Orientation & Mobility Apps

There are many apps (applications) available to support the development of Orientation and Mobility skills for children and youth who are blind or visually impaired, as well as those who are deafblind.  I compiled a list of some of my favorites in various categories.  Please let us know if you try any of these or have others to add to the list!

• Sound Identification
• Navigation
• Safety
• Traffic Concepts / Games
• Communication
• Writing Board
• Miscellaneous
• Visual Skills

Apps for Sound Identification

I Hear Ewe	When user taps on an icon of an animal or vehicle, the game will verbally announce what type of animal or vehicle it is and play a recording of its real sound.
Sound Touch Lite	Tap a picture, and a real life photo of the item pops open, accompanied by the sound it makes.
Peekaboo Barn	Learn the names of animals and hear the sounds they make with this app.
Touch the Sound	This app focuses on helping kids learn to recognize familiar sounds and match the sounds to the picture.

Apps for Navigation

Compass-PRO	Turns iOS device into a compass.
Radar for Metro Vancouver Buses	Shows you live, up-to-the-minute bus locations on the TransLink network. It also gives you quick access to estimated next bus times.
Pocket Map	Pocket Map lets you create folders called “pockets”, so you can easily drag and drop your bookmarks into categories.
Autour	Autour is an eyes-free mobile system designed to give blind users a better sense of their surroundings. Places around you are read to you from a map as you walk.

Safety Apps

Traffic Apps – Concepts / Games

Communication Apps

Writing Board Apps

Miscellaneous Apps

Visual Skills Apps

Please note that you may need to check whether the app has been updated or whether it only works with certain operating systems.  This page was updated on March 5, 2024, but we know that apps come and go on a regular basis. Please let us know if you have any information to share about any of the apps on this page.