Apple devices to get Live Captions, Door Detection accessibility features

Apple

In honour of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Apple has introduced many accessibility options to mark the occasion. One of them is a beta test for Live Captions, which will be available in English for Canada and the U.S. later this year. This feature will automatically transcribe audio content from anything like a FaceTime call, YouTube stream, or even a real-life conversation with someone nearby. It is designed to work on iPhone 11 and later, iPad models with A12 Bionic and later, and Macs with Apple Silicon. Apple says its accuracy may vary and warns against relying on it in "high-risk situations."

There's also a new Door Detection feature to help those who are blind or have low vision. It's meant to help you locate doors when you're in a new area. It's designed to work with iPad and iPhone models with the LiDaR scanner. It combines the LiDaR with the device's camera and AI capabilities. This means it'll only work on the 2nd and 3rd gen 11-inch iPad Pro, 4th and 5th gen 12.9-inch iPad Pro models, and iPhone 12 Pro and 13 Pro devices. Apple cautions against using it in "circumstances where a user may be harmed or injured, or in high-risk or emergency situations." Learn more about the other accessibility features here.

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Google Maps now shows wheelchair accessibility information

In honour of Global Accessibility Awareness Day, Google Maps introduces a new feature that lets you know whether a location is wheelchair accessible. The navigation app has wheelchair accessibility information for over 15 million places around the world. When you have the feature enabled, you will see if a location has an accessible entrance when there's a wheelchair icon on a place's listing. When you scroll further, you'll find out if the establishment offers accessible seating, restrooms, and parking. You need to make sure you have the latest version of Google Maps on your Android or iOS device to get access to this new handy feature. Once you've updated, head to Settings and select Accessibility. From there, find Accessible Places.

The feature though, is only as good as the people who contribute to it. And so, Google is bringing to iOS devices an easier way to contribute accessibility information. Android users can already share this information on their devices. According to iPhone in Canada, the guide comes with tips for rating accessibility, in case you aren't sure about what counts as being "accessible."