Apple Receives Award for its Accessibility Advances

The efforts of Apple making their products and services increasingly accessible to all have been recognized by Center for Hearing and Communication, who handed Ma the prize Eleanor Roosevelt. The honor took place during the annual CHC event yesterday (5/11) night in New York, United States.

To accept the award on behalf of Apple, Apple invited the company's head of accessibility, Sarah Herrlinger, who attended a Q&A session with CHC Executive Director Laurie Hanin. During the interview, Herrlinger debated Ma's commitment to accessibility and the principles she usually promotes in her own advertising.

It (accessibility) has been central to the way we design and build our products from the start. Our goal is to make great products that empower us all, not just some of us. This comes from the belief that we all have something unique and special to share with the world. Our products must reduce barriers so that you can do it, regardless of capacity.

In addition to the products, Herrlinger said that Apple Stores themselves are thoughtful and guarantee all possible support for people with physical, visual and hearing disabilities, among others. In this sense, the company offers complete audio kits for those who participate in the sessions of the Today at Apple, as well as American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters.

We want to make Apple Stores a welcoming place for all customers, so we work to provide additional accommodation to help those with hearing loss. For example, each Apple store has a complete portable audio kit to make it easy to perform workshops and other activities. For those who need ASL interpreters, you can schedule to have one available in store for when you visit us. We also organize workshops to educate people about the resources built into our projects to support deaf or hard of hearing people.

In addition, the company aired its last special event, held last week, on the screens of some Apple Stores, accompanied by subtitles and real-time descriptions. The executive also said that Apple is “just getting started” when it comes to accessibility, highlighting the involvement of iOS application developers in this process.

This is not the first time the company has been awarded by included; last year Ma received the Louis Braille Award Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired, and in 2015 she was honored by AFB (American Foundation for the Blinds) with the prize Helen keller.

via AppleInsider