Developers are using new technology and innovation to create smartphones which can change the lives of the visually impaired. Individuals with vision problems can use the voice commands in a smartphone to read and write. With development in technology App stores have a variety of products which are of great help to the visually impaired. Apps are being tailored to meet the needs of the visually impaired. They help the blind users to operate handsets with ease. Smartphones with the Braille touch use haptic technology for the screens. The messages are transformed to Braille patterns which help the individuals with vision loss to read the message.
Helping with navigation
Some apps on smartphones have been designed smartly for their convenience. An app can guide the blind through unfamiliar surroundings. They can navigate through an unfamiliar neighborhood and find their way out. This intelligently-designed app can enhance their mobility and safety. Some apps are designed to help with navigation. It can update a user on location. It can give him information about the house he is walking past in a familiar area. If your blind friend is straying away from the right path the app will cause the phone to vibrate.
Utility of apps
App stores, today, have products which help the [tp lang=”en” only=”y”]visually impaired to have access to information[/tp][tp not_in=”en”]visually impaired to have access to information[/tp] which would not be possible otherwise. The apps offer audio books and games which can be played simply by hearing and touching. An app in a smartphone helps the blind to send and receive text. A team of students in Italy has developed a new app for the sightless people. It helps them to navigate through buildings if the GPS does not work. The app helps them to decide whether to take a left or right turn. In recent times, smartphones have been introduced which can be connected to image recognition software.
Making life easier
Some smartphones include apps which vibrate when a visually impaired person is crossing the street. They can announce stops on the train or the bus. Some apps can enable the visually impaired to recognize currencies, identify and count bills. All they have to do is point the camera on the bill and the app will inform about the denomination. An app has been developed by smartphone companies which help the visually challenged to know the color of the selected item. When they point the camera on an item the app will announce the color of the item.
Helping the blind
These days the visually impaired are coached on how to use smartphones. The apps can enhance the lives of the visually impaired. Audio books and music can be downloaded easily. Blind people are benefiting from the app which helps them to catch the bus. This new app has been developed in Brazil which helps the blind to move around without a guide. The app must be installed on the phone for the blind. The bus route number and the bus stop must be provided. The app functions in such a way that the recorded voice provides information on the length of wait and distance.
Apps are useful
Some smartphones make use of Braille to make lives of the visually impaired easy. An app on smartphones can read out a message aloud. It can read out mails and messages. A talking calculator can read out calculations aloud. Some apps can detect currencies and help the visually impaired to distinguish among different kinds of money. In some devices when your visually challenged friend swipes over the screen the app will tell them what they have selected. With the help of a voice recognition app the user can reply to messages and emails.
Guest article written by: Sam Peterson is a teenager who finds smartphones very user-friendly. He has purchased [tp lang=”en” only=”y”]a phone for the blind[/tp][tp not_in=”en”]a phone for the blind[/tp]. He uses the apps effectively and feels that life has become easier than before.