Assistive technology improves the quality of life of a person by increasing their access to everyday tasks. It also helps to increase the independence and participation of a person in their own household and local community.
Assistive technology helps a person to manage:
Assistive technology includes, but are not limited to:
Please visit Assistive Technology for Education’s page on Examples of AT (assistive technology) for a quick introduction to the variety of assistive technology tools and applications.
Global Report on Assistive Technology by WHO and UNICEF
If you would like to add useful and affordable assistive technology devices or applications to this list, please contact us at okurightsmatter[at]gmail[dot]com
The Windows Screen Reader Primer: All the Basics and More by David Kingsbury - Book available in Word and ePub format.
Be My Eyes is a free app that connects blind and low-vision people with sighted volunteers and company representatives for visual assistance through a live video call. Available on iOS and Google Play Store.
Seeing AI is a completely free app on iOS that narrates the surrounding of its users, from texts in documents, bank notes and barcodes, to recognising people and scenes around its users.
Let Me Talk is an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) app that supports communication for individuals with communication difficulties. Available for free on iOS and Google Play Store.
JABtalk is a free AAC app that enables personalisation of its usage through recording voices and context-specific images. It is a good alternative for non-English-speaking users. Only available on Android devices.
Live Transcribe & Sound Notifications developed by Google is a speech-to-text application that transcribes conversations in real time. Its latest update also helps users who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing to be aware of important sound notifications at home such as fire alarm or ringing doorbell.
Balabolka is a free text-to-speech software for Windows. It allows users to alter the rate and pitch of a voice output.
List of free, online, speech-generating symbol-based AAC options by Kit Autie
TickTick is a task manager app which combines a few functions under one app: to-do list reminder with calendar integration, customisable Pomodoro timer, and habit tracker. It works on multiple platforms, including Windows, browser, and Gmail add-on. TickTick’s basic free version includes all of the functions offered with limited number of tasks, lists and reminders.
Visual Timer is a simple count down timer with an analogue clock face to help individuals with estimating how quickly time passes to visualise the passing of time.
Be Focused – Focus Timer (iOS) helps the user to retain focus and motivation by breaking up individual tasks into clear intervals, separated by short breaks.
Engross app combines a customisable Pomodoro timer with to-do list and planner, which allows users to block periods of work and rest. Available for free with in-app purchases on both iOS and Google Play.
Mindful Browsing is a free Google Chrome browser extension that lets its users specify which websites they would like to spend less time on. It also allows users to set self-care reminders, such as taking a short walk or breathing exercises.
Google Keep is a simple and completely free note-taking app. It also supports handwritten notes and voice recording with transcription. It can also be accessed via web browser or Google Chrome extension.
Notion is a note-taking app with customisable templates. However, it requires a bit of a learning curve for new users. It offers a free personal plan with storage for up to 1000 content blocks.