We are pleased to announce that the 2019 inductees into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame, as chosen by the AppleVis community, are Voice Dream Scanner and Microsoft Soundscape.
First opened in 2011, the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame is one of the ways in which the AppleVis community seeks to recognize developers who prioritize accessibility and take it to the next level. Apps in the Hall of Fame can be liberating; 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 2019 iOS App Hall of Fame induction was held from Tuesday, June 25 to Saturday, June 29, 2019 with twelve apps shortlisted. Each shortlisted app demonstrates what's possible when developers commit to ensuring that all users have the opportunity to access the full potential of their apps, and it was no surprise that all of the shortlisted apps gained significant support from the AppleVis community.
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 Voice Dream Scanner and Microsoft Soundscape.
The 2019 Inductees into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame
Voice Dream Scanner
Scan paper documents with the camera and recognize text. Listen using built-in text-to-speech. Save and export. Unlimited use: no subscriptions or additional charges.
State-of-the-art A.I. for OCR and text recognition: Fast and accurate, even in poor lighting conditions. Works entirely on device: No need for internet and your data stays private.
ScanTone, a sound that represents the amount of recognizable text in the camera's field of view in real time. It uses artificial intelligence to analyze the live feed from the camera for text, angle, rotation, and document edges.
Export scans as plain text or PDF with embedded text to another app, or save them on your local device, iCloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive.
Works with Voice Dream Reader, our full-featured text-to-speech reader. After downloading this app, you will be able access the scanner directly from Reader. In addition, you'll be able to read scanned PDF documents in Reader.
Read more about Voice Dream Scanner
Download Voice Dream Scanner from the App Store
Microsoft Soundscape
Microsoft Soundscape uses 3D audio technology to enhance your awareness of what is around you, and thereby help you get around and explore your surroundings.
Soundscape will place audio cues and labels in 3D space such that they sound like they are coming from the direction of the points of interest, parks, roads and other features in your surroundings.
Soundscape is designed to live in the background and provide you with effortless ambient awareness. Therefore, feel free to use it in conjunction with other apps such as podcasts, audio books, email and even GPS navigation.
Key features:
- As you walk, Soundscape will automatically call out the key points of interest, roads and intersections that you pass. These can be adjusted and turned on and off.
- An audio beacon can be placed on a point of interest, and you will hear it as you move around. You can place an audio beacon on a point of interest that you would like to track such as your destination, a point to return to or a landmark you are familiar with.
- āMy Locationā describes your current location and the direction you are facing.
- "Nearby Markers" describes nearby places you have marked.
- āAround Meā describes nearby points of interest in each of the four cardinal directions, helping with orientation. Try this out when getting off a bus or leaving a train station.
- āAhead of Meā describes points of interest in front of you, for example when walking down the street.
- The expandable Callout History section lets you review callouts you have heard, repeat callouts, hear more information about them, and more.
Read more about Microsoft Soundscape
Download Microsoft Soundscape from the App Store
It is wonderful to see two such different but equally deserving apps gain induction into the AppleVis iOS App Hall of Fame. Both are great examples of how iOS apps can transform an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch into a life-changing tool for blind and low vision users. We offer our sincere congratulations and appreciation to the teams behind Voice Dream Scanner and Microsoft Soundscape, as well as to the developers behind all of the shortlisted apps.
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.