Tips and guides

Ballyland Magic App

This app is designed for children who are blind or visually impaired to learn and practice touch gestures for VoiceOver, Apple's screen reader.

The Ballyland Magic app is an educational and fun iPad game specifically designed for children who are blind or have low vision, to learn and practice a number of touch gestures for VoiceOver, Apple’s built-in screen reader. 
 
Children who are blind need to have VoiceOver skills in order to effectively use an iPhone or iPad. This requires the use of specific touch gestures that are different from those generally used by sighted children. Likening VoiceOver gestures to magic hand movements, the app aims to make children, their parents and teachers feel confident and positive in starting to use this special gesture-based navigation. 
 
Children can enjoy the interaction with the Ballylanders, while the supportive games enable them to gradually learn a number of navigational touch gestures for VoiceOver. Mastering all of the gestures that are introduced in the app means that children can take charge of the entertaining Ballyland Magic Show, which features the Ballylanders’ ‘magic’ acts. 
 
Sighted parents and teachers don’t need to be a VoiceOver expert to assist the child – but by the end of the Grand Finale, they will be well on their way to becoming one.
 

Features:

  • No previous iPad experience required by the child or parent/teacher
  • Built-in speech
  • Original “Tap-tap” practice song
  • Popular Ballyland characters
  • Use at home and school
  • Designed with extensive feedback from adults and children with vision impairment, parents and teachers
 

Available for $2.99 from iTunes.