DECODING
Smartphones
Overview
Please see Choosing a Device for more information on devices to host assistive technology.
Smartphones are not a specific type of assistive technology themselves, but a means by which technologies can be used. Because of this, they are evaluated the same way as laptops, comparing price to what the hardware offers, and offereing a general discussion of what matters in a smartphone for education purposes. Smartphones are becoming seen as an “effective alternative educational method” (D. G. Kim & Kim, 2013). Smartphones have been demonstrated as a comparable and sometimes superior means of presenting educational information in a variety of fields. For example, in 2014 smartphones were shown to be a more effective method of presenting information and management skills to children with diabetes, and in 2017, smartphones were shown to be a superior presentation tool for teaching children emergency procedures in schools (Bains, 2014; Kim & Cho, 2017). Smartphones have also been used in some types of therapies (Ly et al, 2012). For education purposes, the general features of smartphones have been demonstrated to be helpful in education, for example the camera app has been used to encourage more cooperation and environmental awareness between students working at an undergraduate level (Uzunboylu et al., 2009). Additionally, the video app has been shown to be beneficial to English Second Language users .
The three most competitive brands of tablets are iPhones, Google Android Phones (including Samsung), and Microsoft Lumia phones. While Blackberries are still in circulation, support for the Blackberry operating system is being phased out and will be discontinued in 2019, and Blackberry will be making phones for the Android operating system. This is a recurring pattern in smartphones; the Android operating system is “open” to 3rd party developers, unlike Windows and Apple software. As such, there is generally more variability, both good and bad, whereas Windows and Apple offer stability and reliability. The Android phones are also the only operating systems for smartphones that support multiple users; both iPhones and Microsoft phones only allow one user per phone. The most important assistive technology features for these phones are text to speech software (link), speech to text software (link), optical character recognition scanners (link), and the flexibility of the visual display for electronic work.
Dictation software (speech to text) is now a common feature on smartphones. Apple Dictation, which comes and free on all iphones (more commonly known as Siri) is functional for short (30 second) windows of typing, but not ideal for writing long essays. Microsoft has a similar free built in dictation (Cortana) which is similarly effective, as does Android’s Google Now. There are free dictation software for smartphones that can be installed such as GBoard (available for IOS and Android, not Microsoft) that are better for longer volumes of unbroken text. It should be also noted Cortana has significantly less languages (8) than Google now (43) and Apple Dictation (20). When considering performance and specifications, the most demanding and top of the line dictation software (Dragon) requires relatively update operating systems. Dragon Anywhere, the mobile app version is unavailable for Microsoft phones, can only be run on iPhones with at least iOS 8.1 or better, and can only be run on Android 4.4 (Android Kitkat) or better. The iOS 8.1 is available on iPhone 4s and all later models, and Android 4 is available on Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and Samsung Galaxy 3 or better models. In a general sense, this means smartphones purchased in 2013 and 2014 will have the ability to run modern elite text to speech software. However it also means these phones are on the verge of being obsolete, as they are no longer receiving system updates, and therefore will become incompatible as new versions of Dragon are launched. One could extrapolate that a modern new release phone, such as the iPhone X, would therefore be supported and have an operating system that can run new-release high performance apps for approximately 5 to 6 years. Also note there is disagreement over how low is sufficient, for example some sources say Dragon requires iOS 9, whereas others state iOS 8 is good enough.
Reading software (text to speech) is similarly available for all three major smartphone brands. The performance of the built in text to speech software on smartphones is not meaningfully different, and there are many free text to speech apps available online. For specific apps and compatibility, see text to speech here (link).
