My name is Sandy Gillam. I am a wife and a mother of two boys and a TSVI. My youngest is 12 years old and has typical vision and hearing. My oldest Liam, age 15, is deafblind. Liam and I love accessibility technology and a variety of it! Currently, Liam primarily uses his iPad paired with a refreshable braille display. I thought I would share the list of the most common apps we are using, why I feel they are powerful tools, and why Liam likes them. If desired at a future time, I could go into more detail on how I taught Liam how to use each app. I also wanted to share videos of Liam and why he likes each app and how he uses them. We really like the iPad paired with a braille display as it is compact and doesn’t take up a lot of space on a table or desk or in his backpack.
The iPad also has apps that are familiar to most of the general public and the ones on this list are all free! We also like the fact that the staff and adults that read print, can see what he is doing easily on the display of the iPad and can help as needed.
Note: These are apps that work well for us. Every student has different needs, levels and preferences. The list of apps that Liam uses is constantly evolving.
Calendar
Calendar is one of the most recent apps that Liam has learned. I tried a few different options, but I finally chose to teach him the built in Apple calendar. The reason for this was, in my opinion, that it was the most accessible and streamlined option to use with a braille display on the iPad. I love this app as Liam is not only able to find the day of the week and the date but also look at past and future dates as well! He can add “events” to the dates of things he wants to remember or are important to him. The things Liam has added to his calendar so far are doctor appointments, lunch menu for the week, and when family is coming to visit. Future uses will be to add assignments and due dates for homework, tests, etc. I am so excited that Liam can now keep track of his events in a way that is convenient and accessible to him!
Outlook
I chose the Outlook app as this is the email platform that his school district uses. Liam knows how to email on his school laptop (paired with a braille display) but I wanted a more convenient way to do that on his iPad. This app is very accessible. We found a few kinks or glitches that don’t work as well as the laptop. It is not perfect but a great option for Liam to have on his iPad.
Bookshare
We love Bookshare! This has been a great option for Liam to access his textbooks when he is in the classroom. He doesn’t have a lot of space on his desk (we could get more table space, but we typically try to keep it at one desk if possible because the classrooms are full of students). He also uses this app for reading books of his choice for fun. I love that it is a portable reading option for Liam! He has used his iPad to read books in the car, outside, on the couch, etc.
Messages
This of course is a favorite app that he uses to text family and friends. This app is an invaluable way for a person who is deafblind to stay connected with family and friends.
Weather
This is an app Liam uses to know what the current and future weather will be like. He likes to use this app to know what he should wear for the day and if he should bring a coat or not. He has also used this app to know if it would be a good day to take a walk outside.
Clock
There are very few options for Liam to tell the time by himself. The iPad is a quick, convenient, accessible option.
Cardzilla
This is a “new to us” app that was recommended to me by a friend who is Deaf. She said that this app is a good communication tool for when communicating with hearing and sighted people that do not know American Sign Language. I like this option because Liam can communicate with another person without having to hook up an additional keyboard. The keyboard option sometimes has connection issues and sometimes people are not fluent at typing. The Cardzilla app uses a speech to text option. So far, I have felt that it records the speech accurately with few errors. The downside to this app is if you are in a noisy setting it also picks up text from other conversations.
How does it work? The person who is hearing talks and the app converts it to text. Liam reads the text on his refreshable braille display and then can type a reply using his refreshable braille display. The person he is conversing with can read on the iPad in print what he is typing in braille on his display. Liam is in control of turning the dictate button on and off. We created a system where the person who is dictating will tap Liam when they are finished so he knows to turn of text to speech.
Notes App
We use the built in Notes App to work as a deafblind communicator. Like the purpose of the Cardzilla app, this is used for Liam to communicate with people who are sighted/hearing that do not know American Sign Language. We pair a QWERTY Bluetooth keyboard to the iPad when using this app.
See the past post about communication: Communication Tools in the Community for Students who are Deafblind
Venmo
Liam gets a weekly allowance. We recently got him a Venmo debit card so he can have practice being responsible with money and a debit card. This app makes it simple and quick for him to check his balance on his card. The app is simple to navigate with a braille display.
ChatGPT
This app is a nice option for Liam to take advantage of AI technology. He can type in a question and even have the answer written at his reading level if requested. This is a nice streamline option in contrast to an internet search that can be cumbersome.
Seeing AI
This app has many great options for people who are blind and a few of those options are ideal for people who are deafblind. The options we have found work best for Liam and are the most helpful (they do not rely on sound only): reading products, reading currency, transferring a document or handwritten note from print to braille. The only downside to this app is it is hard to line up the items independently. We are still working on that.
Tips for teaching/learning new apps
- Before I show Liam a new app, I take time to study the app myself. I find out if it is accessible and pairs well with a braille display. I try many different apps that serve the same purpose to see what would be best. If they are the built-in Apple apps that is my preferred choice if possible. There is a lot of trial and error on how to access the parts of the app that are helpful. I will write down all the steps and ‘tricks’ for accessing the app and its functions. This can be tedious and frustrating, but it is a rewarding process once you tackle it.
- Keep lessons short. Teach one skill at a time. Keep it motivating for the student. Show the value of the app to your specific student. For example, the calendar app, Liam always wants to know what he is having for school lunch each day. I started with that task. Showing that you can find (or add) the menu for the day on any given day.
- Know the accessibility shortcuts that are for braille displays and iPad (these can be found online and/or user guides).
