Apple supports Korean for real-time subtitles and voice command features on its devices, including the iPhone. A feature that displays real-time subtitles on the Apple Watch during FaceTime calls for the hearing impaired will also be introduced.
Apple celebrated Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) by unveiling new accessibility features to be released in the second half of the year on the 13th (local time).
Global Accessibility Awareness Day was first designated in 2012 to raise awareness and call for improvements so that people with disabilities can more easily access digital technology. It is commemorated on the third Thursday of May each year.
Apple announced that it would first support Korean for voice commands and real-time subtitles on its devices, including the iPhone.
The voice command and real-time subtitle features were first introduced in 2019 and 2022, respectively, but during that time, only English was supported in North America. Starting in the second half of this year, support will expand to include Korean, Spanish, Chinese, and others.
The Apple Watch will introduce a real-time subtitle feature for users who are hearing impaired or hard of hearing. When making FaceTime calls using the iPhone and other devices, subtitles will appear on the Apple Watch screen, and sounds heard through the Apple Watch connected to the iPhone can be viewed in real-time subtitles.
The Apple Watch can operate like a remote control to start or stop real-time listening and also allows users to rewind missed parts.
The 'magnifier' feature, which has been available on the iPhone and iPad since 2016 to help users with visual impairments enlarge screens and other items, is now also supported on the Mac.
Additionally, a Braille feature has been introduced so that users can write in Braille on the iPhone and open apps. A new reading mode (Accessibility Reader) that helps users with various levels of disabilities, including dyslexia and low vision, read text easily throughout the system is also supported.
The Apple Vision Pro, a mixed reality (MR) headset, will incorporate features to enlarge content for users who are visually impaired or have low vision. It will also provide a 'real-time cognition' feature that describes the surroundings, finds objects, and reads documents.
Tim Cook, Apple's Chief Executive Officer (CEO), noted, "Accessibility is part of the DNA that makes Apple. Creating technology for everyone is Apple's top priority."