August 6, 2020
How Apple’s technology helps someone who is quadriplegic – and how it doesn’t
Ben Lovejoy
– Aug. 6th 2020 5:54 am PT
@benlovejoy
0
Apple takes great pride in its Accessibility features, promotes them heavily, and has won awards for them. For someone living with a disability, the right technology can literally be life-changing. Apple’s technology helps many people live a more independent life.
There is, though, still room for improvement. To better understand the differences Apple technology makes, and the gaps that still exist, I interviewed Colin Hughes, a 55-year-old Brit who has severe muscular dystrophy – a muscle-wasting disease which leaves him effectively quadriplegic, unable to use either arms or legs …
Hughes said that while smart home tech is about convenience for most people, for him it’s the difference between being able to do things for himself and not.
I’m fortunate to live in this digital voice driven era. It’s opened up so many opportunities for me that I would not otherwise have had. Every day I almost have to pinch myself that I’m actually able, for the first time in my life, to turn my own lights on, thermostat up, kettle on, blinds closed, [...]