The internet is an integrated part of our modern lives, but for people with disabilities, it can be challenging to navigate. For this reason, developers are creating apps and devices that can aid in making the web more accessible for people with disabilities, like the team behind accessiBe. accessiBe is an application meant to be paired with a smartphone or tablet so that users with disabilities can more easily access the web.
“The app is a voice-controlled screen reader that delivers spoken descriptions of everything on your phone’s display, making it easier to know what is going on,” said Haim Azulay, VP of Product Design at accessiBe. “In addition, we provide a set of tools and techniques by which developers can make their apps accessible. If the app is properly coded, then it will work with accessiBe.”
accessiBe can be used by those with sight, hearing, and physical disabilities. In addition, by enabling better access to the web on a global scale, accessiBe makes internet access an option for more users.
“People who are blind have difficulties accessing the information on a screen,” said Azulay, “as most of this information is displayed visually. We want to make the phone more accessible by providing a voice interface that can read all of this information.”
“Part of the problem is that people with hearing disabilities can’t enjoy audio content on the web,” explained Azulay, “and those with physical disabilities may not be able to use touchscreen devices. So we want to open up all of this content for everyone.”
For now, accessiBe is releasing an iOS app so users can more easily access the web through their iPhones and iPads. Their team is also working on partnering with app developers to incorporate accessiBe into their apps, ensuring full compatibility.
“We want to partner with organizations that are interested in building accessible apps,” said Azulay, “and we want to work with blind organizations to make sure our product caters to their unique needs. We are also looking for people to get involved with our community of beta testers.”
The accessiBe team is currently developing new features for their app, like listening to multiple web pages at once. They are also working on improving translation capabilities for users that speak different languages.
“We want to make sure that everyone with disabilities has equal access to information,” said Azulay, “and our goal is to provide voice-guided navigation across all kinds of apps and devices.”
“I think this is a game-changer,” added Azulay. “It will allow people to use their access to the web more effectively and improve their digital literacy skills.”
“Our ultimate goal is to make the web a more accessible place for everyone,” said Azulay. “To do that, we’re developing tools that can help web developers to create accessible apps. We are also developing our own app so people blind or with any other disabilities will have an easy way to access information.”
In closing, accessiBe is making the web more accessible for people with disabilities, helping to expand the possibilities of what can be done on devices that have access to the internet.
