BridgingApps.org – Bridging the Gap Between Technology and People with Disabilities

BridgingApps.org is a website that thrives to “bridge the gap between technology and people with disabilities.” Using the  How to Search for Apps tab you can search by specific skills, read reviews by professionals and save your own searches with notes. The Getting Started tab allows you search based on your role as caregiver or professional. All the apps are rated, categorized and priced. Check out how this site may help take the confusion out of the term “There is an app for that.”

The audience is teachers, therapists and medical professionals and although the apps I reviewed were targeted towards children, the site is for anyone with a disability including  adults/seniors. Registration is encouraged.

There is a LOT of  useful information at this site. It’s best if time is taken to explore the site before trying to locate an app or a service. It’s particularly helpful to review the content in the sections, Getting Started, and How to Search for Apps before exploring the site in-depth.

BridgingApps is a program of Easter Seals Greater Houston that provides access to educational and therapeutic tools—anywhere, anytime—allowing parents, teachers, and therapists to effectively use mobile devices and apps to target and improve individual skill development to help children and adults with disabilities reach their highest levels of physical and cognitive development.

Augsburg College Recommends: Free and Low-Cost Assistive Technology

The Center for Learning and Accessible Student Services (CLASS)) at Augsburg College (MN) has a wonderful resource at their website. Featuring free or low-cost assistive technology tools,  CLASS staff provide information about apps and programs that are either free or that cost less than $25.00  The apps are organized by the following categories:

CLASS staff are committed to staying up to date on the latest information about the apps and strive to addthe latest and greatest apps as soon as they come out. CLASS has also made available a downloadable copy of the listings with live links of the entire list of Free and Low Cost Assistive Technology for Everyone,  at this  link: Free and Low Cost Assistive Technology for Everyone

CLASS also  offers a nice over view of what Assistive Technology is and isn’t at  Assistive Technology: What Is It?

Snap Type App for Occupational Therapy – A Tool for Writing

If you work with students who struggle with dysgraphia, you may want to introduce them to  Snap Type App for Occupational Therapy – A Tool for Writing.  This free app was created for use with iPads by Amberlynn Gifford, an Occupational Therapy student in Springfield, Massachusetts.

The app allows  students can take a picture of their worksheet  or other document (e.g. exam) in class and use the iPad keyboard to  type their answers directly onto the worksheet. A screenshot of the completed worksheet can then be emailed to the teacher.

The app can be downloaded for free from the app store.  More information may be found at: Snap Type for Occupational Therapy – A Tool for Writing