Android or IOS?

Smart phones are all the rage right now. If you haven’t heard that a million times, maybe you’re living under a rock. But which phone to choose? The top choices are the Samsung Galaxy series and the Apple iPhone series. Now, there is sooo much debate among people in the general population about which is best, and just like the general public, people with visual impairments are arguing back and forth about which is better: Android or IOS. Well, if you thought I was going to argue one way or the other, you’ve got another thing coming. One of the goals I set for this blog from the beginning was to be as unbiased as possible, to see things from all sides. If I write about one organization, I look for something to write about the other organizations (the NFB versus AFB versus ACB debate, for example), and if I talk about Apple and their iPhone, I’ll talk about Samsung Galaxy phones and Android as well.

Over the next months, I’m going to do a series of articles highlighting some great apps, some on Android and some on IOS. But to get you started looking for yourself, I’d like to point to two very nice websites/databases.

Android Access

For people with Android phones or thinking of getting an Android phone, there is Android Access, which is toted as “your portal to information on accessible Android apps and programs for the blind and visually impaired.” If you’re new to what phones are available, what screenreaders are used, and want an overview of what the Android Access website is all about, be sure to click on the “Getting Started” link (it’s the first link on the page). From there, you can go back to the main page and browse the accessible apps and reviews. There is so much to see, I’ll leave you to browse it all on your own.

Apple VIS

Now, what about iPhone users? We (because I am one of them!) have a nice website/database to turn to as well. It’s called Apple VIS. Its slogan is “Empowering blind and low-vision users of Apple products and related applications.” It doesn’t have the “Getting Started” page like Android Access; I guess it assumes you should dive right in and learn to swim as you go. However, you can register an account and start reviewing apps you’ve used almost instantaneously, and read the hundreds of app reviews that are already there. If I had been smart and looked at the Apple VIS site before buying subscriptions to several magazines through the Newstand built-in app, I would have learned that only a handful of Newstand magazines are actually accessible, and wouldn’t have wasted the time or money that I did, not to mention the excitement at the interesting magazines available. Now I check the website before I make any unwise purchases.

Conclusion

So, whether you prefer Android or IOS, or you’re comparing the accessibility of both to decide which to get, check out these websites to learn about accessible apps for those nifty little smart phones!