Scanners and optical character recognition are particularly interesting as these softwares allow students to use their portable phones to scan pictures, convert them to text form, and can then have them read using text to speech. Many phones advertise having scanners; scanners will not recognize characters and do not produce a document of editable text like true OCR (see more on OCR here). This is one area where paying for high quality has a direct tradeoff for higher performance, as OCR technology still makes numerous mistakes. For modern smartphone cameras, the highest performance are the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 (and Galaxy S8 and S8+ have the same camera), the Google Pixel 2 (and Pixel 2XL), the HTC U11, and the iPhone X. The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is the fastest at focusing, but the Google Pixel 2 XL produces the crispest, clearest pictures. The iPhone X is close behind, with the second best image quality and second best speed. The UTC U11 does the least computational adjustment of the image (it removes less noise), making it the best at night or with poor lighting, but not as clear in ideal conditions. Only the Galaxy Note 8 has the option to adjust image blur; the Pixel and iPhone both can toggle background blur on or off, which. All three of these major models of phones have built in OCR. There is no research comparing them, but lots of individuals on the web have done non-scientific comparisons. Generally speaking, the Google Lens, which comes with the Google Pixel 2 XL, is the most effective OCR. Older phones lack these features, and have free scanners are just scanners and cannot recognize text.
System performance is a common area of concern; modern technology is more powerful and new innovations are constantly being made. For the purposes of assistive technology on the market, right now hardware specifications are generally overkill. Features like RAM (how much stuff a smartphone can do at one time, how fast it can process) and the CPU are not worth investing in. Both the expensive options and cheap options presented below are sufficient. This does not hold true if the user intends to run multiple apps simultaneously or use the phone for much more than assistive technology.
Take Home Message: When considering particular applications and using smartphones, the research shows smartphones are an engaging tool. Individual brands have different specifications, but there are not major differences between them. As with tablets, the iPhone is generally the most popular smartphone on the market, but for elite models, the advantage in features is marginal.
Research Rating: While there are many studies that use smartphones, a large number are pseudo-experimental, and very few relate directly to comparing the features of smartphones. For comparing quality of modern, new smartphones, there is no peer reviewed research and the findings above are composited from individual opinions, tests, and user manual specifications.
*A standard practice in smartphones is offering alternate versions of the phone that are identical save for increased memory. Most modern phones will have a 128 GB option or a 256 GB option if the user plans to take a lot of photos or videos. For reference, a typical high-quality phone photo is 20-30 megabytes, or 2% of a single gigabyte, which translates to approximately 3000 high quality photos on a 64 GB phone.
**Megapixels are not the only measure of camera quality (though they are often pitched as one); the software, lens, and shutters all factor into picture quality. Megapixels are provided as an overall estimator. For example, the iPhone 6 has an 8 MP camera that generally takes pictures as good as the 12MP camera of other budget phones.
Special Consideration: Workflow
Product | Price | OS Compatibility | Internet Reliance | Features | Optimized Use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Streamer | Free trial, $/month subscription | Windows, Mac, Chrome | Yes | Captioning, Note-taking, Translation into almost any language, Streaming, and Speech generation; encrypted protocol for private information | Meetings, conferences and communication needs for personal, professional, and school use |
MathType | $, Free Trial | Windows, Mac, Chrome | No | Select equations from menu | Installed in Google Docs |
OneNote Equation | $$ | Windows, Mac | Yes | Select and draw equations | |
