Android accessibility options for vision and hearing impaired. Jack Wallen highlights some of the accessibility options available in the Samsung Galaxy S III and other devices with Android 4.0. You might have end users within your company that have either hearing or vision issues. For those users, special consideration must be taken to meet their technology needs. The need for accessibility doesn't stop at the users' desktops, because they must be able to leverage technology like any other employee. Thankfully, most smartphones are capable of enabling the user with needs beyond the norm, so that the device works with them, not against them. The newest iterations of Android (especially the Verizon-branded Samsung Galaxy S III) offer a number of features that can easily enable the mobile device for those with hearing or vision issues.
What is necessary I want to illustrate this for both vision and hearing impaired users. To begin, you'll need a Samsung Galaxy S III with S Voice or an Android 4.0 device with Vlingo installed. Enable TalkBack. Best Android Apps and Options for Persons with Disabilities. With the swiftness with which technology has drastically changed over the years, it can be easy to get so caught up in all the hype and excitement of how the latest gadgets have transformed how we live.
For techies and the younger generation, getting up to speed and adapting to the change in our lifestyles is a breeze. But, for some others, catching up is somewhat akin to a chore, and so they are, quite sadly and unintentionally, left in the dust. Not to worry, though. Android and app developers are becoming more and more sensitive to the special accessibility needs of our friends with disabilities.
Apps and mobile operating systems are now designed with these users’ ease of use and convenience in mind. You or a friend or family member can benefit from these special apps that aid in making Android more accessible and user-friendly: Options for the visually impaired Non-visual feedback. Carrier-specific apps. Large text. Voice commands. Options for the hearing impaired Text-to-speech. AAC Apps for Android | AppsForAAC. Every now and again I like to do a quick hunt on what's going on the Android AAC marketplace.
I do intend to create a database on this site in the same way as the iDevices one but before I jump in and do it I do need to rethink some of the AAC categories and definitions. In the meantime here is the brief list that I have been referencing as AAC apps on Android. Please comment below or drop me an email if you have any other Android tip-offs! NB: 8 of those are already on the iOS Appstore (AAC SpeechBuddy, Sono Flex, Voice4U, Alexicom, Lets Talk, Powwow Talk, Discover MyVoice, TapToTalk). It's also worth stating that the NovaChat 7 and 10 are Android devices - but it doesn't look like you will be able to install and run these apps on your own Android device which is a shame, In-tic is an open source application that, originally designed for the desktop, provides a grid type interface.
Mobile112 is also worth a mention. Android Accessibility. This is an introduction to using Android phones for people with low vision or no vision who want their phone to speak. All Android phones that have Android version 1.6 or later have built-in support for speech output and accessibility, completely free. While not all applications are accessible, Android is quite customizable. By downloading the right software and configuring the phone properly, a visually-impaired user can access just about any function, including making phone calls, text messaging, email, web browsing, and downloading and using many of the thousands of apps on the Android market. If you're not sure if Android is right for you, you may want to start with the Frequently Asked Questions. For application developers, the Designing for Accessibility documentation provides an overview of the steps developers should follow to make sure that their applications are accessible.
Follow the Eyes-free Android blog for the experiences of one Android developer and user. FlashCards. 60 Educational Apps in 60 Minutes by Clint Stephens on Prezi. OT's with Apps | The OT iTool Kit resource – review of apps and resources for OT's working with children and adults. BIG Launcher. KK Launcher, is the most polished, highly customizable KitKat style launcher, Smooth, Rich features, NO AD, Your best choice! "The closest you get to stock Android KitKat. It's amazing how many options this launcher gives" --Kostas"Really good, seriously the best KitKat launcher on the market !
