Apple recently updated its online storefront with the addition of a new "Accessibility" category, which is broken up into sections pertaining to the assistance of individuals with impairments related to vision, physical and motor skills, and learning and literacy (via Amvsement).

There are 15 total products broken up into each of the three sections, with further sub-categories allowing users to shop the online store specifically looking for accessories that support the iPhone, iPad, or Mac. Some of the products include the HumanWare Brailliant BI 32 Braille Display that sits in front of a Mac's keyboard to allow anyone who is blind the ability to fully navigate OS X -- and even iOS -- with a lightweight, Bluetooth-enabled braille keyboard.

apple accessibility store
Some of the other accessibility products offer more creative outlets, like the Skoog 2.0 Tactile Musical Interface for iPad, which lets anyone create music using the multi-purpose buttons on each side of the 5-sided cube. Thanks to the Skoog's versatility in tapping, squeezing, or twisting to create responsive sound, the accessory is said to encourage "expressive music making for children, parents, teachers, and musicians."

It was rumored late last year that Apple would begin selling accessibility accessories in its physical retail stores in "early 2016," but it seems the company decided to rollout a few options to its online store first. For anyone close to an Apple Store location, Apple is offering a Personal Pickup option for the new accessories, as well.

The new product category follows Apple's ongoing accessibility efforts that encourage the use of its products by as wide a group of people as possible, including those with physical and mental impairments.

Read More: Apple Celebrates Autism Acceptance Month With Two New Videos

Top Rated Comments

rdlink Avatar
125 months ago
As someone who has, thankfully never needed accessibility features I have always been impressed by the efforts that Apple has made over the years to make their software and hardware accessible. There's no real money in doing so, but they have been putting a lot of effort into it for many decades.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NT1440 Avatar
125 months ago
I took an English class a few years ago with a blind woman. She was using a stock Macbook Air without issue.

Apple has always been leaps and bounds ahead of other OEM's when it comes to accessibility features being rolled right into the core of their products.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Corrode Avatar
125 months ago
I love Apple for this kind of stuff.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
2457282 Avatar
125 months ago
Applause... Applause... Applause... Applause...

Really nothing else needs to be said!
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
rdlink Avatar
125 months ago
I think it's great that Apple is highlighting accessibility. They rightfully deserve praise for helping to raise awareness of the options for those with disabilities or challenges who want to use iOS and OSX. We differ in opinion regarding your leaps and bounds comment. It's just not true. The good thing is, it's not true because pretty much all the major tech players have dedicated a fair amount of effort to the area of accessibility. Again, that's a damn good thing. The characterization of Apple being leaps and bounds ahead isn't accurate. That is, unless you have some supporting evidence or anecdotes that make you feel that way.
Pretty easy. I have supported a blind user over the years. His Windows PC required three third-party software products that together cost more than the computer in order to provide functionality that wasn't quite as good as what the Mac has baked in. Same was true with his telephone. He had to carry a Symbian phone that required third party software to be somewhat functional. His iPhone is usable for him right out of the box.

So yes, leaps and bounds.
[doublepost=1462486975][/doublepost]
With my increasing disillusionment with Apple's Mac and OS X lines (the prolonged wait for an MBP update; dropping their focus on Pro apps and hardware), their continued focus on a likely non-profitable aspect of their computer business does encourage me to think well of them.
The hard-hearted part of me can't help but conclude, however, that it's mostly because they couldn't stomach the backlash if they were to drop support for such a sympathetic customer base (look what happened after the UK's Conservative Chancellor's Budget adversely affected disabled welfare claimants…)
So, if your "hard-hearted" voice is always there talking in your ear perhaps nobody can really do anything nice for you...
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
LovinKansas Avatar
125 months ago
I hope I never need to use any kind of accessibility feature other than for aesthetics. Good on Apple for upping the game on accessibility.

