Technology has truly changed the world, but when you think of bendy straws, electric toothbrushes or automatic doors did you know they were all created for people with disabilities? Even the Humble typewriter, created by Pellegrino Turri was created to help a blind friend write letters. Assistive Technology is constantly changing and updating to help people in their everyday life. You’ve probably used Google Assistant or Siri before, but did you know these apps also help people with vision impairment use their phones. We’ve put together some apps which help day to day life, for you or someone you know can use in Australia.
- Be My Eyes is a free app, connecting people with low or no vision with sighted volunteers for visual assistance. The app works by connecting the two users with a live video call. The volunteer could help with anything from expiry dates, directing around a crowded subway platform, or the color of a shirt. Inventor, Alexander Hauerslev Jensen (who is low vision himself) created the app after realizing that he and other vision impaired people often used facetime to call friends or family for such help. Be My Eyes decreases the reliance on personal relationships while keeping independence for people with low or no vision. You can watch a video of this in action here!
- Easy Diet Diary, created by Xyris is free, Australian, and easy to use. It has a huge database of Australian food products as well as the ability to input exercise into the app. The app asks for your age, weight, and height and helps you to choose a goal and stick to it by giving you a number of calories available throughout the day. You can log each meal with a picture, bringing extra accountability to that chocolate biscuit!
- Tecla Access really changes the game for people with limited mobility. You can connect your Tecla Shield (which looks like a small router) to a number of electronic devices in your home and control them through a wheelchair or adaptive switches. Things like making a call, scrolling through a webpage or turning the tv on become as simple as clicking a switch or moving the chin. You can watch a video about it here!
- Petralex turns your smartphone or tablet into a hearing aid. With just the addition of a simple headset, you’re able to amplify the sounds around you. You’re also able to set profiles for environments you’re in, like the car or your home. The Petralex app even tests your hearing and allows dynamic compression, so quiet sounds are louder while preserving the general volume level. Here’s a video of how it works!
- AccessNow can be both used in an app on a phone or on a web browser. It’s crowd-sourced mapping information about the environment around us, like what areas are accessible and which ones aren’t. It includes bars, toilets, restaurants, and more! Its founder Maayan Ziv lives with Muscular dystrophy and is passionate about using technology to make the lives of people with disabilities better. You can watch a video where Maayan talks about her mapping app here!
Remember, assistive technology and adaptable apps are not a one size fits all solution, but used correctly