Are you a visually impaired person looking for a way to be more independent with your life? Your smartphone can actually help with that!
There are lots of free apps for visually impaired people (Android and iOS) that can greatly facilitate your life. These apps can help you to comfortably read, listen to audiobooks, identify objects around you, and even tell the time!
In case you’re interested in crowdsourcing apps, check this article: 11 Best Crowdsourcing Apps for Android & iOS
Here’s the list of 11 best apps that category that worth your time. Have a look!
Audible: audiobooks, podcasts & audio stories
Let’s start with an app called Audible. This is an app for listening audiobooks
The app covers thousands of audiobooks in different genes — from timeless classics to the latest releases. Furthermore, all the audiobooks are downloadable so you’ll be able to reach them even if you’re offline.
And if you’re thinking that all the audiobook apps have a huge collection, Audible covers more than 150 00 books for now and its number is growing every day. As for the latest book releases, the audio version appears on the app the day the printed version is being released.
Plus, the generous amount of audiobooks in the app are free and you can also get some new books by special prices. Thereby, the app regularly gives its users multiple gifts and coupons you can spend on free audiobooks and more. It also needs to be said, all the audiobooks in the app are of HQ quality and have quality narration.
On top of the audiobooks, the app also covers various podcasts and even audio versions of the newspapers. Besides, you can skip the chapters while listening to the books and even pick the playback speed you’re comfortable with.
You may also like: 11 Best Text to Speech Apps for Android & iOS 2020
Aipoly Vision: Sight for Blind & Visually Impaired
Aipoly Vision is an app that empowers visually impaired people to recognize objects and colors.
This app does not only cover the needs of visually impaired but also blind and colorblind people. The aim of the app is to help everyone understand the surrounding better. All you need to do here is to tap on any switch on the bottom of your screen and point in on the object you want to be determined.
Herewith, the app works on AI that identifies the object and explains to you what it sees out loud. Besides, it’s not necessary to close the recognition tool after identifying only one object. The app can tell you what it sees for as long as you want until you toggle the cam.
It needs to be said, the app does an amazing job recognizing stuff you can be sure it will not make a mistake. You can use it for defining all types of items — from money to dishes, nature ad even animals. It can even read the text for you.
More by token, you don’t even need an Internet connection to identify the objects. However, you can only recognize 1000 items for free and if you want mo you’ll need to pay for the subscription pack.
MD_evReader
MD_evReader is an app that aims to help people with the troubled vision to read.
This app is perfect for people with central vision issues as it uses EV reading strategies. This is how it works — the app displayed the texts of an e-book as a scrolling line across your screen. It looks similar to the display boards on trains and ticker on the news.
The app has the version for tablets as well. It empowers you to practice steady eye reading methods that center your attention on the text.
Plus, you can not only use the app with books. You can actually old any web page with text on it into the app and it will deliver you the data in its scrolling way. In case you use the app to read ebooks you don’t even need to be online to do so.
Thereby, you can use the trackpad to settle the speed the text appears on the screen with. You can also select the color scheme you’re comfortable with. There are a simple black one, a white one, and the yellow one. The same goes for the sizing of the letters and the fixation pint of the text.
CamFind
CamFind is an app for visual searching that helps people with sight issues to recognize their surroundings.
All you need to do to start a search is to photograph the item you want to identify. Then, the app uses visual search tech that recognizes the item and tells you what it is out loud. The app searches across the internet so you need to be online to do so. Therewith, you don’t need to type anything and the results appear in secs.
In case you want to share the outcome you can easily do it within the app. It needs o to be said, you can use the app for identifying absolutely everything you want — from money to food and so on. Plus, the app also gives you a compilation of similar images and vids.
Beyond that, you can also use the app as a price comparison tool. To do so you just need to capture the price of the item in the store, The same goes for online shopping as well. And if you’ll point a camera on the address the app can sync with Uber or another taxi service you use.
Big Digital Clock
As its name suggests, Big Digital Clock is a time-telling app for visually impaired people.
From the first look, this app can seem absolutely basic. And it is — it’s a simple clock app but it has all the instruments to be the perfect app for people with sight problems. The whole point of this app it t show you digital time on the eighth of the whole screen of your mobile or tablet.
Thereto, you can settle all the visual aspects of the clock by yourself. Thus, you can select the backdrop and there are plain colors and some wooden designs you can try. Plus, you can try various shades for the numbers and alter their intensity.
The app also has some optimal stuff you can use such as showing you the secs and the date. Plus, you can rather use the PM or the AM mode. Herewith, the app covers all screen orientations and even the split-screen.
It also works with larger devices like tablets. You can also settle the clock to move around a bit to prevent your screen from facing. The app is free and there are no ads in it.