" --Steven Q: What is the difference between KK Launcher and Nova Launcher, Apex Launcher ? A: KK Launcher base on AOSP Android 4.4, while Nova and Apex base on Android 4.0, so the KK's UI and UE is pure KitKat experience and inherit the HUGE improvement from Android 4.4 Q: What is the difference between KK Launcher and Google Now Launcher ? Features: 1. Permissions explaination: - Directly Call Phone Numbers: only used if you place a direct-dial shortcut on the homescreen- READ_SMS, READ_CONTACTS, READ_CALL_LOG: used by Unread SMS Counts and Missed Call Counts- Gmail READ_CONTENT_PROVIDER: used by Gmail Unread Counts- CAMERA: used by Sidebar--Camera and Flashlight.
Fleksy Is an Alternative Keyboard Even the Blind Can Use. Umano. United Kingdom) - Accessibility. Part 9: Apps for college/university students with learning disabilities. Welcome to Apps for college / university students with learning disabilities, Part 9 of “There’s A Special App For That” series on iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad apps for students with special needs. Have a look at our others in the series: This past school year we had many requests for information and training in assistive technologies geared towards supporting college and university students with learning disabilities.
Since we are about a month away from back-to-school, we wanted to publish a post that could assist college and university students with special needs in their planning for the new academic year. The students that we consult with are impressive-and so are the individuals and student centres that support them. These are students who are successful due to the fact that they have a strong awareness and knowledge of the adaptations that they require in order to be successful in higher education (and in life in general).
How can assistive technology help? 1. Screenshots: 2. 3. 4. 50 Best iPad Apps for Reading Disabilities. Whether you're the parent of a child with a reading disability or an educator that works with learning disabled students on a daily basis, you're undoubtedly always looking for new tools to help these bright young kids meet their potential and work through their disability. While there are numerous technologies out there that can help, perhaps one of the richest is the iPad, which offers dozens of applications designed to meet the needs of learning disabled kids and beginning readers alike. Here, we highlight just a few of the amazing apps out there that can help students with a reading disability improve their skills not only in reading, writing, and spelling, but also get a boost in confidence and learn to see school as a fun, engaging activity, not a struggle.
Helpful Tools These tools are useful for both educators and students with reading disabilities alike, aiding in everything from looking up a correct spelling to reading text out loud. Speak It! : Speak It! Fundamentals Reading. Top Anti-Procrastination Apps or How to Fight Procrastination Using Digital Tools | INOMICS blog. Procrastination is quite a common, some might even say unavoidable “disease” in the academic world. Even though it is perceived by many to be a problem most affecting college students, in reality procrastinators are found at every level of seniority. In fact, many remarkable people were affected by this phenomenon.
One of them, Nobel Prize winner George Akelrof, devoted a significant part of his research to procrastination after recognizing a procrastinator in himself – he realized that it is much more than just a productivity breaker, and can reveal a lot about rational thinking. Now procrastination is an academic field in itself and the origins of this phenomenon can be easily explained from the scientific point of view. In economics terms, it results from a so-called “hyperbolic discounting”, where short-term considerations of individuals overtake their long-term goals. 1. 2. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Apps that block all (or some) distractions on your computer 1. 2. 3. 4. Comparing OCR Scanning Apps – ZoomReader, Prizmo and TextGrabber. What’s the difference in accuracy and features of ZoomReader, Prizmo and TextGrabber OCR scanning apps for clients with a print disability? A few great questions from comments of readers inquired about the difference between OCR scanning apps mentioned in a prior post that are used to convert images to text for individuals with disabilities.
So, I decided to do an informal comparison of the apps mentioned to determine the accuracy of the apps ability to perform OCR scans of images using with three apps typically mentioned or reviewed for individuals challenged with accessing text (e.g. low vision or print disabled). Here is what I found in this informal research comparison: Material used: A clean, hard copy document with 275 words with 12 point Arial black and blue font on white paper with no images was consistently used to scan with each app. The document has some text with blue font which was bold 12 point type as headings. Apps used: ZoomReader on an iPhone4 (only available for iPhone) CaptureNotes Offers Audio Recording and Flagged Notes, Syncs with Dropbox and Evernote.