Mobile Apps for People with Sight Loss

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Mobile Apps for People with Sight Loss

 

For people with sight loss, mobile apps are more than just a modern convenience; they have the power to make a massive difference in everyday life.

GPS, voice search, text-to-speech, screen readers and more are all powering innovations that benefit blind and vision impaired smartphone users across the world. Here’s some of the best apps on the market.

Like to know more about any of the apps featured or do you have other suggestions? – call us on 01 5312975 or email [email protected].

 

  • BlindSquare

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Category: Navigation
Description: BlindSquare is an accessible GPS app, which describes the environment, announces points of interest, streets and user specified points as you travel. Once the app has determined your location using your phone’s GPS, it will look up information about your surroundings, for example, you could use it to find restaurants within a 200 metre radius or to find the nearest post office or the library.
Available on: iOS
Cost: €43.99
Website: www.blindsquare.com

 


  • Seeing AI

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Category: Identification
Description: Seeing AI is an artificial intelligence app developed by Microsoft that narrates the world around you. Fully accessible with VoiceOver, it can be used to describe short text, documents, products, people, currency, scenery, colours, handwriting and light.

Available on: iOS

Cost: Free
Website: www.microsoft.com/en-us/seeing-ai/ 


  • Be My Eyes

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Category: Identification
Description: “Lend your eyes to the blind” is the tagline for this app that matches a vision impaired user with a sighted volunteer. With this app, you are connected through a live video connection and the sighted volunteer can tell you what they see when you point your phone at something using the rear-facing camera. What’s more, Be My Eyes offers technical support from Microsoft’s Disability Answer Desk in a feature called Specialised Help.
Available on: iOS
Cost: Free
Website: www.bemyeyes.com

 

 


  • Dolphin EasyReader

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Category: Reading

EasyReader is an accessible reading app for readers with low vision, blindness or dyslexia. Users can browse & download from the world’s largest collection of talking book and newspaper libraries, including Bookshare. If you haven’t already, download the app for Android or iOS today and submerge yourself in 100,000s of books you can read!

Available on: iOS & Android
Cost: Free
Website: www.yourdolphin.com

 

 


  • Voice Dream Reader

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Category: Reading

This app reads articles, documents, and books out loud. It has advanced text-to-speech and can be tailored to your reading style and level. All voices work offline and play in the background even with the screen locked. It does an excellent job voicing Microsoft word files, web articles, and various e-book formats, including works from Bookshare and Project Gutenberg.

Available on: iOS & Android
Cost: €10.99
Website: www.voicedream.com

 

 


  • Earcatch

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Category: Entertainment

Earcatch offers audio description for films and series. The content accessible through this app is increasing. To use, simply select the film or series that you would like to watch and download the corresponding audio description. You put on your headphones and hit “play” when the film or series begins then Earcatch will synchronise the audio description with what appears on screen.

Available on: iOS & Android
Cost: Free
Website: www.eucatch.eu