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Android N is going to be way more disability-friendly
As Google notes, more than 20 percent of the population will experience a physical disability sometime in their lives. Because of this, it makes sense that the company would want their operating system to cater to this massive slice of the population as much as it can. Although Android has had a variety of accessibility options in the past, Android N is looking to increase these drastically.
The main feature that Android N is sporting is the Vision Settings, which lets its users adjust font size, all around magnification, and TalkBack. The idea is to make these accessibility features more, well, accessible. In that spirit, Google is putting them right on the welcome screen, which lets users independently configure their devices to better accommodate for the way they navigate their world.
The Android operating system isn’t the only interface to get this upgrade. Google is also rolling out accessibility features to Chromebooks via ChromeVox, which is a system that allows people with visual impairments to navigate their device using speech-to-text technology. Google has recently released a new version that has an easier to manage keyboard and braille output, which is pretty cool.
Technically this isn’t a new addition, but it falls into the same category. In case you weren’t aware, Google Docs now lets you basically write and edit a whole document using only your voice. Google is working on improving these features through a partnership with Freedom Scientific. As always, Android of course has voice commands that are always getting better at understanding your vocal input and managing a variety of apps, and Google is dedicated to making these features even more powerful going forward.
What are your thoughts regarding Android N’s new accessibility features and the new features arriving on Chromebooks? Let us know how much you use these accessibility features in the comments below, and of course, stay tuned to Android Authority for updates on all things Android-related.
