Apple Newsroom, Tuesday:

Apple today previewed a suite of accessibility updates that use Apple Intelligence to bring new capabilities to features users rely on every day, including VoiceOver, Magnifier, Voice Control, and Accessibility Reader. Apple also announced on-device generated subtitles for uncaptioned video content coming to the Apple ecosystem, as well as a new feature for Apple Vision Pro users to control compatible wheelchairs with their eyes. These new features, as well as updates using Apple Intelligence, are coming later this year.

For the last several years, Apple has announced new accessibility features to coincide with Global Accessibility Awareness Day, which is observed on the third Thursday of May—the 21st, this year. (It also gives the announcements room to breathe ahead of WWDC and the deluge of news that event brings.)

Apple touts these new and improved VoiceOver and Voice Control features as assistive technologies for people who are blind, have low vision, or have mobility issues, but the ability to navigate apps “using intuitive language like ‘tap the guide about best restaurants’ or ‘tap the purple folder’” (to use Apple’s example) can be a material benefit to everyone. I would bet a princely sum that some form of these accessibility features will find their way into a “powered by Apple Intelligence” segment at WWDC.

One new feature I especially liked is wheelchair control for Apple Vision Pro, because it’s so far outside what most people would imagine Apple would attempt:

For some people who use power wheelchairs, driving with a joystick is not an option, and alternative drive controls can be an essential part of independent movement. Leveraging the precision eye-tracking system on Apple Vision Pro, a new power wheelchair control feature offers users a responsive input method for compatible alternative drive systems. With Vision Pro, eye tracking doesn’t require frequent recalibration and works in a variety of lighting conditions.

Apple is making the physical world as easy to navigate as the virtual. Accessibility is one area where Apple is doing unequivocal good.