AM306 – Apple Watch Fall Detection

Hey there! Welcome to Accessibility Minute, your weekly look at Assistive Technology, those clever tools and devices designed to help people who have difficulties with vision, mobility, hearing or other special needs!

There are so many fun and useful features jam packed into the sleek Apple Watch.  Unfortunately, we don’t have time to discuss them all.  However, I would like to briefly discuss Fall Detection, a built-in feature on the new Apple Watch Series 4.

With Fall Detection enabled, the Watch will detect if the wearer trips and falls.  If you’re wearing the Watch and you fall, a pop-up will ask if you’re okay.  If you don’t respond, it will sound an alarm and automatically call emergency services.  The feature is off by default, since Apple says “high impact activity” can appear to be a fall for some people.  However, if you are prone to falling, it can be easily turned on for your safety.

Visit Apple.com to learn more about this feature.

For more information, to read our blog, or to drop us a line, visit EasterSealsTech.com.  That was your Accessibility Minute for this week! I’m Laura Medcalf with the INDATA Project at Easterseals Crossroads, in Indiana.