Accessibility in apps has become more and more prevalent in tech development. Large developers, such as Microsoft, have received feedback from users underlining the needs that communities with disabilities have seen as necessary in order to successfully use mobile devices, computer programs, applications, and gaming.
Thankfully, this communication has resulted in a higher industry standard when it comes to creating products that everyone can use regardless of ability.
This is reflected at the Seattle Public Library as many of our online resources have sections devoted to accessibility on their websites or FAQs:
- ABI/Inform Trade and Industry
- Access Video On Demand
- AtoZ The World
- Chilton Library (CENGAGE Group)
- EBSCO
- Flipster
- Gale Resources
- Kanopy: Link on turning on subtitles, closed captions, and transcripts
- LinkedIn Learning
- Mango Languages
- New York Times Digital
- O’Reilly Complete Public Library
- OverDrive/Libby
- Oxford English Dictionary
- PressReader
- ProQuest
In addition, there are many small developers releasing and improving upon apps for mobile devices that are directly created to make life more convenient and stress-free for disabled communities using these devices.
In LEAP (Library Equal Access Program), we promote and use many of these apps daily to better serve the populations that come to us with needs. It’s our hope that we can see these applications used more widely at the Seattle Public Library in our day to day interactions with disabled patrons.
Here are a few that merit the most attention and all apps are free unless otherwise noted:
1. Seeing AI (IOS) – Described as a “Swiss army knife app” by one user, Seeing AI allows blind and low vision individuals to use their phone or tablet camera to interact with the world. Seeing AI acts as an OCR (Optical Character Recognition) tool, reading documents (both printed and handwritten), labels on products, and currency. It also can be used to describe scenes around you, artwork and color, and people’s facial expressions.
Unfortunately, Seeing AI is only available on IOS devices. A similar app available for Android users is Lookout; or Sullivan+ available on IOS and Android devices.
2. weZoom (Android) – A digital magnifier, weZoom has the same capabilities as the CCTV magnifiers at the library, with the added benefit of being able to use it wherever you go. weZoom magnifies text up to 8x with your phone camera, and can be used in conjunction with your phone flashlight. Color filter modes are included; black-white, white-black, black-yellow, blue-white, and blue-yellow.
3. Ava (IOS and Android) – Ava is a live captioning transcription app that can be used in almost any setting. While Ava does have a paid platform for businesses and organizations, it is free for occasional users. The free version supports up to 40 minute sessions of group or individual transcription for Deaf and Hard of Hearing people.
4. Google Maps (IOS and Android) – This may be a surprising addition. We looked at many different apps designed specifically for people with physical disabilities. Many of these apps; such as WheelMate, WheelMap, iAccess Life, and fuelService; while useful, do not have the all-encompassing features provided by Google Maps. Nor do they have the popular visibility of an app pre-loaded on many devices. With the relatively new “Accessible Places” setting, introduced in May 2020, users have the ability to look up accessible locations and leave reviews on a large platform. While it is unfortunate that this setting has to be turned on in order to provide accessibility information, when it is turned on, it shows accessibility information as well as reviews for most businesses, transit stops, restrooms, parks, and pretty much any other place of interest worldwide.
5. Voice: OCR Document Reader (IOS) – This app comes highly recommended by a LEAP patron. Voice: OCR is an optical character recognition (OCR) app that allows users to point their phone camera at text or handwriting and say “Capture”, Voice: OCR will take a picture of the text. Once the picture is taken, you can say “Read” and the app will convert the text, while it is converting the text a tune plays and will stop once the text is converted and begin reading the text for you. You are also able to download documents or PDFs to the app in order to have Voice: OCR convert that text as well. It is free for the first 20 scans per month; if a person chooses, they can pay a subscription fee of $9.99 a month or $99.99 a year.
This short list definitely does not exhaust the amount of apps designed for and used by people with disabilities. In my research, I downloaded many more that are free and useful. Included here are those I felt were most useful for our patrons at the Seattle Public Library.
If you have any questions or need help you can contact LEAP via email or call 206-615-1380 (V/TTY).
~posted by Seth T.