Accessibility

Hearing

OS X includes a variety of features that can make using the Mac easier for the deaf and hard-of-hearing.

Closed Captioning

OS X includes support for playing back open and closed captioning in dynamic content such as movies, videos and podcasts, using QuickTime, Front Row and DVD Player. Closed captions appear in a high-contrast white sans serif font against a black background, similar to line 21-style television captions. You can buy and rent captioned movies from the iTunes Store and find captioned podcasts in iTunes U. You can also add captioning to your own content using industry-standard SCC files with Apple’s Final Cut Studio (available separately). Downloaded captioned content from the iTunes Store plays back with captions on iPhone, iPod classic, iPod nano (4th and 5th generation), iPod touch and Apple TV; in QuickTime Player (for Mac and Windows); and in iTunes (for Mac and Windows).

FaceTime

Make HD video calls from your Mac to iPad 2, iPhone 4, iPod touch or other Intel-based Mac users. Easily communicate through sign language without the need of other devices.

QuickTime Recording

Using the new QuickTime Player in OS X, you can record a sign language message to play later, send as an attachment in an email or put on your blog. There’s even a menu in QuickTime Player for sharing your video directly to iTunes and YouTube. An iSight video camera is built into new iMac and MacBook computers; you can also use a compatible desktop video conferencing camera with these and other Mac models.

Screen Flash

When a Mac application needs attention, it can ask the operating system to play a beep sound, or it can choose to have the Mac flash the entire screen like a camera flash instead. Using the screen flash, you’re sure to get the message no matter where your attention is focused on the screen. And, because the translation from beep to flash is performed by OS X, it works with every application that uses the system beep. The applications don’t have to be changed or updated.

Mono Audio

Unlike monaural audio recordings, stereo recordings have distinct left- and right-channel audio tracks. If you’re deaf or hard-of-hearing in one ear, you may be missing some of the music or audio contained in one of the channels. OS X can help by playing play both left and right audio channels in both left and right ears (or speakers), so you won’t miss anything and can enjoy all of the music or spoken audio.