Apple Celebrates 30 Years of the Americans With Disabilities Act

Apple today shared a new feature celebrating the 30th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which was signed into law on July 26, 1990. The law prohibits discrimination due to disability, and has led to significant improvements and awareness of accessibility to help disabled individuals navigate their worlds.

apple ada 30th
Apple has long been a champion of accessibility in its products, including numerous features and technologies as core components of its products, operating systems, and apps. The company's feature piece today shares quotes from an Apple employee, ADA activists, and others about both the overall benefits of the ADA and the part Apple has played in the movement.

Jazz musician Matthew Whitaker, who is blind, shares his thoughts on using VoiceOver on an iPod touch as a child, and has graduated to using Logic Pro X on a MacBook Pro to record his music.

Disability rights lawyer Haben Girma was the first Deafblind student at Harvard Law School, where she focused her studies on the intersection of the ADA and technology and has since helped push forward ADA accommodations in the online world.

Actor and model Tatiana Lee, who is paralyzed from the waist down due to spina bifida, discusses her efforts to support disability representation in Hollywood films and how Apple's technology like Voice to Text and Siri Shortcuts helps her be productive even when her hands are occupied performing other tasks.

And finally, Dean Hudson, an accessibility technology evangelist at Apple, talks about the strides Apple has made since he arrived in 2006, including VoiceOver for iPhone and the more recent Switch Control.

Popular Stories

m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
maxresdefault

Apple Shows Off a Key Reason to Upgrade to the iPhone 17

Saturday February 7, 2026 9:26 am PST by
Apple today shared an ad that shows how the upgraded Center Stage front camera on the latest iPhones improves the process of taking a group selfie. "Watch how the new front facing camera on iPhone 17 Pro takes group selfies that automatically expand and rotate as more people come into frame," says Apple. While the ad is focused on the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the regular iPhone...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
apple wallet drivers license feature iPhone 15 pro

Apple Says These 7 U.S. States Plan to Offer iPhone Driver's Licenses

Monday February 9, 2026 6:24 am PST by
In select U.S. states, residents can add their driver's license or state ID to the Apple Wallet app on the iPhone and Apple Watch, and then use it to display proof of identity or age at select airports and businesses, and in select apps. The feature is currently available in 13 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, and it is expected to launch in at least seven more in the future. To set up the...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...

Top Rated Comments

73 months ago
Years ago - September 27th 2007 in fact - I was eating lunch outside of the cafe at Apple Infinite Loop campus with my coworker buddy Colin. At the next table over a blind man (I think his name is Dean) and a coworker of his who is not blind sits down. Who walks up to them? Steve Jobs. Sits down at their table, Jon Ivey at the next table over. Steve starts talking to the blind guy, asking him about his experience at Apple, what he does, how is Apple doing for those with a disability, what could Apple do better, etc. (we can hear a little of the convo). Stays with him for what I think is about 10 minutes before finishing lunch with Jon at the next table over, and invites ”Dean” to personally go see him (Steve) if there is every anything he or Apple can do to make his experience better.

Really stood out to me in the moment how much Steve cared and wanted to connect with an employee, so much so that I grabbed a pic. Great to see that “Dean” is still with Apple, and Apple continues to find ways to do right by it’s employees.





Attachment Image
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
73 months ago
A big hat-tip to Apple for their commitment!
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NT1440 Avatar
73 months ago

Exactly. I remember WAY back in the day...Apple was the only tech company that even tried to develop for everyone and not only did they try, they had radical and wonderful solutions that helped untold numbers of people to be able to join with their fellow humans and use technology. They still focus on it and that's one of the reasons I am one of those wacky Apple fanboys.
I attended a college class with a blind woman. She used a MacBook Air. I had never given any thought to the accessibility features and in talking to her she said Apple is the ONLY systems she would use because these features are fully baked into her devices, not just poorly thought out afterthoughts.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
73 months ago

A big hat-tip to Apple for their commitment!
Exactly. I remember WAY back in the day...Apple was the only tech company that even tried to develop for everyone and not only did they try, they had radical and wonderful solutions that helped untold numbers of people to be able to join with their fellow humans and use technology. They still focus on it and that's one of the reasons I am one of those wacky Apple fanboys.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
73 months ago

Exactly. I remember WAY back in the day...Apple was the only tech company that even tried to develop for everyone and not only did they try, they had radical and wonderful solutions that helped untold numbers of people to be able to join with their fellow humans and use technology. They still focus on it and that's one of the reasons I am one of those wacky Apple fanboys.
Yeah, Apple took the lead on accessibility a long time ago. Glad they're still paving the way.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jaybar Avatar
73 months ago
Not only is Apple committed to accessibility in their hardware and software—but also in hiring.

One day I needed to visit my local Apple store a few years ago. I was helped by a blind staff member, with a guide dog. I learned so much from her about accessibility features and how to use them. She was at the forefront, not because of her disabilities, but her ability. While I am visually impaired (not blind), my being linked with this staff person was totally accidental. At the time I went to the Apple Store, she had been with Apple for at least 5 years.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)