Kalani Helekunihi

Presently: iPadOS 16.4.1 with Minecraft Preview 1.20.0.20

However, previous TestFlight builds since June 2022 have worked regardless of iPadOS version. Any App Store builds have not worked.

For some reason, they have it working in the Beta and Preview versions distributed through TestFlight, but not in the App Store version. This has been the case since June 2022, so there have been quite a few releases since then.

Huh… Another release and the “normal” version still doesn’t support keyboard and mouse.
Preview works.

Preview works REALLY well. I’m impressed!

I tried to join the TestFlight a while back, but saw your post and got lucky with an open spot.
Excited to see this released publicly.

Microsoft again hosted their Ability Summit today, stating how important it is that teams employ empathy and think of the needs of those with disabilities, and how it is central to their business to intentionally and proactively include people with disabilities in the product-making process and strive to build products that are genuinely inclusive by design.

Included was an updated platform for adaptive inputs and how every Microsoft product will support said accessibility tools no matter how they are used.
https://blogs.microsoft.com/accessibility/increasing-our-focus-on-inclusive-technology/

Microsoft announced that they were updating the Xbox Accessibility Guidelines where consideration for accessibility needs is required for acceptance to the Xbox Store, especially Guideline 107 on Input: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/gaming/accessibility/xbox-accessibility-guidelines/107

Microsoft states that the use of Xbox Live Services requires compliance with the Xbox Accessibility Guidelines regardless of platform.

And Mojang is a Microsoft subsidiary.

So... Does Microsoft's assertion that every Microsoft product will support customizable input device accessibility extend to Minecraft?

Supporting physical input devices is not a nice to have. It is a fundamental requirement for those like me who are disabled. It would be really nice if I could just "get good", but my hands will not do the things your implementation of touchscreen controls demand.

@Alessandro Mastroianni, yes, I am fine doing an interview. My previous reply with my email got removed. If you google my name, my website shows up as AM Guru and has my email listed on the About Me page. Twitter works too if you want to PM me.

Thank you. I really appreciate you taking another look at this. 

For what it’s worth, Apple has added full Keyboard and Mouse Support to iPadOS within iPadOS 13.4, whereas iOS 14 offered mouse support within games. iPhones too have Mouse support same as iPads and is available as an accessibility feature AssistiveTouch or the GCMouse and GCKeyboard APIs.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210546
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/gamecontroller/gcmouse/

I am a disabled player. I use an iPad because VoiceOver and VoiceControl are presently the best tools on the market for low vision and limited mobility. I enjoy playing games, and want to do it. But, I require physical accommodations to do so. It is an unavoidable fact of how my hands work (or don’t work).

This targeted choice to withhold core features like input devices is frankly user hostile, ableist, and totally against what Microsoft claims to stand for with their #A11y accessibility efforts. 

If Jenny Lay-Flurrie or Bryce Johnson saw the above comments from a Microsoft employee about how they intentionally broke an accessibility feature and refuse to fix it, instead closing any ticket that references the bug as RESOLVED, I can’t begin to imagine the level of disgust they’d have towards the level of unprofessionalism.