Apps for Our Whole Lives
For most people technology makes things easier. For people with disabilities, however, technology makes things possible.
~Mary Pat Radabaugh, Director of IBM National Support Center for Persons with Disabilities, 1988
Apps can make daily tasks easier.
Apps have changed the lives of all people of all different abilities. Particularly, apps have made a huge impact on the lives of persons living with disabilities. Take a look at an organized collection of apps that TechOWL has found useful!
We believe technology should be accessible to everyone. The apps featured on this page are all free OR very affordable.
TechOWL was not sponsored by any of these apps. This page is purely to share information and to encourage people to try out new apps.
The goal of this post is to provide OPTIONS for people to explore. Our phones are a very personal tool. We hope that this is a resource to help you find an option that works for you.
Want to suggest an app? Have you used an app that you love that isn't mentioned in the list below?
Click on the buttons below to see some new ideas.
Hearing
Text to Speech
Speak4me 
Let your smartphone speak for you!
- Train your phone to say whatever you want.
- Speaks 26 different languages and several regional accents.
- Save your phrases in a favorite list.
- Convert your phrases to an audio file and share it with your friends via iMessage, Mail, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc
- Test to speech app that allows you to save favorite phrases.
- FREE App
Text to Speech!
- 94 Different voices to choose from
- Voices are available in 37 different languages/accents
- No internet required
- The ability to adjust the pitch and rate
- Speak as you type
- Star your favorite phrases and put into folders
- FREE app with the ability to purchase a membership to eliminate adds
Flip Writer AAC
- Flipped Display
- Powerful Word Prediction
- Built-in Text-to-Speech and Chime
- Speech Recognition for Hard of Hearing
- Save & Organize your favorite Phrases
- This is a bit pricey at $49.99, however, this would be a one time purchase
Speech to Text
Ava This is a conversation application that captions spoken conversation in real time.
- Multi-person conversation for both written and spoken captioned conversation
- Text to speech capability
- The free plan only allows 5 hours of conversation a month
- Premium subscription is $29.99 per month. However, try this for free and see if it is worth the monthly subscription or if you even need more than 5 hours of conversation a month.
Google Keyboard This is primarily a text to speech tool, but this also doubles as a speech to text tool that is completely free! Many speeches to text tools require a membership fee, so this is an incredibly valuable and multipurpose resource.
- FREE
- Multiple languages
- Can be used for speech to text and text to speech
Just Press Record This app costs $4.99 but does not have a membership fee. This is a speech to text app where you record a person and then their words are transcribed into text.
- Easy to use
- Underpinned by the cloud
- Multiple languages
MyEar This app was specifically created by a deaf fathers hearing son to help them communicate better.
- The app costs $9.99
- 95% accuracy in transcribing the spoken word
- Ability to modify the text size
- Microphone and Bluetooth connectivity
Live Transcribe
- Transcribe Arabic, English, French, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Portuguese, and Spanish.
- Identifies different speakers when transcribing US English, Spanish, and Japanese.
- Easily share the audio and transcript with colleagues and friends. You can quickly email or message the transcription to anyone, or edit it on your computer.
- FREE
Video Messengers
Glide Glide is the fastest live video messenger app on the planet. It combines the convenience of text and voice messages with the expressiveness of video chat. Now you and your friends/family can share real moments as they happen, and enjoy quality video interaction.
- Review your videos before sending, or tap to stream live - whichever fits you best
- Share videos with friends and family from everywhere to anywhere with a tap!
- Snap a photo in real time or upload from your device
- Emoticlip messages are short, animated videos with fun characters - try them out!
- Cool filters make your video messages look awesome
- FREE app
MarcoPolo
- Video Messenger app that is completely FREE of charge
- No typing required, just hold down the record button and start communicating.
