In this age of technology, the ability to own and use devices such as tablets and smartphones can sometimes be taken for granted. Hundreds of thousands of people all over the world have disabilities which make even the most common task seem impossible. The creation of various apps for these devices has actually opened a whole new world to those with disabilities by giving them the chance to do things which they once had to depend on others for. Here are a few tablet and mobile apps for those with disabilities. Additionally, projectors for mobile devices can be a great tool for on the go families and organizations with limited budgets.
- Talkitt – This app gives a voice to people who have speech disorders which make it difficult to understand what they are saying. Goodnet explains that this could be, “including but not limited to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Cerebral Palsy, stroke, brain damage, autism and Parkinson’s disease.” Talkitt translates the unintelligible words that these people are saying into words that others can understand. It will work for all languages.
- DyslexiaKey – DyslexiaKey is currently available for iOS for those who suffer from dyslexia. According to Make Use Of, it works by adding a heavy baseline to the font in every app on the phone, and adding “alternating stick/tail lengths and larger openings.” This makes the letters much easier for the dyslexic to see. You can use DyslexiaKey in Facebook, WhatsApp, SnapChat, and iMessage as well. On Android, Keyboard for Dyslexics puts all of the letter on the keyboard in sequence to make it easier for the dyslexic to use.
- Be My Eyes – This app was designed to use a video connection to connect blind people who need assistance to volunteers who can help them. The blind person simply enters a need for assistance, and a volunteer will receive a notification and offer their help. This works for a great number of things, such as if a blind person needed to “see” the directions on a prescription bottle, or instructions for how to cook a microwave meal. It is currently available on iOS and coming soon to Android.
Those are a few apps which are great for those who have disabilities. There are also apps for the loved ones of those with disabilities. For example, Learn Braille Alphabet and Braille Guide will teach you the alphabet in Braille, and Marlee Signs and Spread the Sign will teach you sign language.