Google Improving Smartphone Accessibility

Google is offering up new ways for people with various disabilities to more easily use their smartphones. The technology giant said that it's now possible to control Android-powered smartphones hands-free by using simple gestures like smiling, raising eyebrows or looking to one direction. The new options are available through two tools -- Camera Switches and Project Activate -- which use machine learning technology and the phone's front-facing camera to pick up on gestures. Camera Switches is a feature inside Switch Access, a long-standing option allowing people to use adaptive buttons called physical switches to control their phones. The new offering allows users to assign six types of facial gestures to different actions like returning to the home screen or opening notifications.