Ministry seeks user examples to press Apple on Icelandic support

Iceland’s Ministry of Culture, Innovation and Higher Education is asking Apple-device users to report barriers caused by the lack of Icelandic-language support, mbl.is reports. The examples are intended to support the ministry’s discussions with Apple and demonstrate the benefits of adding Icelandic to the company’s operating systems.

Minister Logi Einarsson met Apple representatives in April and asked the company to introduce Icelandic-language support. Since then, Icelandic language technology data has been shared with Apple to help with the implementation, the ministry said.

The ministry is now collecting users’ experiences. “Language technology is not a luxury but a human rights issue. We need the help of users and people who understand the circumstances to show Apple, with real examples, what is at stake. I therefore encourage people to share their experiences,” Einarsson said.

The ÖBI Rights Association and Almannarómur are partners in the project. ÖBI says Apple devices’ built-in accessibility features and apps can be crucial for disabled people and others who face accessibility barriers. Some of these apps are available only on Apple devices, and the devices’ ability to work together can make them easier to use.

“Access to smart technology is vital today, especially for disabled people. Technology can remove barriers and greatly expand opportunities for education and employment,” said Rósa María Hjörvar, a digital project manager at ÖBI.

Hjörvar said, for example, that people with mobility impairments use Apple devices’ built-in voice control in their own language to operate their phones and manage their surroundings and communications. This can help people live independently despite severe mobility impairments or paralysis.

In Iceland, the technology can currently be used only in English, the ministry said. Users cannot use it to open Icelandic apps such as the Audio Book Library or to write in Icelandic, and must ask someone for help. The ministry said this is one of many barriers created by the lack of Icelandic-language support.