Access to books, news, educational materials, and digital information supports lifelong learning and community engagement.
iPad
Overview: Tablet with extensive built-in accessibility features.
Accessibility Features: VoiceOver, Zoom, large text, color adjustments, reading, communication, and entertainment access.
Considerations: Features vary by app.
View the iPad on the Apple website
iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus
Overview: Smartphone with integrated accessibility tools.
Accessibility Features: VoiceOver, magnification, communication tools, and access to a large accessibility ecosystem.
Considerations: Learning curve may vary by user.
View the iPhone on the Apple website
Orbit Reader 20
Overview: Affordable refreshable braille display.
Accessibility Features: Supports reading, note-taking, editing, and connectivity with phones and computers. Helpful for some users with neuropathy.
Considerations: 20-cell display may be limiting for some users.
View the Orbit Reader 20 on the Orbit Research website
BARD Mobile
Overview: Opens the door to thousands of books through the National Library Service, which DeafBlind readers qualify to access. After signing up for service and creating an account, users can search titles, build a favorites list, and use navigation gestures to play, forward, and rewind. Books can be listened to audibly or read by touch on a connected braille display.
View BARD Mobile on the App Store
NFB-Newsline Mobile
Overview: Provides access to news, magazines, television listings, retail ads, and emergency weather alerts. Subscribers can browse 500 publications by category, and the included KNFB Basic Reader can photograph printed text and read it aloud. Registration as a subscriber is free for the DeafBlind community.
View NFB-Newsline Mobile on the App Store
Bookshare Reader
Overview: An online reading service available through the app and web browsers such as Chrome, Safari, and Microsoft Edge. Accessible features include text-to-speech and magnification for larger print, and braille users can download titles in BRF format to read on a refreshable braille display. Access is free for current students; for non-students the service costs $79.99 per year.