he Lost Voice: Apple's New Short Film That Highlights Accessibility Features (Image: Apple)

Apple has recently released a short film, titled The Lost Voice, ahead of International Day for People with Disabilities. Directed by the acclaimed Taika Waititi, the short film mainly highlighted two new accessibility features: Personal Voice and Live Speech. Apple”s new accessibility features are to assist iPhone users with disabilities and impairments.

The short film, shot on location in New Zealand, tells the story of a young girl and a giant furry forest creature as they embark on a quest to find his lost voice. Notably, the entire short film is narrated using the iOS 17 Personal Voice feature that has been generated on an iPhone. The film is narrated by Dr. Tristram Ingham, who has facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD). It is a rare form of muscular dystrophy.

With the personal voice feature, which was released recently as part of the iOS 17 rollout, users at risk of speech loss can create a voice that sounds like theirs by following a series of text prompts to capture 15 minutes of audio. This significant feature makes use of machine learning to create a unique personal voice for each individual user. On the other hand, live speech provides users with the option to type what they want to say and have the phrase spoken aloud, whether it is in their personal voice or in any built-in system voice. Apple says that the personal voice feature integrates seamlessly with live speech. Apple unveiled these features as part of its Global Accessibility Awareness campaign.