- Create group chats and speak to multiple friends at once
Learn ASL
The ASL App
- An educational app that teaches over 1,500 sign words
- Some of the aspects are free, but for full access, you can pay $9.99
- Frequently adding new content
- Ability to slow down video speed
Marlee Signs
- FREE ASL educational app
- Fundamental ASL teaching everyday words and expressions
- Fingerspelling feature
SignSchool
- FREE app and can be accessed on a computer
- Interactive activities and organized my module
- Dictionary function
LifePrint.comAlthough this is not an app, this is an incredible and highly dynamic website for people interested in learning sign or looking up different sign. This section would not be complete without including this link.
- Dictionary
- Finger Spelling activities
- Videos
- Lessons
- FREE
ASL Dictionary/Translator
ASL Dictionary App
- 5,200 SIGNS
- 765 Multiple meaning words
- Multi-word signs like “don’t want"
- 473 Idioms translated
- Loop and slow-motion video feature
- The app costs $4.99
Seeing
General App pages
There are two websites - one for IOS apple devices and one for Android devices - that have seemingly endless lists of apps for people who are blind or have low vision. This post specifically lists apps to help with daily life, but if you are interested in gaming and other apps, I would recommend that you visit these sites.
Voice Control
Vani Vani allows you to handle your daily incoming calls using voice commands.
- ? Say 'Hello' to Accept Calls.
- ☎️ Say 'No' to Decline Calls.
- ?️ Say 'Speaker' to Answer the call on Speaker Mode.
- ? Say 'SMS' to send an auto-reply message.
- FREE App
Talker Caller Name Announcer
- Enable or disable caller name talker, SMS sender name or SMS contents
- Turn on or off the name alert when the phone is in silent or vibration mode.
- You can stop announcements with the volume key
- Add announcement delay
- Multiple languages to choose from
- Dedicated notification to stop SMS announcements very fast so you can know if you should reply or not.
- FREE App
Reading
VoiceDream Voice Dream Reader is an accessible reading tool for mobile and tablet devices. With advanced text-to-speech and a highly configurable screen layout, it can be tailored to suit every reading style from completely auditory to completely visual, plus synchronized combination of both.
- $14.99 to download the app
- 24 different languages
Sero (Formerly known as iBlink Radio) Sero has a comprehensive listing of community reading services, in addition to other genres, such as "Blindness Resources," "Audio Tutorials," and "Podcasts." For example, when selecting "Reading Services" from the main menu, followed by "Reading Services Audio on Demand," this user listened to a portion of the most recent USA Today Weekend edition read by a Kansas Newspaper Reading Service. Also listed here were the New York Times and The Wall Street Journal.
- FREE to download with the option to purchase a membership
NaturalReader A professional text to speech program that converts any written text into spoken words.
- FREE app with the ability to pay for a membership that includes many more features and voices to choose from
- Also a chrome extension
- Used to drag and drop text into the app and it will read it back to you
BARD Mobile BARD Mobile is a service of the National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS), Library of Congress. NLS provides FREE audio and braille reading materials to residents of the United States and American citizens living abroad who cannot read regular print books.
Speech to Text
Google Keyboard This is primarily a text to speech tool, but this also doubles as a speech to text tool that is completely free! Many speech to text tools require a membership fee, so this is an incredibly valuable and multipurpose resource.
- FREE
- Multiple languages
- Can be used for speech to text and text to speech
SpeechToText This simple app from Xenon Apps allows you to dictate text and send it as an SMS, email or within another app. You can also send the dictations to phonebook contacts.
- FREE app
Seeing Objects
Seeing AI This app is constantly transforming and the developers are always trying to make Seeing AI more robust. For a free application, this is one to definitely try!
- Explore photos by touch: This new feature allows you to explore how objects in a photo are arranged. Select "Explore Photo" from the Scene channel, photo browser, or when recognizing photos from other apps. Then, move your finger over the screen to hear where objects are located.
- All new iPad support.
- Get faster access to your favorite features by customizing the order in which channels are shown.
- On the Person channel, you can now teach Seeing AI to recognize someone new, directly from the main screen.
- When recognizing photos from other apps, you will now hear the processing sound as in the main app.
- FREE app
NantMobile Money Reader This is an app that specifically tells you the quantity of money that you are holding.
