4 Best iOS Apps for People With Accessibility Needs

Every person in this world faces challenges of different kinds, and in special situations, some people need assistance in order to be able to overcome what they are facing. Apple also has the accessibility needs of its users in mind, which is why there are plenty of native accessibility options available, which in turn has motivated developers to create apps that cater to specific accessibility needs.

Here we take a look at four unique iOS apps that help iPhone users achieve things that are usually very difficult for them.

1. Verbally

Described as an easy-to-use, comprehensive Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) app for the iPad by its developers, Verbally (free with in app purchases) is an app that helps speech-impaired people by giving them a voice.

The app makes use of a simple, but at the same time incredibly rich interface, to enable conversation in an almost fluid way thanks to special additions, like a set of essential words and common phrases.

All of these combined with a varied choice of keyboards, voices and text prediction make for one of the best apps for those with accessibility needs.

2. BrailleTouch

Just as its name implies, BrailleTouch (free with in app purchases) is an app that does something that would have been unthinkable just a few years ago: It gives the blind community a way to type on the iPhone using braille via the touchscreen.

The app’s interface relies on sound of course, as each character and word can be heard as you type it. The paid version of the app allows users to also send and copy text from within the app and share it with any other app.

3. Language Therapy Lite

Aphasia is, in a nutshell, the loss of ability to understand or express speech, caused by brain damage. Patients who suffer from it can hear and understand others, but they have a hard time conveying into words their own thoughts.

Language Therapy Lite (a paid version is also available), is an app that specializes in the treatment of Aphasia by providing users with four different toolkits that each focus on one important aspect of this condition.

Helpful Note: Besides English, this app also supports Spanish, French and German.

4. Red Stripe

Color blindness is a condition far more common than most of us imagine. It affects the way some people see colors. Red Stripe ($4.99) provides users who suffer from this condition with a way to better identify the colors they are looking at.

The app works by placing a striped pattern over the yellow, red and purple colors, making the pattern of the stripes more pronounced, the more intense the color is.

There you have them. Apps like these make a very strong argument for iOS being the best choice of platform for anyone with special needs. And that’s without even considering all the accessibility features that iOS provides already.