Mobi 3 | $$$$ | Windows | No | Tablet with various tools, including picture library, ability to make phone calls with synthetic text, and home appliance control | |
Allora 2 | $$$$ | N/A | No | Personal keypad with text screen and text-to-speech software, allowing typing phrases to be spoken by the tool. | |
GoTalk | $$$$ | iOS | No | Phone app with selectable pictures, requests, and directions | |
Augmentive Picture Books | $$ | N/A | No | Physical bag with velcro or pockets and cards with pictures for making requests | |
Proloquo2Go | $$$$ | iOS | No | Phone app with selectable pictures, requests, and directions | |
TobiiDynavox | $$$$ | N/A | No | Tablet device; uses touch-pad and eye tracking to receive input from users and generate speech. | Only available by referral |
Microsoft Translate | $$, Free Trial | Mac, Windows, Chrome | Yes | Part of Microsoft Cognitive Services, conducts real time translation of speech and text on websites, programs, dictated information, or given document | All purpose, versatile |
PowerPoint | $$ | Windows, Mac, Chrome | Yes | Present live captioning and subtitles in power point slides. Customization of caption style and automatic, real-time captions in 12 spoken languages | Professional presentations, accessibility compliance |
Rocket Book | $$$ | Any | Yes | Smart notebook that uploads notes online, can scan, send directly as email, and is searchable | Sync between different online systems, easy transcription, scanning and email |
Read and Write for Chrome | $$$ | Chrome | Yes | Suite of many features and technologies. | Reading documents in Google platforms, including Google Docs and Google Classroom. |
Popplet | $ | Web, iOS | Yes | Easily create colorful maps made of text boxes and link together | Organization of information, flexible for all ages |
Search Engine Autocomplete | Free | Any browser | Yes | A basic feature of most search engines such as Google. Press space bar after a target word or phrase to see list of commonly associated topics based on internet searches. Does not provide definitions. | Basic internet proficiency required. Tends to give generic results. Adult filtering recommended. |
Question Analyzer | $$ | Any browser | Yes | Returns a list of commonly asked questions about a target word or phrase. | Uses internet trend data. Good for modern topics or public knowledge. Simple interface. |
AnswerThePublic | Free | Any browser | Yes | Generates list of questions sorted into questions, associations, and comparisons based on target word or phrase. Clicking on any question will start a google search. Presented as visual map or list. | Large volume of results, not intuitive for children. Good for developing an established topic for highschoolers and above. |
Moz | Free, $$ | Any browser | Yes | Generates phrases related to input phrases based on internet searches. Adds questions, common searches, or similar topics. Provides links. | Adults. Needs to be taught; not intuitive for children. Helps refine search terms; find better keywords. |
DiY | Free | No | PDF with examples and lists of ways to invert and innovate existing concepts. | When topic is not known or vague. Doesn't use keywords. | |
Portent Idea Generator | Free | Any browser | Yes | Often returns pop-culture. Generates random opinions or ways of tackling a target idea. Accepts phrases and single words. | For when a topic is already known, choosing an attitude, stance, or approach to the topic. Often gives silly answers. Not good for research. |
Word Association Network | Free | All browsers | Yes | Generates massive list based on a single word, sorted by verbs, nouns, and adjectives. Cannot filter to reduce volume. Large database, accepts most words. Provides pictures, definitions of target word. Words listed by relevance. | Research and writing with keywords. Older students, advanced students. Provides high volume of data to search through. Doesn't generate repeat words. |
Word Storm | Free | Any browser, requires flash | Yes | Creates a map of related words to a target. Closer words are more relevant. Can click on any word to create a new search about that target. Exportable as picture. | General or simple writing assignments. Visually easy to use. Single words only. Database limited, often won't accept complex or unusual words. |
Essay Jack | $/month (single license), $$$/month (bulk for classrooms) | Any web browser | Yes | Sentence starting prompts, database of simple writing tips, example/model statements and essays; collaboration and online group editing, shared reviewing | Grade 8 to university; peer to peer reviewing and sharing |