Kinda shocked no one has said anything bad about this story yet. Usually there are people moaning about something....
This story stinks. (Actually not but I wanted to be the first to blow up a perfectly nice story!)
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
Intel Inside iPhone Feature

Apple's Return to Intel Rumored to Extend to iPhone

Friday December 5, 2025 10:08 am PST by
Intel is expected to begin supplying some Mac and iPad chips in a few years, and the latest rumor claims the partnership might extend to the iPhone. In a research note with investment firm GF Securities this week, obtained by MacRumors, analyst Jeff Pu said he and his colleagues "now expect" Intel to reach a supply deal with Apple for at least some non-pro iPhone chips starting in 2028....
iPhone 14 Pro Dynamic Island

iPhone 18 Pro Leak Adds New Evidence for Under-Display Face ID

Monday December 8, 2025 4:54 am PST by
Apple is actively testing under-screen Face ID for next year's iPhone 18 Pro models using a special "spliced micro-transparent glass" window built into the display, claims a Chinese leaker. According to "Smart Pikachu," a Weibo account that has previously shared accurate supply-chain details on Chinese Android hardware, Apple is testing the special glass as a way to let the TrueDepth...
iOS 26

Apple Seeds Second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to Developers and Public Beta Testers

Monday December 8, 2025 10:18 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate version of iOS 26.2 to developers and public beta testers, with the software coming one week after Apple seeded the first RC. The release candidate represents the final version iOS 26.2 that will be provided to the public if no further bugs are found. Registered developers and public beta testers can download the betas from the Settings app on...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Monday December 1, 2025 2:40 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...
Johny Srouji

Apple's Chipmaking Chief Johny Srouji Responds to Report About Him Potentially Leaving

Monday December 8, 2025 9:23 am PST by
Apple's chipmaking chief Johny Srouji has reportedly indicated that he plans to continue working for the company for the foreseeable future. "I love my team, and I love my job at Apple, and I don't plan on leaving anytime soon," said Srouji, in a memo obtained by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Here is Srouji's full memo, as shared by Bloomberg:I know you've been reading all kind of rumors and...
Johny Srouji

Apple Chip Chief Johny Srouji Could Be Next to Go as Exodus Continues

Sunday December 7, 2025 10:41 am PST by
Apple's senior vice president of hardware technologies Johny Srouji could be the next leading executive to leave the company amid an alarming exodus of leading employees, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Srouji apparently recently told CEO Tim Cook that he is "seriously considering leaving" in the near future. He intends to join another company if he departs. Srouji leads Apple's chip design ...
google pixel 10

Switching Between iPhone and Android Will Get Easier With New Apple and Google Collaboration

Monday December 8, 2025 11:10 am PST by
Apple and Google are teaming up to make it easier for users to switch between iPhone and Android smartphones, according to 9to5Google. There is a new Android Canary build available today that simplifies data transfer between two smartphones, and Apple is going to implement the functionality in an upcoming iOS 26 beta. Apple already has a Move to iOS app for transferring data from an Android...
Apple Fitness Plus expansion hero

Apple Fitness+ Coming to 28 New Regions With Digital Voice Dubbing

Monday December 8, 2025 6:19 am PST by
Apple today announced that Fitness+ is expanding to 28 new markets on December 15 in the service's largest international rollout since launch, accompanied by new language dubbing and a K-Pop music genre. Apple Fitness+ will become available in Chile, Hong Kong, India, the Netherlands, Singapore, Taiwan, and additional regions on December 15, with Japan scheduled to follow early next year....
maxresdefault

iPhone Fold: Launch, Pricing, and What to Expect From Apple's Foldable

Monday December 1, 2025 3:00 am PST by
Apple is expected to launch a new foldable iPhone next year, based on multiple rumors and credible sources. The long-awaited device has been rumored for years now, but signs increasingly suggest that 2026 could indeed be the year that Apple releases its first foldable device. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Below, we've collated an updated set of key details that ...