The latest Android 12 beta has a feature that lets you control your Android phone using different facial expressions.
The technology could help people who have trouble using their hands.
“Take the example of a person who is blind.
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Smartphones are inherently visual.
Watching You
Google is getting on board with the accessibility trend.
you’ve got the option to even use facial expressions to activate functions on your Android phone.
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“Both iOS and Android now contain technologies that verbalize their screens.
Manufacturers need to do a better job of taking into account the needs of the disabled, Hingson said.
“Persons with other disabilities also can have interaction issues.
Apps That Help
There are many built-in smartphone operating system features to aid the disabled.
For example, iPhones have a screen-reader called Voiceover, and Android phones have similar software named Talkback.
“Since decades ago, such assistive technologies used to come separate and not bundled with smartphones.”
Dictation software is helpful for users who have motor disabilities such as cerebral palsy, Das pointed out.
Speech recognition systems are improving rapidly and can provide an excellent speech-to-text experience, she said.
“Even voice assistants such as Siri are greatly used by people with motor disabilities,” Das said.
In addition to these built-in features, numerous apps assist people with various disabilities.
Researchers are working to make phones even more accessible for the disabled to use.
With the technology that exists today, any app can be made accessible for persons with disabilities.
An engineering team recently designed a touch-sensing glove that can “feel” pressure and other tactile stimuli.
“If they are not, they will not work properly with assistive software such as screen-readers.”