Scanning Pens | $$$ | Windows, Mac | No | Pocket-sized Reads text aloud in English, Spanish or French | |
Mechanical Mouse | $ | N/A | No | Can be wired or wireless; available at most general stores | |
Wheelchair | Consult a doctor or physiotherapist when purchasing a wheelchair | ||||
Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) HAL-5 Suit | $$$$ | Used in rehab sessions, not meant for public use. | Helps to reteach the brain how to move limbs and torso after traumatic injury. | ||
ReWalk Rehabilitation Walking Rehabilitation | $$$$ | Used in rehab sessions, not meant for public use. | Helps adjust center of gravity and gait during rehabilitation activities | ||
ReWalk Personal 6.0 Walking Assistant | $$$$ | 100m 10mins (On flat ground) | To assist users who have very limited to no use of their legs with walking. | ||
Oxford Picture Dictioary | $$$ | All | No | 13 bilingual versions; website or app | |
Adobe Scan | Free | All | App for devices | ||
Microsoft Lens | Free | Windows, MAC | App for devices | ||
TreeSize | Free | Windows | Yes | Clickable files similar to windows displays hard drive in branching trees | |
BumpTop | Free | Windows, iOS | No | Creates a virtual desk surface; software is no longer being developed but can still be downloaded | Intended for touch screens |
Drop Box | Free, $ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Yes | 2GB of storage free | |
iCloud Drive | Free, $ | Windows, Mac, iOS | Yes | 5GB of storage free, more to pay; online editing | Integrated into Apple Products |
Google Drive | Free, $ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | 15GB of storage free, more to pay; online editing | Multi-user Collaboration. Integrates with Google Classroom |
Box | Free, $ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Yes | 10GB of storage, more to pay | Compatible with other programs |
Microsoft One Drive | Free, $ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Yes | 5GB of storage free, more to pay; online editing | Multi-user Collaboration |
Cram | Free | Any browser | No | Share custom made flash cards through Google Drive or print out cards | |
Paper Card | $ | N/A | No | When printing / physical cards are preferred | |
Microsoft Word | $$ | Mac, Windows, Chrome | No | As part of office 365 suite | |
MapFactor | Free | Android, iOS, Windows | Yes | Voice controlled, voice directions | App for phone / tablet |
Google Maps | Free | All | No | Voice controlled, voice directions | Desktop (website) or app (phone / tablet) |
Waze | Free | Android, iOS, Windows | Yes | Voice controlled, voice directions | App for phone / tablet |
To Doist | $ | iOS, Android | Yes | ||
Any ToDo | $ | iOS, Android | Yes | ||
Google Keep | Free | iOS, Android, Windows, Chrome | Yes | For Android and Windows users | |
Apple Reminders | Free | iOS | Yes | For iPhone users | |
Microsoft Outlook | Free with Office 365 | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android | Yes | Share events with other users, sync between multiple devices | Sync with Microsoft products; ideal for office work |
Apple Calendar | Free | Mac, iOS | Yes | Sync between multiple devices | Sync with all apple devices; ideal for personal work |
Google Calendar | Free | Windows, iOS, Mac, Chrome, Android | Yes | Share events with other users, sync between multiple devices | Sync with gmail and all google accounts; ideal for personal or classrooms |
Paper Agenda | $ | N/A | No | Various sizes of paper agendas; hardback and paperback | Personal organization and planning, cheap |
Crayola | $ | N/A | No | Wide range of color options for pens, pencils, markers, crayons | |
Incompete | Fre | All browsers | Yes | Generate custom free graph paper through website | Hand written graphing assignments; unique grid displays |
iPad | $$$-$$$$ | Mac / iOS | No | Digitizer for iPad tablet | Hybrid between laptop and phone, good for sharing and multiple users |
Google Pay | Free | All browsers | Yes | Tracks all spending linked to google account; can connect debit and banks transactions | |
Mint | Free | iOS, Android, Windows | No | Can connect different credit cards, banks, spending patterns into one central app | Personal spending and budgeting |
Apple Pay | Free | iOS | No | App which tracks spending, savings | Personal spending and budgeting |
Khan Academy | Free; by donation | All | Yes | Thousands of math problems sorted by grades 1-8 | |
