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Remember my blog posts about the issues surrounding the accessibility of American Heritage English Dictionary? It all started almost four years ago when exciting efforts to make it accessible commenced. Then the efforts came to fruition and this worthwhile application…

In this post I would like to discuss my experience of recently beginning an online course of study. Before beginning this course, I had heard about online courses, but I had never explored the area.

Signing Up

In my case, signing up to an online course was as straight forward as completing any online purchase. It was just a case of providing my personal details and payment information.

I completed the sign-up process on my iPhone in a matter of minutes. Soon…

Welcome to the August 2016 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy in the accessible app landscape. Below, you'll find a recap of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to podcasts and blogs. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Blindfold Bowling With Friends…

Welcome to the July 2016 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy in the accessible app landscape. Below, you'll find a recap of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to podcasts and blogs. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

BeSpecular - help the blind (iOS…

It feels like losing an old friend. Or perhaps losing one's love of life. But American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language was my friend in the world of iOS apps and my love in the world of dictionaries. So going to bed one night with an awesome dictionary which ticks all check boxes in terms of accessibility and getting up the next morning, hearing about the app's takeover by a new developer, re-paying for and downloading it, and finding it an absolute mess in terms of accessibility…

Welcome to the June 2016 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy in the accessible app landscape. Below, you'll find a recap of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to podcasts and blogs. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

A Sword Fight Warrior (iOS, Free…

An interesting and surprising piece of news today is that Fleksy has been acquired by Pinterest. What’s perhaps most interesting for the vision impaired, is that this may have positive consequences for those of us who remember just how revolutionary Fleksy once promised to be.

For those unfamiliar, Fleksy is a text input…

Welcome to the May 2016 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy in the accessible app landscape. Below, you'll find a recap of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to podcasts and blogs. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

AIM: Chat, Free Text, Photo Share…

We are pleased to announce that the 2016 inductees into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame, as chosen by the AppleVis community, are Twitterrific 5 for Twitter and A Blind Legend.

First opened in 2011, the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is one of the ways in which the AppleVis…

Today is Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), and to mark this we are urging everybody to use it as an opportunity to reach out to iOS and OS X developers - to either encourage them to make their applications accessible and usable by the vision-impaired; or to show your appreciation for applications which already are.

GAAD was created as a mechanism to reach out to the people who “build, shape, fund and influence…

On the 3rd of May 2016 I started my first ever job, and I quickly realised that I needed a multi-technology strategy to match the productivity of my work colleagues. Being an iOS user since 2009 I was sure that part of my technology strategy would involve my iPhone or iPad, and I wasn’t wrong.

In this post I would like to tell you about the physical make up of the said strategy, i.e. what device I am using, and how using iOS enables me to increase my access and productivity…

I am walking through apricot orchards, on my way to another dreadfully long day at Cupertino Junior High. I am shorter and younger than most of the other boys. I am night blind and I wear sunglasses indoors. I do magic as a hobby and everyone knows it. I also don't know when to shut up. And, to guarantee my total social estrangement, I am carrying my violin case. The year is 1966 and I am on my way to another serious butt-kicking at school.

Social awareness was never my strong suit.…

We are pleased to announce that voting for the 2016 inductees into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is now open.

First opened in 2011, the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is one of the ways in which the AppleVis community seeks to recognize developers of accessible iOS applications. Apps in the Hall of Fame can be liberating; empowering; life-changing; provide access to information that sighted users take for granted; or, in…

Welcome to the April 2016 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy in the accessible app landscape. Below, you'll find a recap of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to podcasts and blogs. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Audio Game Hub (iOS, Free)…

Update 19 May, 2016: Facebook has today announced that automatic alt text is now available globally in English.

*** Facebook has today officially launched it’s much anticipated tool for automatically generating descriptions of photos posted to its site.

Called Automatic Alternative Text (AAT), the tool has been developed by Facebook’s…

Welcome to the March 2016 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy in the accessible app landscape. Below, you'll find a recap of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to podcasts and blogs. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Adventure To Fate : Quest To…

I'm not of sound mind. I do not own a decent microphone and I am not an audio engineer. I do not record music or podcasts. I simply have thousands of audio files, captured and collected over a lifetime, that sometimes need just a bit of attention.

I have been on a personal quest for the perfect subset of iPhone apps. I have found wonderful productivity tools that allow me to read, write, and research -- all through my iPhone. Still, a few solutions have eluded the allure of going…

Welcome to the February 2016 edition of AppleVis Unlimited, our monthly series which aims to highlight what's new and noteworthy in the accessible app landscape. Below, you'll find a recap of the best content posted to AppleVis - from new app entries, to app updates, to podcasts and blogs. For easier navigation, the major sections of this post are at heading level 3, and each individual item is at heading level 4.

New and Noteworthy App Entries

Alter Ego (iOS, US$4.99)…

Introduction.

In this post I would like to focus on the topic of social media, and how you can use the said medium on your iOS device with VoiceOver. I also want to dispel any misconceptions that social media is a complete no-go area for members of the blind or visually impaired community.

Social media is often subject to a lot of negative press and criticism, and in some cases such coverage and opinion is justified. However, I believe that social media is a fantastic…

I really meant to finish reorganizing my home office last month. I like things orderly. I pulled everything out of my office closet with the intention of throwing just a few things away. Not a good idea. Now my treadmill is stacked with random boxes and unmatched luggage. My stationary bike has become a temporary home for my displaced leashes, coats, and sweaters. My desk is in there, cleverly hidden under uprooted technology, Braille magazines, and cables galore. I do not dare bend over to…