- FREE app
- Accesses camera function
TapTapSee TapTapSee is a mobile camera application designed specifically for blind and visually impaired users, powered by the CloudSight Image Recognition API. TapTapSee utilizes your device’s camera and VoiceOver functions to take a picture or video of anything and identify it out loud for you.
- Free and connects to your camera
- Double tap the screen and it will tell you what is in the camera's sight
- Describes the colors, objects, and words in the picture.
BeMyEyes Every day, sighted volunteers lend their eyes to solve tasks big and small to help blind and low-vision people lead more independent lives.
- Free and volunteers who are sited assist via video call on the app
- Real-time conversations
- Multiple languages
Magnification
Claro Mag X
- MagX has 16 levels of magnification with the maximum of 16x times zoom.
- MagX uses a high-quality device camera.
- Torchlight option using the inbuilt flash (compatible devices only).
- MagX allows a photograph to be taken, capturing a magnified document for later viewing. Photographs are stored in the camera roll, from where they can be zoomed further or edited.
- Freeze mode – tap the viewfinder to freeze the image for closer viewing. Tap the screen to release the freeze.
- Advanced visual features include full-color mode, two-color mode, and grey scale mode. There is also an Invert Function to change display contrast.
- The grey scale and 2 color mode allow a color overlay to be chosen from yellow, purple, cyan, red, green or blue.
- Edge detection to make everything really stand out for people with vision problems
- Free app
SeeIt Designed by the visually impaired for the visually impaired, See It is the world's only portable CCTV video magnifier for your iPhone and iPad!
- FREE option, but can buy a membership
- Over 15 different filters to change the contrast and color
GPS Apps
Ariadne GPS Ariadne GPS allows the blind to navigate their surroundings using an interface like no other. While most navigation apps require the user to use their sight to anticipate directions, Ariadne GPS has talking maps that can even signal to cross the street through vibrating.
- “Favorites” feature announces stops on public transportation, which can be helpful to those who ride the bus or train.
- Works anywhere that Google Maps is available
- Accessible in multiple languages.
- $5.99 for the app
Google Maps Although a simpler suggestion, Google Maps is highly intuitive and is an incredible tool for people who are blind or have low vision.
- Proactive Suggestions
- Ability to search with Siri
- Verbal walking instructions
- Indoor maps
- Apps (like uber) within Maps
- Free app
Educational Tools
Talking Calculator A comprehensively featured calculator that has become a favorite among adults and primary schools around the world. Designed for a wide range of users, this calculator has large colorful buttons, optional high contrast, full VoiceOver support, and unique to this calculator; the option to use speech for answers, button names, and formulas!
- Select between two user-interfaces: standard calculator, and ultra-simple, which is ideal for young children.
- Reads answers, entered numbers and formulas aloud.
- Two entry modes, Standard and Formula. Standard mode emulates traditional calculators. Formula mode takes care of the order of operations for you. You enter a mathematical expression, complete with operators and parentheses (brackets), tap the EQUALS button, and the expression is evaluated. This is similar to using formulas in Microsoft Excel.
- Paper log feature, designed particularly for classroom use. Calculations are recorded with a timestamp and can be viewed or emailed.
- Built-in recording studio and script. Requires only 5 minutes to record a new voice. Recordings can be transferred between devices using Bluetooth.
- Supports VoiceOver standard and touch-typing input styles. Speaks numbers and formulas naturally, not as sequences of digits. Magic Tap can be used to speak with the built-in or custom recorded voice.
- The entire app is accessible to VoiceOver and Switch Control users, including the recording studio for recording your own voice and the use of complex formulas.
- International number formats
- Optional high contrast mode (black on yellow)
- $1.99 to download the app
Talking Typer An accessible typing and computer keyboard tutorial app with a keyboard game to help increase speed and accuracy in a fun environment!Learn to type or improve your skills with drills, practice lessons, keyboard explorer, and an entertaining game. It is designed for blind and visually impaired students but can be used by sighted students too. This makes it a great tool for the whole class.
