Apple releases series of inspiring YouTube short films for Global Accessibility Awareness Day

According to the World Health Organization, 1 in 7 people in the world are living with some sort of disability. As May 18th is recognized as Global Accessibility Awareness Day internationally to bring awareness of those who face challenges every day.

Apple has just released a series of powerful short films on YouTube. The beautiful and creative videos profile people from various backgrounds and ability challenges to show how tech has impacted their lives. From everyday activities to careers and building dreams, each one proves that when tech is designed for everyone, it can also inspire. Hit jump for details.

Who are the incredible people featured...

Carlos Vasquez  is the lead singer, drummer, and PR manager for the metal band Distartica. He lost his eyesight to Glaucoma when he was a child in Guatemala. He currently resides in Houston, Texas, where he is also a pro competitive gamer. He uses VoiceOver with Screen Curtain on his iPhone to capture band photos, hail a ride to practice, and spread the word about Distartica through ReverbNation. Distartica’s new album, In Flames We Rise, is available on Apple Music. https://youtu.be/EHAO_kj0qcA?list=PLHFlHpPjgk7307LVoFKonAqq616WCzif7

Ian Mackay is an outdoor and birding enthusiast from Port Angeles, Washington. In 2008, he was in a bicycling accident and became paralyzed from the neck down. Today, Ian continues to explore his passion for cycling through the use of his power chair. He is set to travel 3,000 miles on the Olympic Discovery Trail by the end of this year. With Siri on iPhone, he can play a bird call or FaceTime a friend, and with Switch Control he is able to capture photos along the way. https://youtu.be/PWNKM8V98cg?list=PLHFlHpPjgk7307LVoFKonAqq616WCzif7

Meera Phillips is a 15-year old with a passion for soccer and strong desire to speak her mind. She was adopted at the age of five from New Delhi, India, and now lives with her two moms and little brother in Atlanta, Georgia. Meera is unable to fully utilize her natural voice as a result of Schizencephaly, which impacts motor control and speech. She uses TouchChat on her iPad to talk to her friends and family, order food, and even tell the occasional joke. https://youtu.be/3d6zKINudi0?list=PLHFlHpPjgk7307LVoFKonAqq616WCzif7

Todd Stabelfeldt became a C4 quadriplegic after an accidental gunshot wound at the age of 8. In spite of this tragic event, Todd’s story has been one of empowerment and employment. He’s a college graduate/software engineer, successful businessman and entrepreneur. Todd lives in the Seattle area with his wife, step-son and two dogs, where he runs his business from the home he built, which accommodates his disability. Despite being quadriplegic with no movement below his shoulders, he runs his business from his iPhone using built-in Switch Control features, uses HomeKit accessories and to control his lights and doors using Siri, and the Home app which he says brings “a huge amount of independence.” He believes technology is key to improving the lives of people with physical disabilities and devotes his time to helping others through the TSF foundation.
https://youtu.be/4PoE9tHg_P0?list=PLHFlHpPjgk7307LVoFKonAqq616WCzif7

Andrea Dalzell is a nursing student and former Ms Wheelchair New York whose mission is to be a strong role model for those in her community. Her physical mobility has always been limited due to Spina Bifida, but it has never slowed her down. She’s committed to living a healthy lifestyle and uses Wheelchair Mode on Apple Watch to monitor her heart rate, track her workouts and share her victories with friends. https://youtu.be/SoEUsUWihsM?list=PLHFlHpPjgk7307LVoFKonAqq616WCzif7

Patrick Lafayette is a producer and radio DJ in New York whose life revolves around music and his family. At the age of 16, he experienced significant retina damage as a result of high diving. Though his eyes were unable to be repaired, Patrick continued to explore his passions and embrace new technologies. He uses VoiceOver on his MacBook Pro to produce music in Logic Pro X, and uses Siri, whom he refers to as “the little lady,” for almost everything. Patrick hosts a weekday radio broadcast on Chrismix Radio. https://youtu.be/whioDJ8doYA?list=PLHFlHpPjgk7307LVoFKonAqq616WCzif7

Shane Rakowski is the band director at Queen’s Lake Middle School in Williamsburg, Virginia. She fell in love with music when she learned to play the piano as an eight-year old. Years later, while conducting her band class, she noticed she was unable to hear the low notes on the marimba being played by one of her students, leading to a diagnosis of low frequency hearing loss. She now wears a pair of Made for iPhone hearing aids which allow her to easily adjust settings right on her iPhone or iPad. https://youtu.be/mswxzXlhivQ?list=PLHFlHpPjgk7307LVoFKonAqq616WCzif7

Also on May 18, Apple stores globally will host accessibility sessions for people to explore built-in features. The company also tells us that updates have been recently made to the Accessibility apps collection and can be found at the App Store. For those who are blind or have low-vision there are also updates to the VoiceOver collection of apps. To learn more about Apple and accessibility, go to https://www.apple.com/accessibility