Since 1985 Apple has been committed to helping people with disabilities access their personal computers. Apple’s commitment to accessibility is evident throughout the Mac OS X operating system, which is not only easy to use by design, but also includes a wide variety of features and technologies specifically designed to provide access to users with disabilities.
Apple refers to these features collectively as Universal Access and has integrated them into the operating system so they can be used in conjunction with a variety of applications from Apple and other developers.
Apple is also changing the ways people interact with technology through innovative products like the iPhone, which bring new possibilities for making user interfaces accessible to users with disabilities.
Accessibility Technologies in Mac OS X
- Zoom
- Full keyboard navigation
- Sticky Keys and Slow Keys
- Mouse Keys
- Closed-Captioning in QuickTime
- Visual alert
- Spoken items
- Talking alerts
- Speech recognition
- Display adjustment
iPhone Accessibility
- Zoom
- Predictive text entry
- Giant fonts for Mail messages
- Large numeric keypad for dialing
- Network-based voice dialing
- Hands-free speakerphone
- Audible, visible, and vibrating alerts
- Assignable ringtones
- Chat-like SMS
- Automatic sync using iTunes
- Alternative Format users’s guide
For information on Section 508
- Section 508: The Road to Accessibility
- Department of Justice Section 508 Home Page
- U.S. Access Board
Find other assistive technologies
Looking for special needs solutions? Search our Mac Products Guide to find specific hardware and software that meets your needs.