- 35 Built-in Lessons
- Hurry Scurry Game
- Self-Voicing and Apple® VoiceOver Accessible
- $4.99 to download the app
BraillED
- Explore the braille alphabet in a high contrast app designed specifically for the visually impaired. Audio cues and device vibrations aid in learning.
- Features a fully spoken introduction to braille, emphasis on usability for the visually impaired and fun gameplay behavior for all of us!
- $0.99 to download the app
Learn Braille Alphabet
- Learn Braille alphabets is another innovative application from LearningSheep. Braille alphabet is widely used by blind people. With this application, children and adults can learn how to speak, listen and write Braille alphabets at your own pace.
- $0.99 to download the app
Mobility
Wheelchair access
Wheel Map Wheelmap is the mobile app for Wheelmap.org, an open, free and online map of the world for wheelchair-accessible places, provided by the nonprofit organization Sozialhelden e.V.
- FREE app
- Green = fully wheelchair accessible
- Very user-friendly
- Maps of multiple cities around the world
WheelMate WheelMate gives you an instant overview of your nearest wheelchair-friendly toilets and parking spaces on an interactive map.
- FREE app
- 35,000 locations across 45 countries
- Instant overview of your nearest wheelchair-friendly toilet and parking spaces
- Get direction from your current location to the desired location
- Rate on locations listed by others
Tecla **Free app but requires the purchase of the Tecla device**tecla includes a fully switch accessible and configurable remote control where you can define custom button commands allowing you to quickly:
- Call or message a contact
- Launch an app
- Change the volume in your device
tecla-e users and standard subscribers will also have access to Harmony, Alexa, and IFTTT integrations, giving them the ability to trigger commands on their internet-connected appliances such as:
- Start, stop or toggle Harmony activities
- Send a text command to Alexa
- Talk to Alexa
- Trigger an IFTTT applet
If you are a Tecla-e user, the Tecla app will provide you with all the functions you need to make sure your Tecla works exactly the way you want. These features include:
- Customize the behavior of your switches
- Use your switches to trigger IFTTT applets, even when you are not using the app
- Upgrade your Tecla-e so you can get the latest features
Movement
Dexteria
- Increases coordination and motor control in the hands and fingers
- Works for kids and adults
- Automatically creates performance and usage reports that can be emailed
- Speeds recovery from injuries and stroke
- Designed in consultation with Occupational Therapists
- Costs $4.99 for Apple products and $9.99 for Android devices
Controlling Aspects of your Home/Environment
Google Home app **This would require you to own a Google Home**With the Google Home app, set up, manage and control your Google Home and Chromecast devices, plus thousands of connected home products like lights, cameras, thermostats and more – all from one app.
- Control, organize and manage compatible lights, cameras, TVs and more, all from just one place.
- It works like a remote with 5000+ smart home devices from 400+ popular brands, including the Google Home and Chromecast devices you know and love.
- The app gives you shortcuts for the things you do most, like playing music or dimming the lights when you want to start a movie.
- FREE app
- Now FREE
- Eye-tracking for Microsoft and Android products
- Smartphone, tablet, and computer compatible
- Designed for those living with ALS, Spinal Cord Injuries, Multiple Sclerosis and other conditions leading to paralysis.
Apple Home Control Imagine being able to control everything from one device: Turn on your room lights and close the curtains. Change channels on your TV and turn up the heating. Answer a phone call and send some texts. Browse the Internet, play some music or watch YouTube.
- Control of any device that can be operated by InfraRed signals including light switches, power sockets, bed controls, and door openers.
- Powerful InfraRed learn/transmit hardware. Single codes, toggle codes, macros and safety codes can be recorded.
- Pre-recorded database of common InfraRed signals including GEWA, Possum, Siemens KNX, FellerBeamIt, UPC and SKY.
- Control of EasyWave devices with a built-in 32 channel RF transmitter. Control of Z-wave devices over Wifi using a Vera Z-wave router.
