It may seem like computers and cell phones aren’t user-friendly when it comes to the blind and visually impaired, but some advocacy groups see an opportunity with Apple app development to assist with providing these individuals valuable tools.
The Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ABVI) has begun an initiative to get iPads, iPhones and iPads to some of their clients in an attempt to help them access online resources and learn in ways they would never have had the ability to before. The ABVI gives credit to the fact that Apple products are able to verbally communicate to users everything that’s happening on the screen, facilitating usership and mobile learning opportunities. This is a big step forward for those with no vision who otherwise would never be able to utilize a computer. For those with visual impairment, the Apple gadgets also sport a powerful zoom function that allows them to focus on specific parts of the screen in conjunction with voice technology, furthering their accessibility.
Some groups have taken this technology and gone a step further than just putting it in the hands of the blind and visually impaired. The Alphapointe Association for the Blind specifically serves the state of Missouri and provides a hands-on training camp for residents to get a better understanding of how the technology works and ways they can use it. Aimed at teens and older children, the Alphapointe Technology Camp shows blind and visually impaired youths how they can use Apple app development to assist them with network and social interactions, as well as just getting through day-to-day tasks.
“These kids are behind in academics and don’t have the same access to technology that their sighted peers do,” said Clay Berry, director of rehabilitation with Alphapointe, in an interview about the tech camp produced by Pabulum. “It’s one of the only pieces of consumer electronics that is completely accessible out of the box for people with visual impairments.”
Through the use of Apple app development and innovative mobile app development, technology can not only reach a whole group of previously cut-off individuals, but it can help them interact and access the world in a way they never previously thought possible.
Contact Stacey Burris at sburris@csesoftware.com or 1.309.670.7595 and ask for a mobile learning demo today!