Prodigy | Free | All | Yes | 1200 math skills for grades 1-8 with classroom student tracking and feedback | Classroom |
IXL | Free | All | Yes | Website features hundreds of math problems for each grade from K to 12 | Home practice |
Dragon | $$-$$$ | Windows | One of the most advanced voice recognition software on the market | Easily compatible with external programs such as Microsoft Office, major browsers and social media services. Highly practical. | |
Phillips Voice Tracer | $$$ | N/A | No | Handheld device | Personal dictation, 360 sensitivity for group meetings and multiple speakers |
Keyboarding Without Tears | $-$$ | All | No | Levels sorted by grade level, very child friendly progression through levels | Early keyboarding practice, grades K-5 |
CoWriter | $, Subscription | Chrome Plugin | Yes | Includes translation and speech recognition | |
Word Talk | Free | Windows | No | Speak incorrect words outloud and correct them | Word plugin |
vBookz | $ | iOS, Mac | No | 16 languages, interactive cursor for readers to control generated speech and rate, small size optimized for mobile devices | PDFs on mobile devices |
Read and Write | $$ (personal copy) | All | No | Highlight and comment on text and documents | Suite of products, includes Text to Speech, Word Prediction, Personal Dictionary, many other features |
iAnnotate | $ | iOS, Mac | No | App that add notes and comments to documents, PDFs, excel, images, excels, and web pages | Personal mobile devices |
Kami | $/year | All | Yes | Browser plugin, can highlight, paste notes, text, images, underline on PDFs and text documents | Classrooms and schools; purchase per year supports 150 students |
Acapela Voice | $ | Mac, Windows, iOS, Android | No | Over 100 synthetic voices in 30 languages | |
Mac iOS Voices | Free | Mac, iOS | No | Mac products come with default voices | |
Microsoft Voices | Free | Windows | No | Microsoft products come with default voices | |
NextUp | $ | Windows | No | Variety of different voices and accents in many languages | Desktop and laptops |
Tumble Books | Subscription, $$$/year | Download, Cloud | 1100 books for grades K-6, multiple languages, supplementary quizzes, lesson ideas and videos | School age children | |
Onyx Boox | $$$$ | | Anywhere | ||
Rescue Time | Free to $$$ | Mac | Set daily goals. Receive a productivity score. | ||
Dasung E-Ink Paperlike Pro | $$$$ | Windows | No | Multiple display modes | Outdoor environments |
Barnes & Noble Nook Glowlight 3 | $$$ | Windows | No | Night-mode | Anywhere |
Kobo Clara HD | $$$ | Windows | No | Colour changing front light | Anywhere |
Amazon Kindle Oasis | $$$ | Windows | Yes | Waterproof | Anywhere |
Amazon Kindle | $$$ | Windows | Yes | No Backlight | Well-lit room |
Focus At Will | Free to $$$ | Windows Mac iOS Android Chrome | Yes | Use with headphones | |
Spotify | Free to $$$ | Windows Mac iOS Android Chrome | No | ||
Brain.fm | Free to $ | Windows Mac iOS Android | No | Use with headphones | |
Noisli | Free to $$ | Windows Mac iOS Android Chrome | Yes | ||
One Focus | $$ | Mac | All browsers | ||
Waste No Time | Free | Windows | Website and app blocker. | Chrome and Safari | |
Focal Filter | Free | Windows | All browsers | ||
Freedom | $$ | Mac Windows iOS Android | Website and app blocker. Blocked list is synchronized between devices. | All browsers | |
Stay Focused | Free | Mac Windows Linux | Can be a complete block or timed limit | Chrome | |
Qustodio | $$$ | iOS Windows Android Mac Kindle Nook | Controlled by parents | ||
Limitly Screen Time Control | Free | Android | Controlled by parents | ||
Screen Limit | Free to $$$ | iOS Windows Android Mac | Can be synchronized between multiple devices. Controlled by parents. | ||
Time Doctor | $$$ | iOS Windows Android Mac | Controlled by students or parents | ||
iOS 12 | Free | iOS | Controlled by students | ||
Gyrobi | $ | N/A | N/A | ||
Fidget Foot Band | $ | N/A | N/A | Must be tied to a chair | |
Thinking Putty | $ | N/A | N/A | ||
Fidget Puzzle | $ | N/A | N/A | ||
Stress Ball | $$ | N/A | N/A | ||
Sony WH-1000XM2 | $$$$ | N/A | N/A | 10 hours of play. | Wireless. |
AKG N60NC Wireless | $$$$ | N/A | N/A | 15 hours of play. | Wireless. Compactable, travel friendly. |
Sennheiser HD 4.50 BTNC | $$$ | N/A | N/A | 20 hours of play. | Wireless. Headband lacks padding. May be uncomfortable for long term use. |