- Single switch, two switch and joystick inputs.
Interface cables for R-Net and DX wheelchair control systems. - Long-life rechargeable Li-Ion battery with a mini USB charger.
- Audible low battery warning, Bluetooth connection, InfraRed transmit and charging status LEDs.
- FREE app
Alexa **This would require you to own an Alexa**Use the Amazon Alexa App to set up your Alexa-enabled devices, listen to music, create shopping lists, get news updates, and much more. The more you use Alexa, the more she adapts to your voice, vocabulary, and personal preferences.
- FREE app
HouseMate
- Control of any device that can be operated by InfraRed signals including light switches, power sockets, bed controls, and door openers.
- Pre-recorded database of InfraRed signals: GEWA, Possum, Siemens KNX, Feller BeamIt, B&O, Schneider, UPC, and SKY.
- Can be fitted with an EasyWave RF transmitter for control of Eldat receivers.
- Can be fitted with a Z-Wave RF transmitter for control of Z-wave appliances.
- Single switch, two switch and joystick inputs.
- Interfacing options for R-Net, Curtis and DX wheelchair control systems.
- Long-life rechargeable Li-Ion battery, audible low battery warning, Bluetooth connection, InfraRed transmit and charging status LEDs.
- Control of an external device using relay output.
- Free app
Communication
Jabberwocky Jabberwocky AAC is an assistive communication app which enables a user with limited speech to talk using only head movement.
- Head tracking input supported on any device that supports Face ID (iPhone X series and iPad Pro 2018 series)
- Word drawing input lets you quickly type without dwelling on each letter.
- Calibration is easy and supports different levels of a range of motion and head control.
- Word prediction saves time and learns from what you type.
- History of spoken phrases lets you quickly reuse recent and frequent phrases.
- Switch accessible
- Free app but can upgrade for more features
Learning
Text to Speech
Natural Reader A professional text to speech program that converts any written text into spoken words.
- Free app with the ability to pay for a membership that includes many more features and voices to choose from
- Also a chrome extension
- Used to drag and drop text into the app and it will read it back to you
Read&Write by Texthelp A powerful keyboard replacement that works in every app. Supporting reading, writing, comprehension and vocabulary development, Read&Write provides a rich set of features which extend accessibility and provide a range of tools to help with literacy including:
- Text to speech
- Prediction
- Dictionary / Talking dictionary
- Picture Dictionary
- Check It
- Talk&Type (available for iOS 10 and above)
- Speak as I type
- OpenDyslexic font support
- Language translation in Safari (French or Spanish, Locale dependent)
- French language localization
Kurzweil 3000 Kurzweil 3000 by Kurzweil Education for the iPad is a mobile extension to the Kurzweil 3000 product that delivers anytime, anywhere access to key reading supports for those individuals with the cognitive ability, but not the literacy skills, to learn from age-appropriate content.The Kurzweil 3000 iPad app delivers core text-to-speech reading functions with speed, voice, and pacing accommodations; and access to the shared Universal Library content available to Kurzweil 3000 customers.
Writing/Note Taking
Grammarly A FREE grammar correction app that is also a chrome extension for your computer.
- From grammar and spelling to style and tone
- Free app
Speech to Text
Voice Dream Writer Voice Dream Writer helps everyone write better: Text-to-speech proofreading reduces mistakes, phonetic and meaning search help you use the right words, and an active outline helps you organize and improve the structure of your writing.
- Featured in the US App Store Education Collection.
- "Voice Dream Writer's technically designed for people with reading disabilities, but it's useful for just about anyone who needs a little help proofing."
Notability (Speech to text)
- Search for handwritten words from the Library and in the note view in any of our 15 supported languages.
- Convert handwriting to text.
- Quickly switch between notes with the Note Switcher.
- Drag & Drop handwriting, typed text, images, and more between notes.
- Notability includes full-featured, left-aligned typing with word count and a wide range of fonts, sizes, and colors.
- Create outlines, interactive checklists, and text boxes.
