Apple Offering In-Store Accessibility Workshops

Apple is now offering hands-on accessibility training workshops at many of its retail stores.

As originally reported by Access iQ, Apple is now offering workshops for users of its assistive technology software at many Apple Store locations. Accessibility workshops include those for users with vision, hearing, and physical disabilities and cover both iOS 7 and OS X Mavericks.

For blind and low-vision users, Apple offers two workshops: Vision with iOS 7 and Vision with OS X Mavericks. The descriptions are below:

"Vision with iOS 7

In this workshop, you’ll learn about the accessibility features in iOS 7 that help people who are blind or have low vision use iPad, iPhone and iPod touch. Find out how VoiceOver — a revolutionary advanced screen reader — and features like Siri and Dictation help you type, launch apps, send messages, read your calendar and so much more.

Vision with OS X Mavericks

This workshop will introduce you to the assistive technologies in OS X Mavericks that help people who are blind or have low vision use the Mac. You’ll discover VoiceOver, an advanced screen reader that converts text to speech, and Dictation, which converts your speech to text, as well as other great features like screen magnification and high-contrast settings."

It is unclear how long Apple has been offering accessibility-specific workshops at its retail stores; it also appears as though accessibility workshops are not offered at every location. We recommend checking the Apple Store iOS App or calling your local store for specific information.

If you have already attended or have the chance to attend one of these workshops in the future, we would love to hear your experiences.