Apps for Brain Injury and Disability
It’s amazing the technology that is available to assist people with mild to moderate brain injury. One that comes to mind is the use of “apps” on a smartphone. If your brain injured client is able to use a smartphone or tablet, some of these apps may be very helpful.
Free and paid apps are available for iOS and Android devices and can be added on a phone or a tablet. Some of these apps can even be controlled with voice or with simple touch pictures instead of using a keyboard and calendars to aid with organization. Many of these apps could be utilized not only by people with a brain injury, but also by those with other disabilities like decreased mobility, limited hand dexterity and paralysis.
Brainline.org is an organization for support and resources for persons with brain injury and/or PTSD and is based in Virginia as part of the PBS radio station organization. They recently released an article titled “Life-Changing Apps for People with Brain Injury” this list includes apps that can assist with communication, organization, accessibility, brain training, behavior tracking and more.
Here are some examples of the apps listed:
TapGram – This is a device friendly website that allows the user to send simple messages, emails and post on social media by tapping on pictures instead of typing on a keyboard.
Touch calendar – For Android devices, the app lets the user see their whole calendar at a glance instead of flipping through different views. This app is good for people who do better with fewer steps.
Unus Tactus – For iOS devices, this is designed for people of all ages with mild cognitive and/or motor deficits by making your cell phone easier to use with a simple one-touch photosystem allowing you to dial by recognizing the photo of the person or the business that you want to call.
Visual Schedule Planner – An iPad app that gives an audio/visual of your daily events.
Voice access – Available for iOS and Android devices which allows you to use your voice to control your device; this is great for anyone who is having difficulty or is unable to use a touch screen.
Wheelmap – This app, available for iOS and Android, helps wheelchair users and caregivers locate wheelchair accessible places in the world.
To see the rest of the list please visit https://www.brainline.org/article/life-changing-apps-people-brain-injury