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Force Touch is going to do incredible things for accessibility

<div class="field field-name-body field-type-text-with-summary field-label-hidden"><div class="field-items"><div class="field-item even" property="content:encoded"><p><a href='http://www.imore.com/force-touch-going-do-incredible-things-accessibility' title="Force Touch is going to do incredible things for accessibility"><img src='http://www.imore.com/sites/imore.com/files/styles/large_wm_brw/public/field/image/2015/03/macbook-thin-side-bubble_0.JPG?itok=AcbN0cHK' />[/url]</p> <p class="intro">I'm really excited about Force Touch for a bunch of reasons. But where I think it's going to really succeed? Accessibility.</p> <p>I've been thinking about Force Touch almost non-stop since the Apple event a few weeks ago — what it means for Macs now, what it could mean for the future of software development, and how it might change artistry on the iPad (http://www.imore.com/forget-force-touch-trackpads-i-want-pressure-sensitive-ipad-pro). I've also been musing on what it could bring to accessibility (http://www.imore.com/accessibility) in computing.</p> <!--break--> <p>What if we had a trackpad or other surface that could simulate Braille, for instance, if a setting was turned on? Or a Force Touch trigger that would let you know if you'd moved to the edge of a window, or on a button? There are so many potential avenues for exploration here — a thought accessibility ace Steven Aquino (http://twitter.com/steven_aquino) expounded upon in an article for MacStories (http://www.macstories.net/stories/why-force-touch-matters-for-accessibility/):</p>

<p>Imagine, for example, iOS 10 or 11. Apple will almost assuredly bring Force Touch to the iPhone and iPad, and they could utilize the technology in a slew of ways. They could effectively solve the problem with buttons in iOS 7 and 8 by using haptic feedback to denote a "button press" everywhere in the system. Thus, visually impaired users like me wouldn't have to struggle so much in figuring out what's a button versus a text label. Likewise, Force Touch could save those with motor challenges from the work of extra taps by allowing force-pressing to bring up contextually-specific controls. There are lots of possibilities here.</p>

<p>Aquino has written for iMore previously (http://www.imore.com/users/Steven-Aquino) on tech accessibility, and he's a smart cookie when it comes to this stuff — I can't wait to hear what he has to say once he's spent more than a few moments with a Force Touch trackpad.</p> <p>His article more than ever convinces me as to the power of Force Touch in the tech disability landscape. During my time at the Apple Store, I once worked with a woman who suffered from partial blindness: In order for her to properly work at her laptop, she needed several accessories —  including a Braille keyboard — during her training appointment; although we managed to help her get what she needed done, it was still a struggle for her.</p> <p>With Force Touch, it's easier to imagine a future where the only laptop accessory she'd need was the laptop itself. And that's overwhelmingly exciting.</p> <p>More: MacStories (http://www.macstories.net/stories/why-force-touch-matters-for-accessibility/)</p> </div></div></div><img width='1' height='1' src='(http://tipb.com.feedsportal.com/c/33998/f/616881/s/44d7abf8/sc/15/mf.gif)' border='0'/><br clear='all'/>

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