- Import PDFs, DOCs, PPTs, images, GIFs, and more - conversion to PDF happens on your device, so your information stays private.
- The app costs $9.99
Sonocent
- Sonocent Recorder is the FREE companion app for Sonocent Audio Notetaker, on PC or Mac.
- The App enables users to create high-quality audio recordings, mark up the interesting audio with color highlighting and add text notes, photographs and scribbled notes alongside the audio.
- Once a recording is complete it can be saved on the mobile device and imported into Sonocent Audio Notetaker on PC or Mac for further review.
- Free app
SnapType With SnapType, students can take a picture of their worksheets, or import worksheets from anywhere on their device. They can then use their iOS device keyboard to add text to these documents and print, email, or share their creations. It is the perfect solution for kids, and even adults, who struggle with their handwriting.
Audio Books
Audible
- Explore new releases, best-sellers, mysteries, sci-fi, romance, and memoirs – whatever your passion you're sure to find the perfect listen.
- Keep up to date on current trends, news, and events with Audible original audio shows and top stories from The New York Times, The Washington Post, and others.
- Whether you’re relaxing at home, commuting to work, at the gym, or just doing chores, there’s a story for every activity.
Overdrive Borrow eBooks, audiobooks, and streaming video from your library using OverDrive on your Android device. More than 40,000 libraries worldwide offer titles from OverDrive, so download the app and find your next book today!
- Available 24/7, now the library comes to you.
- No more late fees. Titles are automatically returned.
- Place holds, create wish lists, and return titles easily.
- Sync libraries, bookmarks, and recent positions across mobile devices.
- A valid account with a participating library, school, or other institution is required.
- Each library builds its own collection of titles. Contact them directly to let them know that you’re using OverDrive and to share any suggestions for books you would like to see them carry.
EasyReader
- EasyReader is a FREE accessible reading app for readers with dyslexia, low vision or blindness.
- Browse & download from the World's largest collection of talking book and newspaper libraries. Open your own DAISY, Epub or textbooks.
- Copy text from anywhere on your phone & hear EasyReader read it back to you. Experience perfectly synchronized text & audio.
- EasyReader can add a human-sounding voice of your choice.
- Boost comfort or contrast - choose colors, text size and highlights to suit your visual needs.
LearningAllyLink This app provides access to the Learning Ally library of human-read audiobooks offering the largest selection of books students want and need to read, including bestsellers, literature, and textbooks. Now students have interactive learning tools geared to help them succeed including highlighted text synced with the audio narration, speed control, bookmarking, highlighting, and note-taking.
- Free membership through school and school district
Speech to Text
Dragon Anywhere
- Fast and accurate dictation means you can dictate immediately with 99% accuracy right out of the gate.
- No time or length limits means you can speak as long as you want to complete documents of any length – from a business report to an entire book.
- Powerful customizations mean even better dictation accuracy as you create documents.
- Robust voice formatting and editing let you select words and sentences for editing and deletion or voice navigate through fields of a report template, and apply common formatting like underline and bold.
- Need to share or work anywhere? Simply import and export to and from popular cloud-based document-sharing tools like Dropbox® and note-taking apps like Evernote®.
- Sync with supported Dragon desktop solutions and work started on the road or in the field can be completed back at the desktop for seamless document workflows.
Speechify
- Speechify uses cutting edge Artificial Intelligence and Deep Learning to synthesize the highest quality and most natural sounding voices in history.
- Designed to help people with Dyslexia, ADD, Concussions, Second Language Learners, Auditory Learners, Super Learners, and Productivity Fanatics.
- Upload a PDF, import a website link, copy text into the app, share from Google Drive, Dropbox, or iCloud, and Speechify will speak the document to you - turn your work/homework into a podcast.
- Take a picture of any physical text or book and Speechify will read it to you like an audiobook using OCR and Text To Speech.
- Translate text with 98% accuracy into any of 50+ languages and have it spoken in your native language.
