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At its annual Worldwide Developer's Conference this week, Apple previewed some of the new accessibility features coming to its iOS, watchOS, tvOS, and macOS platforms later this year. At this point, it's worth noting that this software is still in beta form, and not all features--particularly, the specifics of how they will be implemented--are finalized. With that said, below is what Apple has announced will be coming for users of…

An interesting and surprising piece of news today is that Fleksy has been acquired by Pinterest. What’s perhaps most interesting for the vision impaired, is that this may have positive consequences for those of us who remember just how revolutionary Fleksy once promised to be.

For those unfamiliar, Fleksy is a text input…

WWDC 2016

Welcome back to Applevis' yearly summary of Apple's yearly developer conference announcements. There's a lot this year, much of it exciting, some of it very much expected, and a few things long overdue. Instead of a long introduction, let's just start moving!

watchOS

First up is the Apple Watch. Love it or hate it, Apple is committed to it and feels it's a great way to get people more…

It’s that time of year. With WWDC just one week away, Apple is getting ready to announce new versions of iOS and OS X, as well as possible tvOS and watchOS updates. While concrete information about these future releases is scarce, speculation and feature wish lists have begun popping up on mainstream tech websites.

Here are my top wishes for VoiceOver improvements in the next iteration of the Mac operating system, presumably OS X 10.12.

Bug fixes

Several months ago…

Apple has today released iTunes 12.4.1 to the public, bringing bug fixes for VoiceOver and other features.

According to Apple's release notes via MacRumors, iTunes 12.4.1 includes the following improvements:

This update addresses a number of problems where iTunes doesn't work as expected with VoiceOver. It also restores the option to Reset Plays and fixes the…

Welcome to the May 2016 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy in the accessible app landscape. Below, you'll find a recap of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to podcasts and blogs. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

AIM: Chat, Free Text, Photo Share…

If you spend much time browsing the Internet, it’s likely that you have already encountered numerous articles over the past month where the writer has looked back over their first year with an Apple Watch. With so many of these appraisals already out in the wild, I wasn’t originally planning on adding to their numbers. However, I then reached the first birthday of my own Apple Watch, and the fact that it marked the occasion by being turned off and back in its box made me think that perhaps I…

We are pleased to announce that the 2016 inductees into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame, as chosen by the AppleVis community, are Twitterrific 5 for Twitter and A Blind Legend.

First opened in 2011, the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is one of the ways in which the AppleVis…

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), and to mark this we are urging everybody to use it as an opportunity to reach out to iOS and OS X developers - to either encourage them to make their applications accessible and usable by the vision-impaired; or to show your appreciation for applications which already are.

GAAD was created as a mechanism to reach out to the people who “build, shape, fund and influence…

In addition to releasing software updates for iOS, OS X, watchOS and the fourth-generation Apple TV, Apple has today released iTunes 12.4.

According to Apple’s release notes via 9to5Mac, this update brings a number of design and navigation tweaks:

• Now enjoy all of your music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and more in a simpler design.
• …

Today has seen another flurry of software updates from Apple. In addition to the release of iOS 9.3.2, there have also been updates for the Mac, Apple Watch and fourth-generation Apple TV.

Full release notes for these updates are not yet available, but it is safe to assume that there will be the standard round of bug fixes, security patches, and under-the-hood…

Apple has today released iOS 9.3.2 to the public, bringing with it bug fixes and under-the-hood improvements.

At the time of writing, it appears that blind and low vision users will find little change to the known accessibility bugs present in iOS 9.3.1.

The only change that we are presently aware of is some improvement in…

On the 3rd of May 2016 I started my first ever job, and I quickly realised that I needed a multi-technology strategy to match the productivity of my work colleagues. Being an iOS user since 2009 I was sure that part of my technology strategy would involve my iPhone or iPad, and I wasn’t wrong.

In this post I would like to tell you about the physical make up of the said strategy, i.e. what device I am using, and how using iOS enables me to increase my access and productivity…

I am walking through apricot orchards, on my way to another dreadfully long day at Cupertino Junior High. I am shorter and younger than most of the other boys. I am night blind and I wear sunglasses indoors. I do magic as a hobby and everyone knows it. I also don't know when to shut up. And, to guarantee my total social estrangement, I am carrying my violin case. The year is 1966 and I am on my way to another serious butt-kicking at school.

Social awareness was never my strong suit.…

We are pleased to announce that voting for the 2016 inductees into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is now open.

First opened in 2011, the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is one of the ways in which the AppleVis community seeks to recognize developers of accessible iOS applications. Apps in the Hall of Fame can be liberating; empowering; life-changing; provide access to information that sighted users take for granted; or, in…

Ahead of Global Accessibility Awareness Day on May 19, Apple has today launched a new room in iTunes dedicated to highlighting audio-described movies for blind and low vision users.

The room, available at http://www.iTunes.com/AudioDescription, for the first time makes available a listing of all audio-described movies on iTunes in one central location.

Among the…

As we reported in December 2015, Apple was rumored to begin selling accessories related to accessibility in early 2016. Those rumors are now coming to fruition, At the time of posting, the Apple website lists a total of 15 accessories available for purchase. Among those accessories are several…

Since owning my iPhone I have found a world of apps, information and services which I thought that I would never have access to. I am sure any one reading this who is familiar with the accessibility of iOS and Mac will know exactly what I mean, but if you are new to AppleVis or the accessibility of such devices, having a built-in screen reader which gives me access to anything including news, travel, cloud-storage, sat-nav services and audio books to name a few is simply life changing.

Welcome to the April 2016 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy in the accessible app landscape. Below, you'll find a recap of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to podcasts and blogs. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Audio Game Hub (iOS, Free)…

I save soap. When I travel, I do not rip-off hotel towels, coffee cups or blankets. That would be wrong. However, I do collect little bars of soap. I generally find one bar at the hotel room sink and another on the side of the tub. I unwrap one to use, and then put the other in my luggage. Before the maid comes by the next day, I surreptitiously slip the moist and somewhat diminished bar into a plastic doggy bag and stash it in a drawer. When I return to my room, I find two brand new cakes…