Apps for people with low vision: accessible games, books, and music.

The digital world harnesses many benefits for people with vision loss, from enhancing accessibility with artificial intelligence (AI) technology, to simply providing entertainment like books, music and games. Finding apps accessible for people with vision impairment can be challenging, but that doesn’t mean technology is boring or unusable. Here are some accessible apps where you can find entertainment through audiobooks, music, games and more. 

Audible 

Audible is an audiobook service from Amazon that allows users to access thousands of audiobooks. The app is free to download but it requires a monthly subscription fee. An Audible subscription gives the user one credit per month which can be used to purchase one audiobook title. 

Spotify 

Spotify is a music streaming service where you can access millions of songs and podcasts. You can navigate through Spotify using smartphone screen readers like TalkBack and VoiceOver or you can turn on Spotify voice control and operate it by saying the voice command ‘Hey Spotify’.  

Spotify is free to download and there is a free version of the app where you can listen with a connection to Wi-Fi, but it comes with advertisements. There is also a paid subscription version where you can pay per month so you can listen without adverts and download music to listen without Wi-Fi connection. With the paid service, you can also access audiobooks (with a limit of 15 hours per month) which could be a good alternative to Audible. 

Libby 

Libby is an app from which you can access eBooks, audiobooks and magazines from your local library. If you have a library card, you can use Libby to access digital titles from your local library without even having to step foot in the building. You can use the app to browse through your library’s catalogue and choose a book to loan.  

The app includes audiobooks, but it is also compatible with screen readers like VoiceOver and TalkBack so you can listen to eBooks. Libby also has a number of other accessibility features, including zooming in, changing font size, and changing the colours to sepia mode or night mode. 

Evidence 111 

Evidence 111 is an audio-only, mystery game where you control the actions of Inspector Alice Wells after she receives a mysterious and incriminating phone call about an accident that happened ten years ago. The game takes two hours to play through, and the choices that you make throughout the game will decide the ending of the story. The game features voices from famous actors including Zoë Robins, Rosamund Pike, and Mike Bodie. The app is free to download but to access the full story has a small cost. 

A Blind Legend 

A Blind Legend is a game without visuals, designed for both vision impaired and sighted players to embark on a journey solely through sound. The premise is Edward Blake, a knight who is blind, is trying to save his wife after she has been kidnapped by an evil king. Guided by his daughter Louise, Blake must navigate the dangerous journey while confronting enemies. The game uses binaural sound to create an immersive experience. 

Zany Touch 

Zany Touch is a game that gives you audio prompts which ask you to react with actions, such as shaking your phone or swiping. The pace of the prompts speeds up as the game continues. In this Bop It style game, there are three difficulty settings so you can make the game more or less challenging. 

The list of accessible entertainment apps is ever evolving.  Connecting with others who have a vision impairment will help keep you abreast of the latest developments as people share their learnings and experiences.