Communicating
**Disclaimer** For apps that assist with communication such as Augmentative and Assistive Communication (AAC) apps, you will probably need to invest in a robust program which can be costly. There are a few cheaper options to test out that are included on this page, however, I have also included the two most regarded AAC apps which range between $150 and $300.**Note** Most AAC apps work best with Apple products, specifically iPads.Speak4me Let your smartphone speak for you!
- Train your phone to say whatever you want.
- Speaks 26 different languages and several regional accents.
- Save your phrases in a favorite list.
- Convert your phrases to an audio file and share it with your friends via iMessage, Mail, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, etc
- Free App
Text to Speech!
- 94 Different voices to choose from
- Voices are available in 37 different languages/accents
- No internet required
- The ability to adjust the pitch and rate
- Speak as you type
- Highlight spoken text
- Universal app
- Star your favorite phrases
- The group starred phrases into folders
- Free app with the ability to purchase a membership to eliminate adds
I Can Communicate!
- Word button text to speech application
- Adjustable taking speed
- English and Spanish
- FREE
Flip Text AAC
- Flipped Display
- Powerful Word Prediction
- Built-in Text-to-Speech and Chime
- Speech Recognition for Hard of Hearing
- Save & Organize your favorite Phrases
- This is a bit pricey at $49.99, however, this would be a one time purchase
Augmentative and Assistive Communication tools
Speech Assistant AAC Speech Assistant is a medical AAC app designed for people who are speech impaired. This may be in the case of aphasia, MND/ALS, autism, stroke, vocal cord problems or other speech problems.
- Add, change or delete your own phrases.
- You can create categories to organize your phrases for quick access.
- The size of the buttons, the textbox, and the text can be adjusted.
- Button to share your message to mail, text and social media
- FREE
iComm
- An amazing first app to try out ACC (because it is so cheap!)
- Allows you to load picture and audio and record your own voices.
- Ideal for children with autism, cerebral palsy, apraxia, and down syndrome.
- FREE app, but can upgrade for $7.99 for all the features of this app
My Talk Tools Mobile
- For iPhone, iPod touch and iPad enables people with communication difficulties to express their needs and desires to those around them.
- Can customize the app with your own images, pictures, symbols and audio files including human voice.
- The app costs $39.99 as a one time charge
iCommunicate for iPad
- Allows you to create pictures, flashcards, storyboards, routines, visual schedules and record custom audio in any language.
- Includes task completion and audiovisual prompting.
- iCommunicate comes preloaded with 10,000 symbiotic pictures.
- You also have the ability to insert Google images and the storyboards are printable.
- Cost is $49.99 as a one time charge
Cough Drop
- The app includes starter boards for different levels of communication, and boards with large or small buttons can be personalized using the rich symbol set, user-provided images or camera photos, user-recorded audio, speech synthesis, etc.
- CoughDrop runs on multiple devices, so you can log in on your tablet, phone and computer and have access to the same communication tools and interface.
- Users can be linked so that parents, therapists, and supervisors can access a communicator's boards from their own devices to better facilitate modeling
Predictable Featuring a world-class software which learns from your patterns of use and thereby predicts what you will type next in your message easily and accurately.
- Customizable rate of speech, keyboard settings, background colors, contrasts, and text size.
- Link your phrases in categories to YouTube videos, iTunes songs or website URLs
- Have discrete conversations without text-to-speech in the Publish mode
- Send SMS**, Email*, update Facebook* or send a tweet on Twitter*
- Switch access
- Customer support
- This app costs $159.99
Tippy Talk The TippyTalk app is the first of its kind; we are the first communication tool that removes the person living with the verbal disability from the limitations of same room communication and opens the door to the world around them.No two TippyTalkers will be the same, each unit is extremely user-friendly and simple to program. Putting the control back into the hands of the parent, after all, no one knows their loved ones better than you do.
- This app costs $14.99 per month/ $99.99 per year
Proloquo2Go
- A full-featured augmentative and alternative communication solution for autistic children who have difficulty speaking.
