Twitter announced images for the visually impaired late last month.
Two weeks later, Google is following suit, having announced the launch of a host of different tools for users who suffer from visual, hearing and motor impairments.
"Nearly 20 percent of the U.S. population will have a disability during their lifetime, which can make it hard for them to access and interact with technology, and limits the opportunity that technology can bring," Eve Andersson, Google's manager of accessibility engineering, said in a blog post Monday. "That's why it's so important to build tools to make technology accessible to everyone — from people with visual impairments who need screen readers or larger text, to people with motor restrictions that prevent them from interacting with a touch screen, to people with hearing impairments who cannot hear their device's sounds."
As part of Google's updates Monday, it has launched VIsion Settings, which will allow users to control specifications such as magnification, font size, display size and TalkBack on their Welcome screen, which appears when people activate and turn on their new Android devices. Google's aim with Vision Settings is to allow users with a visual impairment to independently set up their own device, activating the features they need the most immediately.
The update also has every Chromebook coming equipped with the built-in screen reader, ChromeVox, which enables users with visual impairments to use text and speech software to maneuver around the screen.
The company has also updated its Google Docs to now allow typing, editing and formatting via voice commands. A simple command of "copy" or "insert table" will now make it easier for users who can't use a touchscreen to edit documents, finishing the task that needs to be completed.
Within that, Google has also recently launched its Voice Access Beta app, too, allowing people with difficulty utilizing a touch screen — whether it be due to "paralysis, tremor, temporary injury or other reasons" — to control their Android devices via short, simple voice commands such as "open Chrome," "go home" or "scroll up" to navigate around their smartphone or other devices.
Google is even taking things the extra mile with the launch of its Accessibility Scanner, an Android tool that enables developers to test their own apps for suggestions on how to further improve accessibility for impaired users. So, before launching their finished product, these developers can see if their apps are up to standards for the impaired.
