Benjamin Levicek For people with a visual impairment, as for everyone else, the standard is to use a phone, computer, or tablet. But how does the use of wearable electronics, specifically smart watches, appear? In the case of sports bracelets, the usability is at most at the level of recording activity and reading data from the phone, but due to the absence of a speaker, controlling the watch is practically not possible when blind. Most smart watches do not have a built-in reading program, but this does not apply to, for example, the Samsung Galaxy Watch or the Apple Watch. How do I use the Apple watch and is it useful for a blind person?
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Apple Watch makes me feel safer
The biggest advantage of the Apple Watch, in my opinion, is that it is securely on my hand and when controlling it, I can focus more on the use itself, and not so much on whether there is a suspicious person moving around me. What are we going to lie about, if a blind person finds himself in the more dangerous parts of the city, he cannot notice suspicious-looking people, and it is easier for a would-be thief to snatch the phone from his hand than to try to pry off his watch. In such a case, it is already possible to defend yourself somehow or cause a commotion.
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Web browsing and navigation
By not looking at the display, I'm a little less constrained by the size of the watch's screen. Of course, browsing websites on a small screen is not that comfortable even for a blind person, but I can easily read a few articles on it. What I also like is the possibility of using navigation, which is largely related to the fact that the watch is still attached to the wrist. If I'm going to an unknown place in the evening, it's definitely more convenient and safer to be navigated by a watch than to have a phone in one hand and a white stick in the other and concentrate on navigation with my hearing. With the watch, I don't have to worry much because I just check the direction I'm going and it vibrates just before the turn.
Discretion that everyone will appreciate
Another great thing that even sighted users will appreciate is the discretion. I have to have VoiceOver turned on, but at events I know that someone has called or texted me and no one around me has any idea. I can then take the time to settle the conversation or at least review it. Of course, it is important that one does not focus only on notifications, it is better in society to ignore them. However, as a blind person, I concentrate much more on hearing, so I am more distracted by the sounds of notifications than just vibrations, so I have no problem ignoring the watch, on the other hand, I know that I have received some messages.
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Pavel Jelic Conclusion and other features
Of course, I haven't mentioned everything I use on the watch. It's great that it can track sports activities, I turn on Apple Pay on a daily basis. I see the biggest limitation of the Apple Watch in the battery life, which after two years of having the watch is getting worse and worse. If someone were to ask me if I would recommend an Apple watch to a blind person, it is of course individual. When you travel, do a lot of sports or often move in an unfamiliar environment, Apple Watch is a great choice. If you are most often at home or at one workplace, I would consider whether a relatively expensive investment is unnecessary. How do you, as regular users, perceive the use of the Apple Watch and smart watches in general? Tell us in the comments.
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