In addition to visual impairment, people need a cell phone screen reader for a variety of reasons. Certainly blind people and people with significant vision problems are a prime demographic, but there are other needs and disabilities where a screen reader can be a great help. Other populations include people who aren’t comfortable with technology, people who cannot navigate via typical small buttons on cluttered screens, and people who cannot read.
The GeorgiePhone, created by a company with the same name, is a multi-function Android app for visually impaired and others. In addition to its basic features, GeorgiePhone is a platform for a slew of special purpose add-ons. The interface has big talking buttons, a simple and easy to remember layout, and for those who have some vision, clear print and a choice of color themes. The standard functions let you make calls; manage your contacts; compose, send and receive text messages; hear the current time and date; signal for immediate assistance; and set your phone preferences, using the clear on-screen keyboard or your own voice.
There are optional apps for GeorgiePhone, generally free or $1.50 each, for the weather, reading labels, a radio application, a dictation function, scheduler, magnifier, color detector, camera, and more. There’s so much available, designed in many cases by blind people for blind people, that users can create their own suite of utilities and aids.
There isn’t currently a version of GeorgiePhone for iOS devices, but Android support gives people the freedom to use a purpose-built interface.
