Apple Stores to feature accessibility products in early 2016, report says
Mikey Campbell
According to a report on Sunday, Apple plans to market through its online and brick-and-mortar stores accessibility products designed to aid disabled users, with sales expected to begin sometime in early 2016.
Following up on a report regarding high-resolution audio, Japanese language website Mac Otakara claims accessibility devices will start showing up in Apple Stores between January and March 2016.
It is not yet clear what products or product categories Apple plans to market, though the company's current device lineup supports a broad range of hardware, from "Made for iPhone" hearing aids to braille displays.
Apple has for years provided accessibility options to users, which now fall under a general Accessibility umbrella of features on all existing platforms, including Mac, iOS, watchOS and the new tvOS. For example, iOS comes with built-in tools like Guided Access, VoiceOver, dictation and system-level UI adjustments.
The company also puts an emphasis on accessibility in its first-party software. When FaceTime debuted in 2010, television commercials and online media touted the video calling technology as ideal for those communicating via American Sign Language.
More recently, the American Foundation for the Blind gave Apple a Helen Keller Achievement Award for its work on VoiceOver tech. The company later threw a spotlight on first- and third-party apps featuring VoiceOver in a special App Store section.
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