Six of the Best Accessible IPad Apps

By Steff Green

The iPad has been hailed as one of the most important technological innovations of the new millennium, and it’s making the news not just because of its sleek design and viral-applications, but because it’s revolutionising the world of accessibility.

IPads are now being used in special education settings all over the world thanks to their accessibility features, and socially-minded app creators are turning their hand to helping people with disabilities thrive in a modern, technologically driven age with accessible applications. Here are six of my favorite apps for accessibility:

LookTel Money Reader, $13.99

Hold a note up to your screen and this nifty little app will read aloud its denomination. The LookTel Money Reader works with several currencies, including the British Pound, Euro, US Dollar, Canadian Dollar and Australian Dollar, and can read aloud in several languages. Since the app doesn’t need the Internet to work, you can truly use it anywhere you need it.

Color ID Free, FREE

Since I’m completely color-blind, this is one of my favorite iPad apps. Simply hold the screen up to an item and the app will read out the color. What I love most about this app is the descriptive and pictorial names it uses in the “exotic colors” mode, like “lavender rose” or “moon mist”. You can also switch it to “simple colors” to hear “yellow” or “red”.

RxmindMe Prescription/Medicine Reminder and Pill Tracker, FREE

If you’re notorious for forgetting your pills, you might be used to using tools like this Pill Box Reminder. But if you wanted an app that did the same job, the free RxmindMe app can really help. It’s easy to schedule alerts, enter all your prescriptions and update your prescription data. You can store information about your prescriptions (as well as photographs) and your prescription quantities automatically countdown as you take them. What’s more, the RxmindMe alert will pop up no matter what other application you might have open, so there’s no excuse for forgetting your pills!

VisionSim, FREE

Another nifty little free app, VisionSim was created by the Braille Institute to offer sighted people the experience of seeing through the eyes of someone with a vision-impairment. The app has four different simulations – macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma and cataracts. Once you select a simulator, the inbuilt camera gives you a real-time view of the world through the eyes of a person with that condition. You can edit the severity of symptoms and even take pictures to save or share.

Glucose Buddy, FREE

Glucose Buddy stores data to help you track your diabetes. You can upload data on your glucose numbers, insulin dosage, carbohydrate consumption and other activities, and access this data from wherever you are. This can be especially handy for diabetics who travel frequently or want to keep all their data in one easy-to-access place.

Ariadne GPS, $6.49

Ariadne GPS works with VoiceOver to create detailed, easy-to-navigate visual maps that you can explore just by moving your finger. If you’re crossing a road while exploring, the device will vibrate as a warning. You can store locations in a favorites folder, and Ariadne can even announce stops on a bus or train.

Readers, what are your favorite accessible iPad apps?

accessibility, blind, diabetes, iPad apps, prescriptions, steff, technology Advice, independence, independent living, pills