Apple’s new Shortcuts feature launched as part of iOS 12 and has since gained swift popularity among users and developers. One aspect of Shortcuts that has gone largely undiscussed is what it means for accessibility.
MacStories is out today with a closer look at the role of Shortcuts in accessibility, with Apple’s Senior Director of Global Accessibility Policy & Initiatives also weighing in.
Writing for MacStories, Steven Aquino explains that the focus of Shortcuts on speed and accessibility, combined with how it’s able to consolidate multi-step tasks into one process, is huge for those with certain cognitive or physical motor delays:
Meanwhile, Apple’s Senior Director of Global Accessibility Policy & Initiatives, Sarah Herrlinger, echoed the accessibility benefits of Shortcuts in a statement today. Herrlinger explained that Apple sees “huge accessibility potential” with Siri Shortcuts and the Shortcuts app. She added that the company is receiving feedback from users on how they’re using Shortcuts to combine multiple tasks into one for accessibility benefit:
Their enthusiasm is warranted: for many users with certain cognitive and/or physical motor delays, the consolidation of tasks can reduce friction associated with remembering how to perform a task and then doing it.
The full piece is absolutely worth a read and can be found here. Have you embraced Shortcuts with success? Let us know one way or the other down in the comments!
We’re getting great feedback about how powerful the technology is in streamlining frequent tasks and integrating multiple app functions with just a single voice command or tap.”
