Apps

The MD evReader is a simple iPad app designed to help people with Macular Degeneration (MD) to read e-books when it is combined with the technique of “eccentric viewing”. Eccentric vision is when a person attempts to see by making use of their peripheral visual skills instead of the central ones (macular). The app enables the text (of e-pub documents) to be presented horizontally, from right to left, through the screen. The speed and the direction of the text movement may be controlled using a monitoring panel on the iPad screen. The text may be enlarged and presented in very large fonts on a digital screen through an HDMI port (this requires an Apple HDMI adaptor). The reader must fix their gaze in their preferred position of eccentric vision, far from the text, and read the text without moving their eyes. At present, the app cannot show books that are DRM-protected.

Medicamento Accesible Plus is a free app developed for different platforms that enables updated information about medicines to be checked using a screenshot of the barcode on its usual packaging. It ensures the understanding of information in a completely accessible way. This solution accesses part of the information included in the Medical Knowledge Database (BDM in Spanish) of the General Council of Official Colleges of Pharmacists in Spain and incorporates search options, an assistant feature for reading information aimed at patients and other services of interest for users.

The Mercadona app gives access to online supermarket shopping. Purchases can be made quickly and intuitively from any location as long as it is covered by the postal codes where the service is already available. The app enables products to be viewed in detail, added to the basket and the purchase made. In addition, previous purchases can be checked and modified according to need and the usual products bought with no dependence on lists.

User profile: This app is an answer to one of the difficult situations faced by those with visual disabilities: shopping.

Although the app is intuitive and easy to use, it is appropriate for those who feel comfortable using mobile devices because to use it properly the user must use text fields, drop-down buttons etc. If the user is totally blind and does not feel completely at home with the screen reader, it might seem overwhelming to use the app correctly.

This app is integrated into your town’s transport system and it enables you to obtain all the timetables, stops and routes on your mobile with very exact and precise information. Moovit has a large database containing cities from all around the world and each city may be switched easily. The instructions it provides combine all the public transport options in a single app.

A taxi booking app recommended for people with visual impairment. Thanks to advanced technology, the app facilitates independent mobility and helps eliminate everyday obstacles for the blind and visually-impaired. Very intuitive to use, a taxi can be ordered at the desired location with minimal clicks.

Prizmo Go is a portable scanner accessible through your mobile phone that allows you to take screenshots of printed text easily. Before taking the photo, Prizmo Go displays lines of text directly on the camera’s viewfinder so that you know what it is seeing, in a similar way to augmented reality but for text. After taking the photo, you obtain direct access to the content of the text. The app can read the text aloud and also offers a series of interactions with the text content or you can simply copy/ paste the text in other apps or on a Mac. In addition, thanks to its compatibility with Voice Over, Prizmo Go is very suitable for blind users or those with low vision.

Seeing Al is a free app that describes the world that surrounds you. Designed for the community of people who are blind or have low vision, this research project in progress takes advantage of the power of Artificial Intelligence to open up the visual world and describe the people, texts and objects nearby. Optimised to be used with Voice Over, the app enables you to recognise:

• Short text: it speaks text as soon as it appears before the camera.
• Documents: it provides an audio guide to make a screen shot of a printed page, and recognises the text, together with its original format.
• Products: it scans barcodes, using audio sounds to guide it; hear the name and the packet information when it is available. (works with iPhone 6 and subsequent versions)
• People: it enables people to save faces so that they can recognise them and obtain an idea of their age, gender and emotions.
• Scenes (expected preview): hear a general description of the scene in the screen shot.
• Money: it recognises banknotes. (Requires iOS 11)
• Colour: it identifies colour.
• Handwriting: it reads handwritten text as in greetings cards
• Light: it generates an audible tone that corresponds to the brightness of the setting.
• Images in other applications: just touch “Share” and “Trigger Face Recognition” to describe images of email, photos, Twitter etc. The app is designed to help you to achieve more by taking advantage of the power of the cloud and artificial intelligence. As the research progresses, it will possible to add more channels.

The aim is to support the blind and the visually impaired in their daily life in a simple manner. This app enables blind users to recognise colours and detect light sources. In addition, the visually impaired will be able to use the electronic magnifier. It can also read and create barcodes and QR codes. These can be used to mark and organise objects.

This app provides free messages together with free voice and video calls for anyone. Skype offers features like: face-to-face videocalls, group videocalls for up to 25 people, free voice calls to anyone on Skype, instant messages to friends and adding up to 300 people to a group chat, calling mobile phone and landlines at low rates (Skype-to-Skype calls are always free) and sharing photos, videomessages, location and adding emojis to a chat.

SuperVision+ is an advanced magnifier for the visually impaired. The app can provide help in daily life to those with a large range of visual disabilities (Presbyopia, Myopia, Macular Degenerations etc.). The app allows the zoom, the contrast and the colour mode to be controlled easily. It allows up to 3 natural colour modes and 7 synthetic colour modes. It may also be used in low-lit environments by activating the smartphone’s integrated flash. (Note: to use SuperVision as electronic glasses, it is necessary to download the extension of the app, called “SuperVision for Cardboard”. This is free for Android).

TapTapSee is designed to help the blind and the visually impaired identify objects that are hard to check, such as packaging, tins, the colour of a garment etc. Simply touch the screen twice to take a photo of any object, at any angle, wait a few seconds and the app will identify it. (Note: spoken identification requires Voice Over to be activated).

Visor is a magnifying glass app for smartphone. Just like with a real magnifying glass where the smallest details can be discovered, Visor increases the zoom by up to 8 times and takes the picture in 5 different colour contrast modes. Three large different-coloured buttons make access to all the functions a simple task.

This is a very useful and accessible app for everyone as it reads articles, documents and books aloud. Thanks to advanced voice synthesis and the highly varied viewing configuration options, it is possible to adapt it to any reading level and style; and with it, listen to any digital document or book that is not protected by DRM.

Whatscine is a system that works by using free apps for iOS and Android, in cinemas and on television. It has 3 accessibility systems: audio description, sign language and adapted subtitles. Secondary screens or portable monitors are not necessary; it works through a Smartphone or Tablet. It is very easy to use. In addition, it possesses totally inclusive accessibility, which goes unnoticed by other people.

Yuka is a free mobile app that scans the barcodes of food and cosmetic products to assess their impact on health. A detailed sheet then helps the user to understand the analysis of each product. When the impact on health is negative, Yuka recommends similar products that are more beneficial.

User profile: The app is recommended for any user profile as it is not difficult to use and it provides clear and accessible results for every type of user. Perhaps the trickiest part is the registration process although this is no different to others.