Empowering Everyone: A Look at Useful Assistive Technology Apps

Geoff Cook

Empowering Everyone: A Look at Useful Assistive Technology Apps

My little sister is headed off to the University of Pittsburgh next week, which got me thinking about my own time in college and the assistive technology I wish I had back then. Today, technology has opened up incredible new possibilities, making tasks more accessible and personalized than ever before. There is a wealth of assistive technology apps available that can help with everything from notetaking to communication, turning everyday challenges into manageable tasks.

For taking notes, apps like Otter AI are a game-changer. They use speech recognition to create a text transcript of a meeting or lecture as it's being recorded, giving you a hands-free way to capture information. Other tools like Notability and Audionote allow you to synchronize typed notes with audio recordings or even convert handwritten notes into text.

For reading, text-to-speech apps like VoiceDream and EasyReader are incredibly valuable. They can read books, articles, and other documents aloud, with options to customize the voice and track the words on screen. This is a fantastic resource for anyone with dyslexia or other reading difficulties.

The list of apps also includes brilliant solutions for visual impairment. Be My Eyes, for example, connects visually impaired individuals with sighted volunteers for real-time video assistance. Apps like TapTapSee use a phone's camera to describe the world around the user. There are even apps for math, communication, and organization, showing just how diverse and specialized assistive technology has become. These tools are designed to remove barriers and provide a path to greater independence and academic and professional success.

You can explore more of these apps here: Useful Apps for SAS Students.

What is one app or piece of technology that has had a significant positive impact on your learning or daily life?