Apps for children who have a visual impairment

There are of course apps for Android devices too, but as I’m not a trainer for Android devices and don’t have specific knowledge about them I’m afraid I’m unable to give any meaningful advice or opinions about them. I can however give some guidance regarding apps for Apple devices, so here are the apps I’ve chosen for this year.

All of them are fully accessible with VoiceOver. Like last year I’ve tried to get a reasonable mixture of apps that are useful, educational and fun, but that can also be used by kids and families alike. This year I’ve only included free apps as there are so many good accessible free apps out there now. Some of them do have optional in-app purchases, but where possible I’ve only gone for completely free ones. In the list below you’ll find the name of the app, a brief description of what it does as well as which devices and operating systems it will work with, whether there are optional in-app purchases and finally a link to its page on the Apple iOS app store.

World Documentary

Price: FREE

Description: This is a fantastic free app that’s uncomplicated and incredibly easy to use. It pulls together a vast number of documentaries covering a wide variety of topics. Documentaries are organised into categories such as cities and countries, pages of past/history, transportation, the natural world, personalities, all about the universe, military and war and several more. Although the documentaries are not audio described there is so much dialogue in them that it doesn’t really matter. It’s a great app for slightly older kids who are at the stage where watching documentaries is useful to their school work but also if you’re a fan of documentaries in general. Note that you will need to be connected to wi-fi to use this app as you will be streaming the documentaries as you watch them.

Devices this app is suitable for: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch running iOS 8 or later.

Get the app in the iOS app store at: https://appsto.re/gb/X8GKI.i

Geek Quiz

Price: Free with optional in-app purchases

Description: A great quiz about all things geeky including computing, technology, space, science, video games and science fiction. It has single player or multiplayer modes and is completely accessible. Brilliant for kids and/or adults who are not afraid to show their inner geek. Very educational as the questions are so different to those that are normally found in general knowledge quizzes.

Devices this app is suitable for: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch running iOS 9 or later.

Get the app in the iOS app store at: https://appsto.re/gb/ZFE4D.i

Quiz Bang

Price: Free with optional in-app purchases

Description: A great general knowledge quiz for single or multiple players. This app regularly and automatically updates its questions each time you use it, so the quiz keeps up with the times. Excellent for general knowledge and educational whilst being fun.

Devices this app is suitable for: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch running iOS 9 or later.

Get the app in the iOS app store at: https://appsto.re/gb/ZFE4D.i

TuneClash

Price: Free

Description: An absolutely brilliant music quiz in the style of Name That Tune. A huge number of music categories to choose from. The app plays a segment of a song and gives you multiple choices for the answers. Single or multi player modes. Really good fun and completely accessible.

Devices this app is suitable for: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch running iOS 9 or later. Also offers AppleTV app.

Get the app in the iOS app store at: https://appsto.re/gb/aol6-.i

Boop

Price: Free

Description: This is a superb light detecting app that can be used to determine whether lights have been switched on, if it’s light or dark outside and even if LED lights on electronic devices are on . The app uses the camera of your iOS device to detect light. I’m completely blind and have no light sensitivity at all and this app has proven to be useful time and again. The app emits a tone that increases in pitch the brighter the light is, which means that focusing the camera over an LED actually works.

Devices this app is suitable for: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch running iOS 8 or later.

Get the app in the iOS app store at: https://appsto.re/gb/8ViPdb.i

Scout Legend

Price: Free, offers in-app purchases

Description: This is a really nice little app great for boys and girls. It works along the same lines as Tamagotchi used to in that you play a girl or boy Scout who you feed, water, control activities, choose outfits when you’ve earned enough points from the activities you’ve done. Fully accessible, free and fun, although maybe just a little bit addictive.

Devices this app is suitable for: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch running iOS 8 or later.

Get the app in the iOS app store at: https://appsto.re/gb/HinC4.i

YesChef

Price: Free

Description: This is quite possibly the best app in this list in terms of usefulness, accessibility and fun factor. It’s an app that allows you to search for recipes, get the list of ingredients for the recipe you’re using, listen to step by step instructions and ask questions all hands free and with voice feedback. I’ve used this app with my two nieces who are not visually impaired at all but loved it as it was fun and easy to use; not to mention that they found it hilarious watching their uncle making a mess in the kitchen! This app is absolutely fantastic for kids who are at the stage of needing to come up with recipes and actually cook them at school.

Devices this app is suitable for: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch running iOS 8 or later.

Get the app in the iOS app store at: https://appsto.re/gb/MiMibb.i

Aipoly Vision

Price: Free

Description: An incredibly useful app that has two functions, as a colour detector and an object identifier. Select the colour detector function, point your device’ camera at the item you want to hear the colour of and the app announces the colour out of a list of over 900. I often use this to identify which colour shirt I’m going to wear. Alternatively switch the app to object identification mode, point your device camera at the object you want to identify then single finger double tap the on/off button located on the screen just above the Home button. The app will then announce the object or say that it’s not sure if it can’t identify it. You can also teach the app what items are by taking a photo and submitting it with a description, this is particularly useful as it makes the app more accurate for everybody who uses it. The app does not require a wi-fi connection to use it.

Devices this app is suitable for: iPhone 5S/6/6+/6S/6S+/SE/7/7+, iPad Air/Air 2, iPad Mini 2/Mini 3/Mini 4, iPad Pro (both sizes) and iPod Touch 6th generation running iOS 9 or later. I suspect that it may also work on iPad 3rd generation and later, but I don’t have one so I’m afraid I cannot confirm that.

Get the app in the iOS app store at: https://appsto.re/gb/L9IU_.i

Smart Metronome

Price: Free

Description: This is one for you musicians out there. Finally a fully accessible metronome app. You can easily increase or decrease the speed and rhythm pattern. Very easy to use and free.

Devices this app is suitable for: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch running iOS 7 or later.

Get the app in the iOS app store at: https://appsto.re/gb/YNCb1.i

Wikipedia

Price: Free

Description: A very useful app for research or just for reading about things you’re interested in. This new Wikipedia app is really very good, it’s fully accessible and easy to use.

Devices this app is suitable for: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch running iOS 9.3 or later.

Get the app in the iOS app store at: https://appsto.re/gb/MlSwt.i

Blindfold Word Games

Price: Free

Description: A great little app that includes 5 different word games. Great for improving spelling and of course it’s fully accessible.

Devices this app is suitable for: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch running iOS 8 or later.

Get the app in the iOS app store at: https://appsto.re/gb/m6sK_.i

Blindfold Greeting Card

Price: Free

Description: I couldn’t resist including this one as it’s Christmas. This is a really nice little app that allows you to send personalised audio greetings cards. It was my partner’s birthday recently and I used this to send her a card and she liked it very much. The app allows you to choose a sound effect or piece of music as an intro before the person receiving the card hears your personalised voice message. You can send 10 cards for free and then extra cards are are bought through in-app purchases. I thought this would be a nice one for this time of year as most kids will find a use for 10 free cards to send to friends and family.

Devices this app is suitable for: iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch running iOS 8 or later.

Get the app in the iOS app store at: https://appsto.re/gb/LFo0db.i

That wraps up this years list. I hope you find some or all of these apps useful and I wish you all a very happy Christmas and prosperous New Year.

James Goldsworthy.
Alternate Visions Coaching.
http://www.alternatevisionscoaching.org
Tel: 01908 510 135.
Mob: 07801 446 624.
Twitter: @AVCoaching