Accessibility News September
In accessibility news for September, new accessibility features have been released for iOS 26, A new WCAG 3 draft has been released, and there is an updated draft for the WAI-ARIA 1.3 Guidelines.
New Accessibility Features Released in iOS26
With the release of iOS 26, Apple’s previously announced accessibility improvements are now available on the iPhone and coming soon to other devices in the ecosystem.
Highlights include Eye Tracking that uses the built-in camera to let people navigate their device without extra hardware, and Vocal Shortcuts, which allow users to record custom phrases to launch apps or trigger actions instantly. Apple has also expanded Vehicle Motion Cues, which apply subtle on-screen indicators to help reduce motion sickness while reading on the move.
Beyond these headline updates, iOS 26 introduces refinements to features like Background Sounds, Personal Voice, and Live Listen, alongside ongoing improvements to accessibility tools across Mac, Apple Watch and Vision Pro.
New WCAG 3 Draft Released
On 4 September 2025, the W3C released an updated Working Draft of the W3C Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0). This draft represents the ongoing evolution of the standards that will eventually replace WCAG 2.x, changing the way web accessibility standards operate and ensure they keep up to date with technology change.
The September update includes an expanded list of potential guidelines, requirements, and assertions that have reached Developing status. The Working Group is actively seeking feedback and additional information. The full draft can be found on the W3C's website.
Updated Draft of WAI-ARIA 1.3 Guidelines
On 10 September 2025, the W3C published the latest Editor’s Draft of WAI-ARIA 1.3. ARIA (Accessible Rich Internet Applications) provides a framework for adding accessibility semantics to dynamic web content and custom UI components, allowing assistive technologies to interact with them more effectively.
The ARIA 1.3 work builds on ARIA 1.2 (which became a W3C Recommendation in 2021) and the First Public Working Draft of 1.3 in 2024. The new draft introduces clarifications to existing roles, refinements to state and property definitions, and additional guidance to align with current authoring practices and emerging technologies.
As an Editor’s Draft, this version represents the most current text under discussion by the Working Group. However, it is not the standard yet. Practitioners are encouraged to review the draft and continue to provide feedback to the Working Group to help shape the final recommendations.