Finding accessible apps that meet your reading needs

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1 Finding accessible apps that meet your reading needs Varju Luceno DAISY Consortium [daisy.org]

2 Who are looking for good reading apps? Users who are blind or have low vision and enjoy a rich reading experience Educators and assistive technology specialists who need to find apps that meet the needs of their students Parents of children with learning disabilities or visual impairments Educators and students in developing countries

3 DAISY Members / Friends develop apps Free Learning Ally Audio app for ios and Android File size: 8.1 MB (ios), 9.4 MB (Android) Members get access to more than 75,000 audio books Text & background colors can be adjusted, rate of reading can be altered Highlighted text can be set to match a rate that best fits a child s reading ability Available books are for K-12

4 GoRead & Read2Go Developed specifically for the print-disabled Users can read Bookshare books with voice navigation and text-to-speech features Free GoRead app (1.8 MB): Access to Bookshare books (in DAISY, braille and audio formats) on Android devices Read2Go app ($19.99) for ios, 115 MB: Read books in DAISY, braille and audio Change font size and color as well as background color

5 BARD Mobile for ios Developed by National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped Price: Free (must be a registered user of NLS & BARD) Size: 11.4 MB All buttons are labeled VoiceOver can read all page elements Access to more than 50,000 books, magazines, and music scores in audio and digital braille Speed, tone, font size, and screen contrast may be adjusted

6 DDReader app for Android Free, 3 MB. The user interface offers two modes - Visual and Accessible The Visual mode has a simple design with the book index on the right and large buttons at the bottom to control the book playback. DAISY 3 full-text full-audio books can be enjoyed with synchronized text highlighting and audio playback In the Accessible mode, the same user interface is presented in high contrast to suit the needs of users with limited eyesight

7 Voice Dream Reader Price: $9.99. Size: 43.2 MB Intuitive All features fully accessible with VoiceOver Includes Heather, a female US English voice All 36 built-in VoiceOver voices can be used Nearly 100 additional paid voices in various languages available through in-app purchase Text in 27 languages can be read out loud Supports DAISY, EPUB, Word, PDF etc.

8 Testing mainstream reading apps: epubtest.org Goals: Test and share reviews / information Assist developers, manufacturers Achieve consistent reading experience where accessible content meets accessible reading apps Test for EPUB 3 conformance Ensure that accessibility features and best practices are used consistently

9 Test Books and Guidelines Test plans have been prepared with sample content to carry out the tests The fundamental test book provides the tests and instructions to the person conducting the test. As EPUB standards and guidelines evolve, test books also need to be updated. Accessibility Screening Methodology Guidelines and Checklist developed in collaboration with Tech For All are available at:

10 Baseline requirements Well structured text in logical reading order Adjustable font size and color Text should be readable with a screen reader or self-voicing text to speech application, or using a refreshable braille display

11 Who have achieved higher scores? VitalSource Bookshelf Desktop for Mac Voice Dream Reader Lektz for Android Kobo Reader for ios ibooks

12 Key takeaways Technology and standards are constantly evolving; accessibility advocates and developers need to learn from each other Efforts to harness technology that improves user experience and enhances accessibility are rewarded by increased user numbers and customer loyalty Developers who are familiar with complex needs, strive to constantly improve their applications It is important to provide concrete suggestions for improvement