Kestrell

Kes: Another fantastic example of how a technology intended for people with disabilities became a major benefit to teh entire society. Note that this is even a relatively low-cost technology, because it is run by volunteers, and it's using very basic tech to operate.

Meet the man behind Tveeder, the no-frills live TV transcript that became an Australian media hero
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2021/aug/21/meet-the-man-behind-tveeder-the-no-frills-live-tv-transcript-that-became-an-australian-media-hero

by Jon Porter
https://www.theverge.com/21302891/ios-14-accessibility-improvements-disabilities-hearing-blindness-motor-control

Excerpts:
Apple’s new operating systems — like iOS 14 and tvOS 14, which are due to be released later this year — include numerous features that should make them easier to use by people with disabilities. Apple announced the new features as part of its Worldwide Developers Conference this week, and
Forbes
https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevenaquino/2020/06/24/heres-an-overview-of-whats-new-in-accessibility-from-apple-in-2020/#568ac6f22cb7
and CNET
https://www.cnet.com/news/apple-packs-new-accessibility-features-ios-14-airpod-pro-audio-tweaks-back-tap/
have rounded many of them up.
These improvements range from new features like sound recognition to improvements to Apple’s existing accessibility features like its VoiceOver screen reader. It’s a substantial list that should make Apple’s products easier to use by those with hearing, sight, motor disabilities, or others.
Sound recognition
https://www.theverge.com/21300261/ios-14-update-smoke-alarm-sound-detection-accessbility
in iOS 14, for example, will let you tell your phone to constantly listen out for 14 different sounds, including doorbells, sirens, smoke detector alarms, or a crying baby. It’s a feature that could be helpful for people who are hard of hearing or deaf by making them aware of critical sounds earlier than they might have done otherwise. (Apple warns against relying on the feature in “high-risk or emergency situations,” however.)

....There’s a trend running throughout many of these features, which is although they’re designed to make devices easier to use for people with disabilities, they can also have benefits for everyone else. People with disabilities should always be the focus when designing accessibility features, but their benefits can be much wider-ranging.

Next up, FaceTime, which will now be able to
detect when someone is using sign language,
https://www.apple.com/ios/ios-14-preview/features/#main:~:text=Sign%20language%20prominence,prominent%20in%20a%20Group%20FaceTime%20call.
and automatically make that person the focus, making their signing easier to see....