Two iPhones 16e shown on their side in white, floating in a white void. Image courtesy Apple.

iOS and iPadOS 18.4 add Braille and VoiceOver features for all devices

Apple Intelligence may be the headlines you’ll see for iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4. But any device that can run iOS/iPadOS 18 also gets new accessibility features for blind and limited vision users.

maxess screenshots overlaid on one another, showing help pages: maxess.element, maxess.file, maxess.keyboard, and maxess.speech running in Max with help commentary.

Maxess, free externals for Max and Max for Live accessibility, available now

Iftah Gabbai has delivered his Maxess Max/MSP External Collection, a set of tools that interface patches with the native accessibility features of macOS and Windows. They’re a must if you’re making tools with Max and Max for Live – and worth examining for inspiration even if you focus on other platforms.

Peter Kirn - March 13, 2025

Flufs metering running in real-time in two display modes, one with vertical meters and histogram, one with a spectral view, gold on black background.

Flufs, powerful loudness analysis tool, is designed for accessibility

Flufs is the loudness meter and analysis tool for Ableton Live (Max for Live) you’ve always wanted. But more than that, it’s designed to be accessible to blind, low vision, and sighted users alike. And if that’s interesting to you, there are more developer tools on the way.

Peter Kirn - March 5, 2025

Ableton Move is a hit for blind and low vision users; more like this, please

Peter Kirn - February 10, 2025

Ableton Live 12: a guide to everything that’s new

Peter Kirn - November 14, 2023

Tactile Patch Sheets are open 3D-printed synth overlays for vision accessibility

Peter Kirn - August 14, 2023

The device alone doesn’t matter: Vision Pro is a showcase for Apple’s spatial computing tech

Peter Kirn - June 6, 2023

Arturia’s updated V Collection 8.1: tuning support, engine, control, accessibility

Peter Kirn - July 16, 2021

This bulbous-looking instrument is made for music therapy and inclusive design, too

Peter Kirn - October 23, 2020

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