Apple Updates iWork Suite with Major Accessibility Improvements for VoiceOver Users

By AppleVis, 15 October, 2015

Member of the AppleVis Editorial Team

Apple has today updated its Pages, Keynote, and Numbers apps for iOS and Mac, bringing with them a number of significant accessibility improvements for VoiceOver users.

In Pages, Numbers and Keynote, VoiceOver users can now read relevant text formatting details including font name and font size while editing. It is now much easier for VoiceOver users to add, remove, rearrange rows, columns, add and review comments, edit chart data and chart elements, get table header information, and more. In Keynote, VoiceOver users can now also edit and read presenter notes.

Below is the accessibility-specific information from the release notes for each iWork app, as found in the App Store:

Pages

Pages for iOS

Version: 2.6 (October 15, 2015)

  • VoiceOver can now read relevant text formatting details including font name and font size while editing
  • Add and review comments with VoiceOver
  • Track changes with VoiceOver
  • Add, remove and rearrange rows, columns and cells with VoiceOver
  • Get table header information with VoiceOver
  • Edit chart data and chart elements with VoiceOver
  • Change document settings with VoiceOver

Pages for OS X

Version: 5.6 (October 15, 2015)

  • Add and review comments with VoiceOver
  • Track changes with VoiceOver
  • Edit chart data and chart elements with VoiceOver

Keynote

Keynote for iOS

Version: 2.6 (October 15, 2015)

  • VoiceOver can now read relevant text formatting details including font name and font size while editing
  • Easily edit presenter notes with VoiceOver
  • VoiceOver can now read presenter notes during slideshows
  • Edit chart data and chart elements with VoiceOver
  • Add, remove and rearrange rows, columns and cells with VoiceOver
  • Get table header information with VoiceOver
  • Add and review comments with VoiceOver

Keynote for OS X

Version: 6.6 (October 15, 2015)

  • Easily edit presenter notes with VoiceOver
  • VoiceOver can now read presenter notes during slideshows
  • Edit chart data and chart elements with VoiceOver
  • Add and review comments with VoiceOver

Numbers

Numbers for iOS

Version: 2.6 (October 15, 2015)

  • Add, remove and rearrange rows, columns and cells with VoiceOver
  • Get table header information with VoiceOver
  • Edit chart data and chart elements with VoiceOver
  • Interact with checkbox, sliders, stepper, star ratings and pop-up menu cells with VoiceOver
  • VoiceOver can now read relevant text formatting details including font name and font size while editing
  • Add and review comments with VoiceOver
  • Access print preview with VoiceOver

Numbers for OS X

Version: 3.6 (October 15, 2015)

  • Edit chart data and chart elements with VoiceOver
  • Add and review comments with VoiceOver

Options

Comments

By Tree on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 - 17:57

I'm glad that the sweet has seen some improvements. I don't guess we actually have real headings in Pages do we? The above info didn't mention this feature.

By Seanoevil on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 - 17:57

What a strange community we are...
On the merest mention of a bug, be it proven or just suspected, we all line up and take turns to give Apple a kick.
But when Apple makes Accessibility improvements to their suite of free Software, how do we respond? With virtual Crickets and tumbleweeds...

By Fritz on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 - 17:57

Hello all,
I just updated pages and I must say it works very nice.The only issue I have is that making folders directly in pages is not that useable, but it can be done in icloud drive via the app, so this is not a big issue to me.To the comment made by Seanoevil, I agree with you. But would like to add a thought, maybe many users are like me, I don't visit applevis everyday and I check for updates manually and don't always install them right away. And I don't post all that much. But generally speaking, I see this behavior by people ( not just blind, but sighted volks as well) all the time, It seems easy to complain and point out faults, but hard to praise and point out strengths. Constructive criticism is good and helps things to be corrected, but a little "hey good job" keeps things moving. So thanks apple for doing what you do for us and thanks to the applevis team for all their hard work and thanks to the applevis community for all their thoughts and experiences with idevices. Have a nice day and take care,

Fritz

By Ekaj on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 - 17:57

Hi there. I agree with the last 2 comments completely. I just installed all 3 of these updates on my MBA, and I also just upgraded to El Capitan. I have not yet done anything in Keynote or Numbers, but I downloaded something for my job a couple days ago. It opened in Pages, and everything worked nicely. I think I'm going to try out the update to Numbers this week, both for my own sake and to help out a sister. She has a volunteer job and also works from home, and her coworkers send her stuff using Microsoft Excel. But this stuff also works in Numbers. I haven't done anything in either Powerpoint or Keynote but perhaps that'll change one of these years. I must admit I'm not a fan of whiners and complainers, but I think AppleVis is an excellent website just the same. In addition, three cheers for Apple!

By Liz on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 - 17:57

I would say it's shaping up into competitors to Office.

By Chris Bruinenberg on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 - 17:57

Hi guys.
Great update so far with pages on the mac and on IOS. I do have a question.
Has anybody figured out how to fill out the templates with voiceOver? I know it will overwrite what is in the field but what if you don't remember all of the formatting?
For instance, if it says city state, zip, how can i sellect just one of the fields?
Thanks and i'm sorry if this doesn't make any sense. I'm trying to create a resume with pages.

By Ken Downey on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 - 17:57

^Try Resumé pro. It's designed specifically for making resumés and looks quite easy to use. That way you have many different templates for different types of resumés;, T

By Chris Bruinenberg on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 - 17:57

Do you have a link? Is this a website or an app?
Thanks.

By Dr. Ahmed Khater on Tuesday, November 3, 2015 - 17:57

How far is the MAC version of Pages accessible in adding, removing and managing footnotes and endNotes? Further, Can I add / delete comments with no accessibility challenges?