Disability Apps You Need in your life right now!

With the boom of technology and new apps coming out every day, our lives have been simplified into a computer the size of our hands. As a blind woman, technology, and expansion of apps for the disabled have skyrocketed my confidence and independence. Although all of these apps I am showcasing are for people with disabilities, there are a few which the general public can also use and appreciate. With that in mind here are 9 disability apps you need in your life right now!

ATM Locater

This app is pretty self explanatory, it helps you find ATM’s within your vicinity. With over 70,000 registered, basically every ATM within the UK, it uses GPS to tell you how close you are in distance from driving or walking. You can use the search function or ATM list, by clicking on the name it will also give you information such as audio assistance, top up functions and directions on how to get there.

Audible

Audible is an online library of audiobooks read by voice actors, as well as the actors we know and love, and in some cases the author itself. It has the largest online library in the world of audiobooks and podcasts. From non-fiction, thrillers and children’s books to romance , there isn’t an audiobook out there that you wont read and fall in love with. Audible also has great functions such as sleep timer and increased speed meaning you can listen on the go, when you’re at the gym or about to drift off to sleep.
you can sign up and experience it for 30 days listening to your first audiobook for free. It is a paid for subscription at £7.99 a month, but you get a credit each month, and each credit equals 1 book. You can cancel any time and even return a book and exchange it for another if you are not happy with the purchase.

Audible is probably my favourite and most used app on my phone, if you like fantasy or are into trying something new I highly recommend the King killer chronicles, name of the wind, series The story is brilliant and the voice actor is absolutely superb!

If you sign up with my referral link not only do you get your 30 days free, but a discount of 50% for three months. Please use it and let me know what books you’ve bought!

AIRA

AIRA stands for artificial intelligence remote assistance, this app is specifically for blind and low vision users. By connecting to a sighted agent who is fully trained in verbal sighted guide they can assist you in staying as independent as possible. From checking your food is still in date, to helping you navigate your way in a shopping maul: AIRA is there to support you as a visually impaired person, not make decisions for you on your behalf.

This is a paid for feature, and it does not come cheap, and for those of you who are wondering, yes it is like be my eyes however you can feel safe in the knowledge that they know how to orientate you officially. Because this is a paid service you control how long you need their assistance for, you don’t need to rush or feel like you are taking up peoples’ Time or energy.

I am a beta tester for AIRA and have been using it since May 2018 it has changed my life and I’m going to be doing an entire post on what it is and how I use AIRA on an almost daily basis.

Using my referral code, you can sign up to the program, check it out for yourself, and we will both receive one month free, Sassy Wyatt is the Explorer that referred you.

Big Spender

Big Spender is for those who are service dog users, particularly if you are blind and use a guide dog.

You have been out all day, you’re in an environment that maybe you don’t travel too often, but your dog is indicating that they need the toilet, this app allows you to find green areas where you can take him/her to spend.

It uses GPS to locate and Direct you to relieve your four-legged friend.

Caution must be advised, this app locates green areas, if it indicates you to a roundabout with grass, or close to a motorway, use your common sense and mobility and orientation skills to get yourself to a safer place.

Moovit

Moovit it’s a bus and London underground app. Using GPS it will show all the bus stops in your vicinity,What the stop is called, which buses stop there, which bus stops they stop at, and, if they are wheelchair/pushchair accessible.

It gives live timetables so you’re not waiting around at a bus stop for ages unsure of it being the correct bus.

Using an alert system it can tell you when your bus has arrived, also manually set a second alert to tell you when your stop is coming up and when to get off.

You can use the search function to research a new bus route even if you’re not located in that town or city.

This app gives me the confidence to travel anywhere independently on the bus.

OverDrive

OverDrive is an online portal of libraries around the globe. RNIB have registered their library enabling those with sight loss to access their thousands of audiobooks. You will have to create an account declaring if you are registered partially sighted or blind,RNIB Will then accept your registration and give you a unique username and password to access the portal.

This is an app for audiobooks, e-books, podcasts and audio clips that you can access and listen to for free. It is like audible for the Blind, and I have read plenty of great books through the app.

The App and website are a bit cumbersome especially if you are a screen reader user. I do use OverDrive alongside Audible because the library is nowhere near as vast as audibles. This app is particularly great for those who want to get into audiobooks, and, live with vision loss.

Seeing AI

Seeing AI is an app design for the visually impaired navigating the world around you with artificial intelligence, the more it is used and updated the more intelligent it becomes.

It can distinguish colours, text, handwriting, and even faces. Use your camera to scan environments and tells you what is around you, for example what colour your top is, scanning a barcode using audio cues and giving you the information of what the barcode reads. You can program The app to recognise a face, and label it with the persons name so every time you swing the camera towards your mum, it will say mum.

This app is also great for importing text and images and giving you full description of what the writing says or who is in the photo.

Soundscape

Soundscape is another app designed by Microsoft. It uses 3-D audio technology to give you points of interest of your current location. It’s designed to use in conjunction with headphones and give you audio cues as you are walking or aboard public transport. Using a clockface it will orientate you as to which direction each landmark is. – An audio beacon can be placed on a point of interest, and you will hear it as you move around. You can place an audio beacon on a point of interest that you would like to track such as your destination, a point to return to or a landmark you are familiar with.

My location describes your current location and the direction you are facing. Around me describes nearby points of interest in each of the four cardinal directions, helping with orientation.Ahead of me describes points of interest in front of you, for example when walking down the street.

I like to use this app when I am in an unfamiliar place on public transport, I feel like I am just as aware of what is around me like my sighted peers.

Welcome

Welcome is an app designed to make your customer service experience more fluid and transparent. You create a profile Sharing details of your disability/impairment and any particular access requirements you may need, you can then select an establishment and a request is sent to the place you’re visiting.

The company receives a notification that you will be attending and what support you may need, an extensive note of how to best assist you pops up alongside your visit notification, this gives the customer service Representative a clear indication of how you should be treated as a person, and, individual. For example, as I am blind and use a guide dog, it would explain that you can offer an arm to the person who can either accept or reject your offer, and, giving good verbal communication such as; directly in front of you at your 12 o’clock, instead of – its over there.

This is a fantastic app and allowed me to have a brilliant customer experience at Edinburgh airport in August 2018, I’m really excited to announce that I am an ambassador for Welcome, and I will be creating more content on using it effectively and my roles as an ambassador.

These disability apps are my stability for insuring my independence, I would not recommend them if I have not purchased, used or find them accessible. I hope you download
Disability Apps You Need in your life right now and let me know how you get on with them. I have also made a cumulative list of disability apps ranging from autism to mental health and Visual impairment to wheelchair user accessibility apps, including these nine there are 46 disability apps.

Enjoy and please share, you never know who can benefit from this! 🙂