In this week’s BVA Happenings, BVA VetTech Moderator and Chief of Staff Timothy Hornik summarizes the benefits of newly released accessibility features for blind users of Apple products. The company released the iOS 17 update earlier this week. A more extensive presentation of the improvements will appear in the upcoming issue of The Bulletin. 

Notable Features of iOS 17

• Assistive Access: This feature allows users to simplify the iOS interface. If there is one common complaint about iOS among newly blind and low vision individuals, it is the difficulty in using an iPhone or iPad. With Assistive Access, you can turn an iPhone from a Smartphone to a simple phone while still being able to use VoiceOver, Screen Magnification, and other features.
• Personal Voice: This feature allows users to create a synthesized voice that sounds like their own. This can be helpful for users who are losing their voice or who want to have a more personalized voice for Live Speech. This is fun to test out, but there are better voice cloning solutions out there.
• Live Speech: This feature allows users to type and have their device speak the text aloud. This can be helpful for users who are deaf or hard of hearing, or who are unable to speak. You do not need “Personal Voice” set up to do this and it really is a great feature.
• Point and Speak in Magnifier Detection Mode: This feature allows users to point their camera at text and have their device read it aloud. Although it is similar to the point-and-speak capabilities of the OrCam MyEye Pro, the latter is far easier and more accurate in my testing.
• Text Detection in Magnifier Detection Mode: This feature allows users to point their camera at any scene and have their device read aloud all text in the scene. Similar to my comments about the Point and Speak, the OCR capabilities from OrCam, SeeingAI, En-Vision America, etc. will remain my “go-to” for these tasks.

In addition to these new features, Apple has also made several improvements to existing accessibility features in iOS 17. For example, Siri voices now sound even better at high rates of speech feedback, and users can now customize the rate at which Siri speaks to them. Even voice commands with VoiceOver work far more seamlessly in iOS 17 than in previous iterations.

Overall, iOS 17 is a significant release for blind users. The new features and improvements make it easier for the blind and low vision to use their devices and thereby interact with the world around them. I am very excited about the new accessibility features in iOS 17. I think that Assistive Access has the potential to be a game-changer for blind users who require a simpler iOS interface.

I am also pleased with the improvements that Apple has made throughout iOS for a very stable yet powerful release that will not have people waiting for the next incremental update to fix the new bugs. I am grateful to Apple for their continued commitment to making their products accessible to everyone.