Check also: 9 Best Glass Apps for Android & iOS
Be My Eyes – See the world together
Be My Eyes is an app that can help people with sight problems to observe the world.
The app bases on the people helping people concept so it’s not about the AI recognizing objects out there. Thus, there are two types of users in this app — the ones with troubled sights and the volunteers who are always there to give them a pair of sharp eyes.
It needs to be said, the app brought together a massive community of volunteers so there will always be someone to help you identify stuff and cope with daily stuff. Plus, the volunteers are there for you 24/7 so you can even contact people at night.
More by token, the app covers the volunteer on more than 180 languages so no worries about that. You can select the languages you speak in your profile and the app will only consider volunteers who speak it.
Herewith, you can use the app for dealing with lots of stuff -from reading and picking the clothes to whatever else. If the volunteer won’t be able to help you with your task he will redirect the call to the app’s supports team who will pick the appropriate specialist for you.
Amazon Kindle
Amazon Kindle is an app that empowers you to carry all your e-books around with you.
The trick of this app is that it can automatically turn any e-book into a large print one. Plus, if you’ve ever bought any e-book on Amazon all of them will automatically appear in the app. Besides, the app also has a version for tablets, laptops, and even the PC so you can reach it on all your devices.
On top of that, the app can read any of the books for you out loud. Furthermore, you can rather attach it to your smart speaker or use headphones. Therewith, you can select the voice of the narrator you like the most. You can also settle the speed of reading using a trackpad.
The app covers lots of books across the genres — from classic to the latest release. There are many books you can read for free and the paid ones usually come at special prices. All the new releases can be bought the day printed version starts to be sold so you won’t be late for the book party. Furthermore, the app covers comics, magazines, and newspapers.
Text Scanner [OCR]
Text Scanner is an app that translates printed text into speech with minimal effort from you.
This app does the OCR right on your mobile in secs. Plus, it covers more than 150 languages so no worries about that. This is how to use the app properly — you just take a pic of the text and the app reads it out loud. However, the app works with subscription packs but it’s not necessary and the instruments you get totally worth the money.
It needs to be said, the narrator if the app speaks clear but still a synthetic speech and you can pick any other voice. Herewith, everything the narrator says it more than understandable. Besides, the app can read more than just books for you — it also covers emails, web pages, letters, bills, and so on.
Therewith, you can have no worries about not covering the whole text you need to be read on the pic. The app has a text detection tool so it will only photograph the screen when all text is covered. As a result, you will practically get the printed version of the page that can be read out loud for you.
Learning Ally Audiobooks
Learning Ally Audiobooks is an app with a massive compilation of audiobooks you can listen to.
The app covers the books aff all the possible genres out there – from classics to fantasy, sci-fi, and more. It also uploads all the new releases on time – the same day they start to be sod. The trick here is – a lot of audiobooks in the app are free and all the latest releases can be bought with a discount.
Herewith, all the audiobooks in the app are human-read so no synthetic speech here. Some of the books even have a few narrator voice options you can try. Plus, all the books are downloadable so you don’t have to be online to listen to them. The app also has a tablet version so you can reach it on all your devices.
Likewise, you can settle the reading speed your comfortable with for all the books. You can also leave bookmarks if needed. Besides, the app is made specifically for people with sight problems and dyslexia so even the interface looks the way that is the most comfortable for your eyes.
TapTapSee
TapTapSee is an app that helps visually impaired people to identify everything around them.
What this app practically does it turns your mobile’s cam into an indication tool. all you need to do here is to open cam and pint it to the object you want to recognize. The app uses API tech that recognizes the item and tells you what it is out loud.
Herewith, the app does not only tell you what type of an object it is, it describes it a bit. For example, it can tell you the color of the item or the type of flower. Furthermore, the app can be activated with a smile dual tap on the screen so you won’t even have to look for it among the other apps you have.
Besides, the app’ cam uses an autofocus tech so you won’t need to do it by yourself. And you can also identify objects on pics you already have on you mobile. In case you photograph the item in the store the app will make sure you covered the price of it too and it will read it out loud for you.
You may also check: 11 Best medical ID apps for Android & iOS
BeSpecular – Help the Blind
And lastly, BeSpecular is an app that employs visually impaired people to get help with their daily tasks.
The app has tow categories of users – people who need help and the volunteers who are always ready to give that help to them. Therewith, the app has a huge volunteer community that is ready to answer your questions 24/7.
Plus, the app covers volunteers who speak in more than 150 languages. If you’ll sign up as a person with sight issues you will need to enter the language you understand and he app will pick volunteers who speak it.
Herewith, you can ask volunteers to help you with anything you want – from reading a bill for you to helping with some daily tasks. The questions may be asked in an audio or text form, and you can attach a pic to it. You can also ask an unlimited amount of questions without revealing any personal info except for your name.
