Disabled people can now use Android phones with face gestures - Japan Today

Using a raised eyebrow or smile, people with speech or physical disabilities can now operate their Android-powered smartphones hands-free, Google says.

"To make Android more accessible for everyone, we're launching new tools that make it easier to control your phone and communicate using facial gestures," Google said.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 61 million adults in the United States live with disabilities, which has pushed Google and rivals Apple and Microsoft to make products and services more accessible to them.

"Every day, people use voice commands, like 'Hey Google', or their hands to navigate their phones," the tech giant said in a blog post.

"However, that's not always possible for people with severe motor and speech disabilities.".

The other is Project Activate, a new Android application which allows people to use those gestures to trigger an action, like having a phone play a recorded phrase, send a text, or make a call.

"Now it's possible for anyone to use eye movements and facial gestures that are customized to their range of movement to navigate their phone — sans hands and voice," Google said.

Apple, Google and Microsoft have consistently rolled out innovations that make internet technology more accessible to people with disabilities or who find that age has made some tasks, such as reading, more difficult

"This feature also works with VoiceOver so you can navigate Apple Watch with one hand while using a cane or leading a service animal," Apple said in a post

"To enable transformative change accessibility needs to be a priority," Microsoft said in a post

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