Apple has contacted some developers asking them to participate in an online meeting about Apple’s app accessibility features.
The invite reads:
“At Apple, we believe that technology is most powerful when it empowers everyone. Join us for an online event to learn how you can take advantage of the award-winning accessibility features that come standard on Apple devices. You’ll be able to ask questions during and after the sessions, and sign up for individual consultations.”
The message was shared in a tweet by developer Steve Troughton-Smith Monday. The meeting will take place this week on April 23. Developers wishing to attend (who will have received a correspondence from Apple inviting them) must register online.
Apple hasn’t revealed what it plans to discuss at the meeting. The note suggests that it will be about promoting the accessibility features already found on Apple devices. However, it also comes just weeks before Apple’s online-only WWDC event. There is a possibility that some of the technology discussed, or insights gained, from the meeting could be used to inform future Apple products due to be shown off soon. It also gives Apple a chance to test out the new virtual session technology it could use for the event.
Is this a flavor of WWDC? I like it! pic.twitter.com/2eClr4qKp2
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) April 21, 2020
Accessibility has long been an area that Apple focuses on. It has a dedicated section of its online store where shoppers can find a range of accessibility devices. Apple has created a range of accessibility tools and features, such as its award-winning VoiceOver feature. Under Tim Cook’s leadership, Apple has been doing more than ever to promote this work. It’s all part of Apple’s mission to be an inclusive “force for good” in the world.
Luke Dormehl is a U.K.-based journalist and author, with a background working in documentary film for Channel 4 and the BBC. He is the author of The Apple Revolution and The Formula: How Algorithms Solve All Our Problems … and Create More, both published by Penguin/Random House. His tech writing has also appeared in Wired, Fast Company, Techmeme and other publications.
