Apps

Featured in this month’s Special Needs App Review, the Smart Steps mobile app helps to support users with cognitive challenges through guided decision making and individualized feedback. Assisting individuals with autism, Down syndrome, and other developmental disabilities, the app helps users regain their independence in the community, classroom, and workplace by assisting in everyday decision-making. Some features include: 24/7 support options, decision trees, and the ability to personalize an account. The Smart Steps app is free of charge and can be found in the iTunes App Store.

May 2014 – The Tecnalia Centre for Applied Research has launched an app called MyEardroid.  It. identifies “ordinary sounds that are produced in the home environment.” The app responds in real time to sounds around the individual by immediately analyzing the sound and showing an image and text on the smartphone.  The most interesting feature of the app is the user’s ability to customize the sounds relevant to his/her surroundings, for example, a dripping faucet or a knock on the bedroom door. The app is currently available free of charge in the Google Play store.

April 2014 — Starkey has released Halo, a new hearing aid which is designed to be compatible with iPhones, iPads and iPods. Halo hearing aids act as stand-alone hearing aids but have the added feature of using Bluetooth to connect directly to wireless devices. Using the TruLink Hearing Control app, Halo users can use their iPhone to stream calls, music and Facetime directly to the hearing aid. The app also enables users to remotely adjust hearing aid settings and create TruLink Memories, which geotags and saves hearing aid settings for specific locations.

John Morris presented “Smartphone and Tablet Apps for Case Managers and Their Patients,” at the Palmetto chapter of the Case Manager Society of America meeting on March 15, 2014.  He shared information on the distinction between assistive and accessible apps and how to identify accessibility features within apps.  Additionally John highlighted and described specific apps for memory, patient and family education and way finding.  He closed with a discussion of how to evaluate apps. The link to the presentation is below.

The 2014 M-Enabling Summit will be held in Washington, D.C. from June 9-10.  The Conference and Showcase are hosted by the Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict) and E.J. Krause & Associates.  The focus is on accessible use of mobile technologies, applications, and services and other assistive technology solutions.