We are pleased to announce that the 2017 inductees into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame, as chosen by the AppleVis community, are Timecrest: The Door and Nearby Explorer.
First opened in 2011, the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is one of the ways in which the AppleVis community seeks to recognize and showcase developers of accessible iOS applications. Apps in the Hall of Fame can be liberating and empowering; life-changing; provide access to information that sighted users take for granted; or, in some cases, they can just be good fun!
In short, the iOS App Hall of Fame represents the best of the best in accessible iOS applications, as decided by the AppleVis community.
Voting for the 2017 iOS App Hall of Fame induction was held from Friday, May 12 to Friday, May 19, 2017 with nine apps shortlisted. Without question, this was the most closely contested vote to date in the six year history of the Hall of Fame; with all of the shortlisted apps gaining significant support and the outcome uncertain right up to when the poll closed.
The two apps which ultimately received the most number of votes - and which will be inducted into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame - are Timecrest: The Door and Nearby Explorer.
Timecrest is an immersive 225,000-word blend of epic fantasy and interactive fiction, where every decision matters and leads to one of multiple endings. The story progresses in real-time; and you can build a team and Unlock secret storylines by building your relationship with other characters. The Timecrest developers have proactively engaged with blind gamers to ensure that this app delivers the optimum experience for VoiceOver users.
Nearby Explorer is a full-featured GPS app designed specifically for the vision impaired by the American Printing House for the Blind. You can select what location-related information is announced as you move. Options include both typical items like street name and address, and specialized announcements like approaching streets, intersection configurations, and nearby places and the distance and direction to them. Nearby Explorer can be used to provide turn-by-turn directions or to keep you aware of what's around you.
It is wonderful to see two such different but equally deserving apps gain induction into our Hall of Fame, and we offer our congratulations and appreciation to the teams behind Timecrest and Nearby Explorer.
Notes
To be eligible for induction into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame, an app must:
- Be fully accessible to blind and low vision users;
- Be from a developer with a demonstrated and long-term commitment to full accessibility;
- Have been available in the App Store for a significant period of time; and
- Demonstrate excellence in design, functionality and operation.
If there is an app that you believe should be considered for the next induction shortlist, please take a moment to nominate it here.