Apps are popping up all over! And that includes apps for people with disabilities. It seems in fact, that with every passing day, the selection of apps grows, making virtually every aspect of life more accessible for those with special needs. The downside? Sorting through all the apps to determine what’s best for you can be a Herculean task. In an attempt to make things easier, we’ve scoured the internet to find the most innovative and highly rated apps to recently hit the market. Here are our recommendations.
Trip Trip Hurray
Just in time for a last minute summer vacation, this popular travel app lets users make customized searches, schedule and book their vacations. Great for people with disabilities as well as parents of young children and those traveling with pets, Trip Trip Hurray’s easy interface allows users to simply type in whatever they need whether before or during their trip. For instance, “wheel-chair accessible restaurants.”
Pedius
This sophisticated app helps people who are deaf or hard of hearing communicate by mobile telephone without a third party intermediary. Users can make real-time calls by text messaging their contacts. Just type in your message and the app translates it into speech, making it possible for the person on the other end of the call to hear it. When the contact responds, their speech is translated back into text so the caller can read it. Pedius can be used with an artificial voice, or users can record their own voices.
Special Education Dictionary
Simple but awesome, this new app geared toward family members and teachers, provides definitions of thousands of special education terms for laypeople. Developed by The National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET) Special Education Dictionary makes advocating for your special needs student far less overwhelming.
Prism
This app is designed to help neurotypical children understand and build empathy for people with autism. Set in a colorful 3-D environment, animals teach children about many of the characteristics and behaviors that are common to people with autism. A great tool for teachers with inclusive classrooms.
Otismo
Developed by the brother of a boy with autism, this award-winning game-based educational app helps children with a variety of disabilities including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Down syndrome, attention deficit disorder, cerebral palsy and aphasia learn reading and math skills. Best of all, Otismo can be customized to the student’s age and educational level so the app grows with your child.
