Sarah Herrlinger on Apple’s 40-Year Accessibility Journey

Sarah Herrlinger, Apple’s Senior Director of Global Accessibility Policy and Initiatives, joins the show to discuss the company’s 40-year journey in accessibility. Sarah shares insights from her recent travels, which included presenting at the Web Summit, the world’s largest tech conference, and attending Techshare Pro, a premier accessibility event. She highlights the importance of introducing accessibility concepts to broader tech audiences while fostering deep discussions with accessibility-focused professionals.

The conversation explores Apple’s pioneering approach, dating back to the creation of its first Office of Disability in 1985. As Sarah explains, Apple’s ethos of designing “for everyone” has driven innovations such as sticky keys, slow keys, and features like VoiceOver, which she describes as a turning point. She emphasizes that accessibility is not an afterthought but a core principle, embodied by features like Dark Mode and Music Haptics, which began as accessibility tools and gained mainstream popularity.

Sarah provides an inside look at recent advancements, including enhancements to Braille Screen Input and the customization of VoiceOver, which she calls a reflection of Apple’s commitment to “surprise and delight” users. She also discusses Apple Intelligence and Visual Intelligence, technologies designed to benefit all users but particularly transformative for the disability community. Sarah underscores the importance of feedback, encouraging users to contact Apple Accessibility to help refine these tools.

Reflecting on the culture at Apple, Sarah notes, “We have about 170,000 employees, and they’re all on my accessibility team.” She credits this company-wide commitment for ensuring that every product, from the iPhone to the Vision Pro, is accessible from the outset.

To learn more about Apple’s accessibility initiatives and features, visit Apple Accessibility.