Plantronics Backbeat Pro 2 | $$$$ | N/A | N/A | 20 hours of play. | Wireless. Styling may not be comfortable for everyone. Should try on before purchasing. |
Bose Quiet Comfort 2015 | $$$$ | N/A | N/A | 20 hours of play. | Not wireless. |
No Products Available | | Currently we have no specific product examples. This may be because the technology is very new, there are far too many products to provide a concise list (e.g. laptops), or it doesn't make sense to list (e.g. carbon paper) | |||
ReWalk Personal 6.0 Walking Assistant | $$$$ | N/A | N/A | Legs, 100m 10mins (On flat ground) | To assist users who have very limited to no use of their legs with walking. |
ReWalk Rehabilitation Walking | $$$$ | N/A | N/A | Legs Used in rehab sessions, not meant for public use. | Helps adjust center of gravity and gait during rehabilitation activities |
Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) HAL-5 Suit | $$$$ | N/A | N/A | Arms, Torso, Legs | Helps to reteach the brain how to move limbs and torso after traumatic injury. |
Microsoft OneNote | $$, Subscription | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | ||
Microsoft OneNote | $$, Subscription | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | Allows users to create and save custom writing templates. | Classrooms. Teachers create templates for student use. |
Microsoft OneNote | $$, Subscription | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | Built into a word processor, optimal for drafting documents. | |
Microsoft OneNote | $$, Subscription | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | No | Capture a digital note and annotate with free-form drawing tool, sticky notes, text; can add music, sounds, images and basically anything else to notes | Alongside other Microsoft software (Word, Excel, etc) |
Microsoft OneNote | $$, Subscription | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | Takes texts from locked images and pulls them into a separate viewing window. Original text formatting is not preserved. | Text documents with little to no spatial elements/formatting (e.g. a shopping list). |
Microsoft OneNote | $$, Subscription | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | High voice quality available. Cloud sharing available. | Reading documents. |
ScanSnap SV600 | $$$$ | Windows, MAC | Book, Single Sided | ||
Scanmarker Air Pen Scanner | $$$$ | Windows, MAC | Pen, Single Sided | ||
IRIScan Book 5 WiFi | $$$$ | Windows, MAC | Wand, Single Sided | ||
ScanSnap iX500 Color Duplex Desk | $$$$ | Windows, MAC | Feed, Double Sided | ||
Brother ImageCenter ADS-3600W | $$$$ | Windows, MAC | Flatbed Scanner, Single Sided | ||
Cubing | Students are asked to consider a topic from multiple different perspectives. Students are given a cube with different activities on each side and roll the cube 2-4 times to complete each activity. | ||||
About-Point | This summarizing strategy allows students to organize their writing based on the main idea and supporting details. | Reading | |||
TOWER + EDITS | Acronym: Think, Organize, Write, Edit, Rewrite, and Embellish, Delete, Insert corrections, Tally progress, Submit grading | Progress monitoring and metacognition | |||
Four Square Writing | A rectangle is drawn and divided into four smaller rectangles of equal size. In the centre of the shape an additional rectangle is drawn, making a total of 5 rectangles. Students are required to write the topic sentence in the middle rectangle, three supporting sentences in the other rectangles, and finally a summary sentence in the bottom right rectangle. | This technique is used for individual paragraphs. | |||
Clicker Docs | $$ | iOS, Mac, Windows, Chrome | No | Customizable word list | App can be modified for each individual’s needs |
Docs Plus | $$$$ | iOS, Mac, Windows, Chrome | No | Customizable word list | Use topic-specific dictionaries for projects |
Co:Writer Universal | $, Subscription | iOS, Mac, Windows, Chrome, Android | Yes | Customizable word list | Use topic-specific dictionaries for projects |
Word Q | $$$-$$$$ | iOS, Mac, Windows, Chrome | No | Customizable word list | iPad features are limited, best on Mac or Windows PCs |
Google Docs | Free | Chrome | Yes | Cloud computing | |
Microsoft 365 | $$, Subscription | Chrome | Yes | Cloud computing | |
Pages | Free | Mac | No | Local hard drive | |
Microsoft Word | $$$ | Windows, Mac | No | Local hard drive | |
Infogalactic | Free | All browsers | Yes | Subject specific information | |
Wikia | Free | All browsers | Yes | Pop-culture and gaming news | |