- Easy to set up and use it provides natural sounding text-to-speech voices, high-resolution up-to-date symbols, powerful automatic conjugations, a default vocabulary of over 7,000 items and is fully expandable.
- The app is very easy for individuals with special needs to navigate through the menus.
- Costs $189 as a one time charge. This is the most well known and respected AAC application out there. It is a heavy charge up front, but well worth the expense. We suggest that you text one of the cheaper versions first to see if AAC is the best choice for you.
Touch Chat HD with Wordpower TouchChat is a full-featured communication solution for individuals who have difficulty using their natural voice. TouchChat is designed for individuals with Autism, Down Syndrome, ALS, apraxia, stroke, or other conditions that affect a person’s ability to use natural speech.
- The pages, grid layout, buttons, messages, and symbols are fully customizable.
- Select from over 45 button actions and nearly 40,000 Symbolstix® symbols*
- Cost of app is $299.99 however there are typically half off sales on this app at the beginning of April and October for Autism Awareness Month and AAC Awareness month.
Organizing
Google Tasks Get more done with the Google Tasks mobile app. Manage, capture, and edit your tasks from anywhere, at any time, with to-dos that sync across all your devices. Integrations with Gmail and Google Calendar help you get tasks done—faster.
- Quickly capture tasks anywhere
- Add details and create subtasks
- View tasks created from emails
- Stay on track with due dates and notifications
- Part of G Suite
- The app is FREE
Google Keep Capture inspiration when it strikes! Keep is simply the quickest way to offload ideas, thoughts, and to-dos without losing focus
- Create notes and lists, set time and place reminders, and check off your completed tasks.
- Add a collaborator to your notes and lists, then get things done together.
- Add photos and drawings, or just draw on your photos.
- Dictate your thoughts, Keep will transcribe them for you.
- Search notes by automagically created topics.
- Group notes together with #labels.
- Color notes for easy scanability.
- Access your notes on any device. synced automatically to your phone, tablet, watch, and laptop via the Google Keep website, or Chrome app.
- Use “Ok Google” voice commands to “take a note” or “add to to-do list”.
- The app is FREE
Reminder App
- Monthly reminder application with notifications before due.
- Suitable for credit card payment reminder, monthly loan payment reminder, monthly bills, birthdays and many others.
- Reminder dates are shown in calendar date individually.
- It will trigger the alarm before the due date at given dates.
- It should remaining day due before the due date reach.
- Notifications messages will be shown even when the app is not running.
- The app is FREE
Wonderlist
- Create all the lists you need and access them from your phone, tablet, and computer
- Easily share lists and collaborate with family, friends, and colleagues
- Start conversations about your to-dos
- Attach photos, PDFs, presentations and more
- Share the work and delegate to-dos
- Setting a Reminder ensures you never forget important deadlines (or birthday gifts) ever again
- Organize your projects for home, work and everywhere in between with Folders
- The app is FREE
Remember The Milk Remember The Milk is the smart to-do app for busy people. You'll never forget the milk (or anything else) again.
- Get to-dos out of your head, and let the app remember for you
- Get reminded via email, text, IM, Twitter, and mobile notifications
- Share your lists and give tasks to others to get things done faster
- Stay magically in sync on all of your devices
- Organize the way you want to with priorities, due dates, repeats, lists, tags, and more
- Search your tasks and notes, and save your favorite searches as Smart Lists
- See tasks nearby and plan the best way to get things done
- Integrates with Gmail, Google Calendar, Twitter, Evernote, and more
- Used by millions worldwide to be more organized and productive
- The app is FREE
Inspiration Welcome to Inspiration Maps™, the most intuitive and powerful visual learning app on the iPad. Build beautiful diagrams, graphic organizers and outlines with ease! Getting organized has never been this simple.
- Build diagrams and other graphic organizers with ease
- Brainstorm ideas
- Get organized
- Strengthen understanding and build retention
- Write, take notes and plan
- The app costs $9.99
For more app options, check out BridgingApps or iAccessibility and see some of the applications that they have posted and reviewed as well!
This page was last updated on December 11, 2019
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