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The Milanese loop is one of two stainless steel band options for the Apple Watch. Lightweight, comfortable, and easily adjustable, it's a worthy option to consider if you're wanting something dressy, breathable, and easy to take on and off. It's also gender-neutral, and a majority of the people I've spoken with really like it. While getting just the right fit may be a challenge at first, the Milanese loop is a pleasure to wear and is definitely worthy of consideration when choosing an…

Recently, Clara Van Gerven published an article on the National Federation of the Blind website entitled, “The Sighted Guide to VoiceOver”. In the article, the author, a sighted assistive technology specialist, undertook an experiment to use only VoiceOver on her iPhone for forty days. That any sighted person, even an assistive technology professional, would undertake using only VoiceOver for forty days is to be commended,…

I told myself that I didn’t want an Apple Watch.

I told my family and friends that I didn’t want an Apple Watch.

I wrote and tweeted about how I didn’t want an Apple Watch.

And yet, after learning that Apple Watch would include a comprehensive…

During the past week there has been a series of small reminders of how accessibility sits at the very heart of Apple’s ethos and practice.

The first of these came in one of the videos shown as part of the keynote presentation at last week’s Worldwide Developers’ Conference (WWDC). Featured prominently was a piano app for the iPad being developed by the Ludwig Project, which will seek to bring music to the hearing impaired by enabling them to…

Every year at its Worldwide Developers’ Conference (WWDC), Apple celebrates and acknowledges through its Apple Design Awards the mobile and desktop apps which raise the bar in design, technology and innovation.

Presented in a ceremony that traditionally follows the WWDC keynote presentation, it was tremendous to see the Workflow iOS app winning one of these prestigious awards this…

WWDC 2015: Watch Some Music While Apple Goes Bug-Hunting

Today was Apples annual World Wide Developer's Conference keynote. This time each year, the world gets to preview the hardware and software coming out of Cupertino. We traditionally see the next iterations of iOS and OS X, and maybe a new service or cloud-based offering. This year was no exception: iOS9, OS X 10.11, watchOS 2.0, an updated Apple Pay, and the all-new Apple Music were all shown off with Apples usual flare. If…

Just released in the App Store is Viskey, an alternate iOS keyboard for low vision users from the developers of the highly regarded MBraille.

Viskey brings you an easy to use and accessible keyboard without sacrificing modern features. You can enjoy spelling support, auto-correction and capitalization. Existing text…

Below is the AppleVis live blog for the June 8, 2015 Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) keynote presentation. Information has been taken directly from the @AppleVis Twitter timeline, as well as from the Twitter timelines of MacRumorsLive / MacRumors, Macworld, and…

When I first saw mention of the Apple Watch having a ‘Speak On Wrist Raise’ option for VoiceOver users, my immediate reaction was that this would be one of those ‘set it and forget it’ settings. However, this is not turning out to be the case.

For those of you who don’t have an Apple Watch and are unfamiliar with this option and what it does, it simply has VoiceOver automatically speak the Watch screen when you lift your wrist (which most commonly results in the time being announced…

If you have read any of my previous posts on the Apple Watch, you might be excused for wondering at this point what else I have left to say on the topic … or, at least anything left to say that’s based upon personal experience. Before its release, I gave my reasons for not buying one. However, I was back within a few weeks to report that my inner-geek and it’s curiosity had ultimately won out, and that…

Welcome to the May 2015 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

Blindfold Spades (Free with In-…

How Will Apple Finish Out 2015?

With Apple's annual Worldwide Developer's Conference now just days away, a lot of people are wondering what new shinies we'll see. Will there be a new Apple TV? Yet another update to some Mac or other? A better iPad Mini? What will iOS 9 and OS X 10.11 bring to the table? Will Apple continue its headlong rush into dazzling new features at the expense of quality, or will it slow down and start refining what it has already done? what shots did…

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), and we are asking everybody to use this 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 technology and…

Apple has today released Watch OS 1.0.1, marking the first update to the Apple Watch OS since the device was released in April.

According to Mac Rumors, the 1.0.1 update contains various bug fixes and improvements - accessibility being among them - as well as support for the new emojis found in iOS 8.3:

Watch OS 1.0.1 includes performance improvements and bug…

In late April, Apple began offering the opportunity for users to explore and experience Apple Watch's accessibility features at try-on appointments. After confirming that my local Apple Store had a Watch set up and ready (all stores should now have Watch units available for accessibility demonstrations, but my appointment was at the beginning of the rollout), I…

Last month David Woodbridge shared with us 13 reasons why he wanted an Apple Watch. In response, I gave some reasons why I would not be buying one.

However, the voice giving me what seemed like good reasons for not buying an Apple Watch was ultimately outshouted by another which kept insisting that I really, really wanted…

We are pleased to announce the results of the public vote for the 2015 inductees into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame.

The AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is one of the ways in which the AppleVis community seeks to recognize the hard work that developers put into making great applications that are fully accessible to blind and low-vision users. These apps can be liberating; empowering; life-changing; provide access to…

Apple has today been named as one of four recipients of the American Foundation For the Blind’s 2015 Helen Keller Achievement Award, according to a press release on the foundation’s website.

Specifically,…

It is time for the AppleVis community to choose the next inductee into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame.

The iOS App Hall of Fame first opened in 2011, and is the AppleVis community’s way to recognize and reward the hard work and dedication that developers put in to making great and accessible iOS apps. These apps can be liberating; empowering; life-changing; provide access to information that sighted users take for granted; or…

Welcome to the April 2015 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

Accessible Letter Soup (US$0.…