Apple Watch
Accessible, versatile smart watch from Apple.
On this page
Product description
The Apple Watch is an accessible smart watch complete with many of the organisation, navigation, health and wellbeing features that are available on the iPhone. VoiceOver is a screen reader that helps you to navigate the various apps on your watch. Apple Watch offers several ways to enhance the visual display including Zoom, a built-in magnifier which can increase the size by up to 15 times; an extra-large display, a greyscale filter, and reduced transparency and motion. Apple Watch also comes with features that adjusts the way you receive alerts and reply to messages (Mono Audio, Taptic Engine, Prominent Haptic and Scribble).
Apple Watch highlights
Apple Watch can be helpful for:
- Tracking personal physical activity, fitness and wellbeing (including workouts for wheelchair users).
- Monitoring timers and reminders from your wrist.
- Making and receiving calls and messages hands-free.
Like other Apple products, it’s so refreshing knowing that I can put on my Apple watch and have zero worries about how accessible it is going to be. For me, it’s the small things that make a difference. For example, colleagues can glance at their watch or a clock during a meeting to check the time without interrupting. Being a screen-reader user, its difficult to do this as products I use speak the time out loud. The Apple watch allows me to track the time silently, simply by me double tapping the screen and the watch providing haptic feedback on the back of my wrist.
Note for magnification users: The pros and cons are listed next to each other.
Pros
- Connects seamlessly with iPhone, keeping your data in sync at all times.
- Accessibility features for those who are visually impaired, have hearing problems or lack physical and motor skills.
Cons
- Apple Watch needs to be paired with an Apple iPhone.
Ease of use
Moderate
Set up time
Estimate: 2 hours
Price range
£0 - £300
The cost of the Apple Watch hardware can be included or discounted in some mobile network deals, please refer to your chosen network. This is a rough price estimate for the hardware alone. Please check the suppliers website below for current and accurate pricing.
Learn more
- There is a wealth of useful information available on the Apple Support website, including Accessibility features on the Apple Watch (Apple Support).
- There are many useful guides on the AppleVis.com community website, written by, and for, people with vision impairment, such as the guide on getting started with Apple Watch.
Manufacturer details
You can find more information about this product by contacting the supplier.
Apple Accessibility Support
Phone: 0800 048 0754
Email: accessibility@apple.com
Want to learn in detail about other technology tools that can help you?
Related products
Our partners
Whilst Guide Dogs may be able to suggest various third-party websites and third-party applications which may be able to assist you, those are not endorsed by Guide Dogs. Guide Dogs have no control over those third parties and cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of information and support they can provide or the suitability and quality of any products or services they provide.
Our tech reviews have been selected and created by sight loss experts and people with lived experience from: Blind Veterans UK, Glaucoma UK, Guide Dogs, Henshaws, The Macular Society, Retina UK, RNIB, Thomas Pocklington Trust, Technology Association of Visually Impaired People (TAVIP) and Visionary with key input from a panel of professionals, with lived experience, from the following organisations: Berkshire Vision, Outlookers, Seescape, Sight Advice South Lakes, Sight Concern Worcestershire, Sight Airedale and The Braillists Foundation