Encyclopedia Britannica | Free | All browsers | Yes | Encyclopedia | |
Wikipedia | Free | All browsers | Yes | Encyclopedia | |
Doppel | $$$ | N/A | No | Vibrations simulate heartbeat to function as mood regulator | |
Spire | $$$ | N/A | No | Measures breathing and heart rate; alerts during periods of high stress | |
Thync | $$$$ | N/A | No | Can be activated to encourage mood to a “relaxing” state or “heightened” state | |
Watchminder | $$ | N/A | No | Delivers mild, silent vibration and text message at period times throughout day | |
Apple Watch | $$$ | N/A | No | Monitors various bodily signals relating to fitness: heart rate, blood pressure; can set goals, signal thresholds | |
Pilot Translation App | $$$ | Mobile devices, pending 2018 | Yes | Ear pieces for conversation or lecture dyads; language learning app works independently on mobile devices and computers | |
Google Translate | Free | Android | No | Mobile devices and computers | |
iTranslate Converse | Free | iOS | No | Iphone, Apple watch | |
BrailleTranslate.org | Free | Any browser | Yes | Short Texts or Phrases | |
Robobraille.org | Free | Any browser | Yes | Short Texts or Documents | |
Jaws | $$$$ | Windows, Mac | No | Mathematics and technical braille, converts formatted text | Short and long texts, web pages, any on screen content |
DBT Duxbury | $$$$ | Windows, Mac | No | Mathematics and technical braille, converts formatted text | Short and long texts, web pages, any on screen content |
Hal Screen Reader | $$$$ | Windows | No | Mathematics and technical braille, converts formatted text | Short and long texts, web pages, any on screen content |
Ectaco | $$$ | N/A | No | For short phrases; travel communication; spoken or text input, spoken and text output | |
Premier Literacy | $$$$ | Windows, iOS, Mac, Chrome | No | Literacy Productivity | |
Read and Write Gold | $$$ | Windows, Mac, iOS | No | Suite of many features and technologies | Support independent student research |
Widgit Go | $$$ | iOS | No | English, French, Spanish | |
Widgit Online | $$$, Subscription | All browsers | Yes | ||
Pixwriter | $$$ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome | No | English, Spanish | |
Clicker5 | $$$$ | Windows, iOS | No | ||
Symwriter 2 | $$$ | Windows | No | English, French | |
Premier Assistive | $$$$ | Mac, Windows, Chrome | No | Reading – Advanced OCR and TTS | |
WYNN | $$$$ | Mac, iOS | No | Reading – Study tool, TTS and OCR. | |
Read and Write Gold | $$$$ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | No | | Reading and Writing – Limited capacity with PDFs |
Kurzweil | $$$ | Windows, Mac, iOS | No | Suite of many products | Easy to use, wide range of tools, great highlighting function. |
Mindomo | Free, $$$, Subscription | Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome, iOS, | No | Has an outline function built in | |
Inspiration / Kidspiration | $$-$$$ | Windows, Mac, iOS | No | Has both templates for typical writing tasks and an outline function | |
Microsoft Word | $$$-$$$$ | Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome, iOS, Android | No | Using bullets can be used to create an outline and templates can be downloaded online | |
Draft Builder | $$$ | Windows, Mac, Chrome | No | Breaks the writing process into three manageable steps | |
Google Sheets | Free | Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome | Yes | Available for mobile | Collaborative spreadsheet |
Numbers | Free | Mac, iOS | No | Available for mobile | Spreadsheet App |
Microsoft Excel | Free, $$-$$$ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome | No | Available for mobile | Electronic graphing and data input tool |
Zoho Sheet | Free, $ | Windows, Mac, iOS, Chrome | No | Available for mobile | Cloud based collaborative spreadsheet |
Digital Modulation (DM) System | $$$$ | Achieves the same purpose as FM systems, but uses digital rather than analog radio waves to transmit sound. Improved sound quality, higher intelligibility, reduced noise and a shorter delay between message transmission and reception. | |||
Dynamic Personal FM System | $$$$ | Rather than receiving a fixed FM amplification , this device is sensitive to the noise level in classrooms and adjusts the individual’s FM in response. This allows for adaptability to changing noise levels. | |||
Desktop FM System Receiver | $$$$ | Listeners receive the auditory signal through a compact device that can be worn. Typically used for children with APD who do not use a hearing aid or cochlear implant. | |||
