Apple had accessibility in mind when it came to the Apple Watch experience. The company has shared details on what options are available to those who require advanced assistance.
Just as we covered in our first look at some of the assistive technologies included in the Apple Watch, the company has included an array of features to match the enhanced experience offered in iOS.
From activating VoiceOver, which will use the on-board speaker to describe what’s happening on-screen, to increasing the size on text displayed on the Apple Watch, there are a variety of ways one can change how the wearable is interacted with. Settings available can be activated (or disabled) either on the Apple Watch itself or using the iPhone app.
Apple also features the Taptic Engine on the new Apple Watch accessibility resource page, a feature that’s not just beneficial to the average wearer, but to those who are deaf or hard of hearing.
“With Apple Watch, we found a way to give technology a more human touch. It’s called the Taptic Engine, a linear actuator inside Apple Watch that produces haptic feedback. You’ll feel a gentle tap on your wrist every time a notification comes in. And you can turn on Prominent Haptic to pre-announce some common alerts. So you’ll never miss messages, mail, and other important events.”
While the company has clearly considered accessibility during development of the Apple Watch, we’ll have to wait for the features to be put to use in the real world and see how they fare.
Source: Apple