# Apple’s Dedication to Accessibility: Highlights from the Twenty Thousand Hertz Podcast
Apple Inc. is celebrated for its cutting-edge technology and user-focused design, but it has a less publicized yet equally significant dedication: accessibility. The company has fostered a strong culture aimed at ensuring its products are usable by everyone, regardless of their abilities. Recently, the **Twenty Thousand Hertz** podcast provided a unique insight into Apple’s internal efforts concerning accessibility and health, featuring discussions with key personnel and observations about the company’s ongoing projects.
## An In-Depth Look at Accessibility at Apple
The recent episode of the **Twenty Thousand Hertz** podcast includes interviews with four Apple employees—Sarah Herrlinger, Ron Huang, Deidre Caldbeck, and Erick Treski—along with existing soundbites from CEO Tim Cook. This episode is notably timed with the 40th anniversary of Apple’s inaugural Accessibility department, which was formed in 1985.
### Fundamental Principles of Apple’s Accessibility Strategy
Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s Senior Director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives, underscores two essential principles that shape Apple’s accessibility endeavors:
1. **Establishing the Internal Accessibility Team**: Apple places a strong emphasis on recruiting individuals with personal experiences to guide the creation of accessibility functionalities.
2. **Five Pillars of Accessibility**: Herrlinger identifies five primary focus areas: vision, hearing, physical/motor, cognitive, and speech. Each category is reinforced by specific features aimed at improving user experience.
Herrlinger expresses the philosophy steering their initiative: “You don’t build for a community, you build with them.” This cooperative approach guarantees that the demands of diverse users are effectively addressed.
## The Confluence of Accessibility and Health
One of the podcast’s most captivating conversations involves the interplay between accessibility features and health enhancements, especially regarding the Apple Watch. Host Dallas Taylor underscores how functionalities initially created for accessibility can have a substantial effect on health results.
Deidre Caldbeck, Senior Director of Product Marketing for Apple Watch and Health, recounts a story about the Noise app, which assists users in tracking their sound levels. A father noted that the app revolutionized his autistic son’s experience at school by providing instant feedback on his voice volume, helping him communicate more efficiently. This unforeseen advantage highlights the wider significance of accessibility features in improving quality of life.
## Utilizing AI for Improved Accessibility
The podcast also explores how Apple is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance its accessibility efforts. Key features include:
– **Live Captions**: This capability provides real-time subtitles for spoken dialogue, making it more user-friendly for individuals with hearing difficulties.
– **Sound Recognition**: This advanced feature allows devices to detect environmental noises—like doorbells, alarms, and even a baby crying—and send visual alerts to users, heightening their situational awareness.
Herrlinger underscores the transformative possibilities of Sound Recognition, saying, “The iPhone and the Watch are able to listen for environmental sounds around you… and present you with a visual alert.”
## Recent AirPods Pro Innovations
With the latest iOS update, Apple has launched three impactful Hearing Health offerings for AirPods Pro. Caldbeck discusses how the project began and its potential influence, highlighting that about 75% of those diagnosed with hearing loss do not utilize any form of assistance. By allowing AirPods to serve as hearing aids, Apple aims to provide users with critical insights into their auditory health, possibly decreasing social isolation and cognitive decline.
Caldbeck notes, “Millions of people buy AirPods… and statistically, many of them have hearing loss and don’t even know it.” This initiative emphasizes Apple’s commitment to significantly impacting users’ lives.
## Conclusion: A Vision for the Future
The podcast wraps up with a meaningful quote from Tim Cook, summarizing Apple’s vision for accessibility: “If we can build a feature that unlocks someone’s capability to express themselves or to learn something… I’m all in.” This declaration mirrors Apple’s continuous commitment to developing technology that empowers all individuals.
For those eager to delve deeper into these insights, the complete episode of the **Twenty Thousand Hertz** podcast is accessible [here](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/twenty-thousand-hertz/id1171270672).
What insights stood out to you from the podcast? Share your thoughts in the comments!
*Art by Michael Zhang*
