While visual impairment is a reality for many, it doesn’t need to be a hindrance. We understand how challenging simple tasks like preparing meals, running errands or watching TV can feel frustrating and complicated. Thankfully, there are new innovations and tech helping people with low vision adapt to the evolving world around them. In this blog we’ll be exploring mobile apps that are making it easier for people with visual impairments to adapt and live quality, independent lives.
People with low vision or blindness can now use their phones to read mail, identify colors and even assist with travel.
While there are many apps to choose from, we put together seven of the top apps for helping you navigate the world around you.
- Navcog – an app that allows people with visual impairments to navigate with turn-by-turn guidance similar to GPS. Indoor or outdoor this navigation app will tell you where you are, which direction you’re facing and other information about your surroundings.
- Seeing AI — this app narrates the world around you through your phone’s camera. It can identify documents, friends and objects and reads them aloud. It can even describe photos and documents in your camera roll.
- EyeNote – an app that allows you to scan U.S. paper currency and will communicate to you the value of paper money when making purchases or transactions.
- Be My Eyes — this app connects visually impaired people with sighted volunteers through live video chat. Volunteers can then help navigate daily tasks like reading food labels or finding misplaced items in the house.
- TapTapSee – an app that helps accurately identify everyday objects without the need for sighted assistance. Tap the screen to take a phone and the app will correctly name the item.
- Speechify – this app will read text aloud just by pointing your phone’s camera at the text. It works for printed text like menus and computer screens.
- Audible – provides over 150,000 downloadable recorded books with most major titles being released the same day as the printed version.
Our hope is that this list provides a good starting point for finding innovative solutions to aid your everyday activities so you can live a full and active life. These apps can help make sure that this is a reality for anyone who needs it.
If you know someone who can benefit from this blog, please share it with them!