text through the crown also. Or maybe a double tap, or pressure touch. pretty much everyone in their 40's or later will have this problem, and I'm sure Apple would understand this :D
 
apple tends to be a market leader with "built-in" accessibility options, so if there is a way to improve the legibility of the fonts, apple will sure have included it in the settings. Perhaps though, further improvements to siri will help in this regard. An offline mode for siri (for the most basic functions) would be welcomed as well.
 
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