Personal FM System Receiver | $$$$ | Listeners receive the auditory signal directly to their personal hearing aid or cochlear implant processor. | |||
Dynamic Soundfield Amplification System | $$$$ | ||||
Classroom Sound Field Amplification System | $$$$ | ||||
iPhone 6 | $$$ | iOS 8 | Some features | 16+ GB, 4.7" screen, average camera, 720x1334 resolution, 7.5 hours constant use of battery | |
Vodaphone Smart V8 | $$ | Android 7 | Some features | 32+ GB, 5.5" screen, Good camera, 1920x1080 resolution, 1 day moderate use of battery | |
Lenovo 2 | $$ | Android 6 | Some features | 16+ GB, 5.5" screen, average camera, 1920x1080 resolution, 3 days moderate use of battery | |
Redmi Note 3 | $$ | Modified Android | Some features | 16+ GB, 5.5" screen, Poor camera, 1920x1080 resolution, 1 day moderate use of battery | |
Samsung Note 8 | $$$$ | Android 8 | Some features | 64+ GB, 5.8" screen, Excellent camera, 2960x1440 resolution, 9.5 hours constant battery use | |
Pixel 2 | $$$ | Android 8 | Some features | 64+ GB, 5.0" screen, Excellent camera, 1920x1080 resolution, 9 hours of constant battery use | |
iPhone X | $$$$ | iOS 11 | Some features | 64+ GB, 5.8" screen, Excellent camera, 2436x1125 resolution, 2 days moderate use of battery | |
Lumia 640 | $$ | Windows 8.1 | Some features | 16+ GB, 5.0" screen, average camera, 720x1280 resolution, 30 hours constant use of battery | |
MAGic | $$$$ | Windows | No | Up to 60x, font smoothing, text to speech upgrade option, integrated color contrast | |
Zoomtext Magnifier | $$$$ | Windows, Mac | No | Up to 36x, font smoothing, text to speech upgrade option, integrated color contrast | |
Windows Magnifier | Free | Windows | No | Up to 4x, Separate function text to speech and color contrast | |
MAC Zoom | Free | Mac | No | Up to 40x, Separate function text to speech and color contrast | |
Online Utility | Free | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | Identifying difficult words, to help instructors prepare texts | |
Simplish | Free | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | Poor simplification but creates list of difficult word definitions | |
Rewordify | Free | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | Decode short passages and highlight changes | |
Simple English Wikipedia | Free | Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Chrome | Yes | Personal Research | |
Optically Controlled inferace | See our page on Eye Gaze Systems | ||||
Head-Controlled Interface | A head-mounted camera may be used as an alternative pointing device for people with limited hand/arm movement and control | ||||
Mouse Pen | Allows the user to hold a pen-shaped device in their hand and use it to move around the device screen. | ||||
Touchscreen | Touchscreens are very commonly available and allow users to interact with their device by touching the screen where they would like to interact with the device. | ||||
Trackpad | Trackpads are rectangular sections typically found on laptops and are touch-sensitive, allowing the user to use their fingers to move a cursor around a computer screen. | ||||
Trackball | | See our page on trackballs | |||
Joystick | See our page on joysticks | ||||
Exact prices change frequently, which is why only approximate ranges are listed.
$ - Under $5
$$ - Between $6 and $50
$$$ - Between $51 and $250
$$$$ - Over $250
References
Bain, T. M., Jones, L., O’Brian, C. A., & Lipman, R. (2015). Feasibility of smartphone-delivered diabetes self-management education and training in an underserved urban population of adults. Journal of Telemedicine and Telecare, 21, 58–60. doi: 10.1177/1357633X14545426
Kim, D. G., & Kim, C. W. (2013). Analysis of the educational utilization of smartphones on elementary children. Journal of the Korean Association of Information Education, 17, 367–373. doi:10.14352/jkaie.2013.17.3.367
Ly, K. H., Dahl, J., Carlbring, P., & Andersson, G. (2012). Development and initial evaluation of a smartphone application based on acceptance and commitment therapy. SpringerPlus, 1(1), 1-11. doi:http://dx.doi.org.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/10.1186/2193-1801-1-11
Uzunboylu, H., Cavus, N., & Ercag, E. (2009). Using mobile learning to increase environmental awareness. Computers & Education, 52(2), 381–389.
Gromik, N.A. Educ Inf Technol (2017) 22: 2087. https://doiorg.myaccess.library.utoronto.ca/10.1007/s10639-016-9533-6
Written by Francis Wall, Last Revision May 2018