This Apple short film will change how students with disabilities experience university — the accessibility features you need to know about

Apple’s new film shows how built‑in accessibility can truly change student life

For anyone who cares about inclusion, Apple’s latest short film for World Disability Day is a moving reminder that technology can either create barriers or tear them down. The new spot focuses on students around the world and shows, with simple scenes and vivid detail, how accessibility features already built into devices — not add‑ons, but core tools — enable independence, learning and real participation in campus life. It’s a story that’s both practical and inspiring, and one that matters to families, educators and anyone planning for university life.

What the film actually shows

Rather than a glossy corporate ad, Apple has opted for a subtle, human approach. The film follows several students navigating everyday moments: finding their way around campus, joining seminars, reading course materials, taking notes and chatting with classmates. Each sequence highlights a specific accessibility feature at work — VoiceOver reading the screen for a visually impaired student, Live Captions transcribing a lecture for someone who’s hard of hearing, or AssistiveTouch allowing a student with motor difficulties to interact smoothly with an iPad. The effects are immediate and practical: study, mobility and social life become genuinely more accessible.

The features that matter — and how they help

Apple doesn’t present gimmicks; it emphasises tangible tools already available to users:

VoiceOver for blind or low‑vision users, making navigation and reading much more fluid;

Magnifier on Mac, to enlarge text and details without special hardware;

Braille Access, enabling braille input and output for note‑taking and reading;

Accessibility Reader, which simplifies and supports people with dyslexia or reading difficulties;

Live Captions, converting spoken words into text during lectures or online sessions;

Sound & Name Recognition to detect important auditory cues for people with hearing loss;

AssistiveTouch on iPad and Apple Watch, helping people with limited dexterity use gestures through alternative controls.

These tools are built in — not extra purchases — which makes them more likely to be used widely and consistently.

Why built‑in matters more than add‑ons

Too often the debate about accessibility focuses on specialist devices, which can be costly and stigmatizing. Apple’s film insists on a different narrative: accessibility designed at the system level benefits everyone, and normalises independence. When tools are standard features, they are updated, supported and integrated into the same ecosystems everyone uses — which makes real, everyday inclusion feasible.

Labels and transparency: a major step forward

Apple has also rolled out “Accessibility Nutrition Labels” on the App Store — a simple but powerful idea. Before downloading an app, users can now see what accessibility features it supports (large text, VoiceOver, captions, contrast settings, and more). For students and families, those labels save time and frustration: you can identify at a glance whether an app will meet specific needs without trial and error.

Education and policy must follow tech

Technology alone will not solve inclusion. For these features to achieve their potential, universities, teachers and support services must adapt:

Staff training on accessible teaching practices and on how to integrate device features into lessons;

Provision and funding so every student who needs a compatible device has one;

Course materials supplied in accessible formats, and assessments designed with flexibility in mind;

Clear campus policies that recognise assistive technology as standard equipment for learning.

Practical tips for students and parents

Explore the accessibility settings on your device — many powerful tools are just a few taps away.

Check App Store labels before downloading study apps; look for VoiceOver support, captions and high‑contrast modes.

Talk to the university disability support office early — they can advise on compatible tech and campus adjustments.

Encourage lecturers to provide transcripts and accessible slides; these small changes help everyone.

Why this matters for the wider conversation

Apple’s film is more than marketing: it’s a public argument for designing tech with inclusion at its heart. For a student entering university, having tools that enable independent study, participation and social life can be transformational. For families, it reduces the hidden costs and emotional labour of arranging specialist solutions. And for society, it helps normalise accessibility as a basic right rather than an afterthought.

Questions to ask your institution

Does your university publicise which accessibility tools and supports are available?

Are teaching staff trained to work with assistive technology and to offer accessible materials?

Is there a clear route for requesting device loans, software or exam accommodations?

Apple’s short film is a practical demonstration of what inclusive technology can deliver. If universities, parents and policymakers take note and act, the promise of genuine access to higher education for everyone becomes achievable — not someday, but now.