iPhone X – Welcome Screen Inaccessible to Blind Users

I just got the new iPhone X. To my surprise, the first impression was not good at all for me as a user with a visual impairment. Apple usually don’t let me down, but now they seem to have made blunder.

Explain what happened in text, please!

Ok, so I use a screen reader that speaks information about the elements on the screen as I hold my finger over them.

The first screen was totally blank to me, I got no information on how to proceed. Visually, there is text there, but I can’t see it and it’s not read with the screen reader. So it doesn’t help me.

I couldn’t swipe across the screen to find elements to interact with, which I usually can.

After struggling a while I found an element at the very bottom of the screen that said: “Home indicator, dimmed. Swipe one finger up from the bottom of the screen to go home”. I tried it even though I don’t want to go to the home screen, but it was the only thing I could do. That led me to the installation process.

So I made it, but the experience was far from pleasant. I think many people with visual impairments will get stuck here and have to ask for sighted help, compromising their independence. Apple, hope you’re listening. Fix this please!

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