Have you ever wondered how someone with dyslexia can breeze through a book, or how a person who is blind navigates a new city street? These scenarios pose real questions: How do people with disabilities tackle everyday tasks that others take for granted? The answer today often lies in technology. Innovative accessibility apps – ranging from AI-powered vision narrators to clever task organizers – are helping to bridge the gap and make the world more usable for everyone. They can turn a smartphone into a seeing eye, a hearing ear, or an attentive personal assistant. The key is finding the right tool for a specific need, whether it’s reading text aloud, transcribing conversations in real-time, or simplifying communication.
In this guide, we spotlight 9 of the best accessibility apps that improve user experience for people with various disabilities. Each app shines in a different way – from assisting blind users with everyday errands to helping those with learning differences focus and communicate. We’ll explain who each app is best for, what it does, and how much it costs, so you can discover which one might make life easier. Accessibility challenges don’t have to hold you back; with the right app, everyday hurdles can turn into manageable tasks. Let’s explore these empowering tools and see how they can help you or your loved ones.
Be My Eyes
Best for: People who are blind or visually impaired who need real-time assistance with everyday tasks.
Be My Eyes connects users with a global network of sighted volunteers through live video calls. Whether it’s reading an expiration date or navigating a new environment, users can launch the app and get paired with a volunteer within seconds. Volunteers see through the user’s phone camera and describe what they see — text, objects, colors, and more.
This simple concept has grown into the world’s largest sighted volunteer community, with over 9 million volunteers helping more than 900,000 blind and low-vision users worldwide. The app also now features an AI-powered virtual assistant (“Be My AI”) that can describe images on demand.
Pricing: Completely free for both users and volunteers.
Seeing AI
Best for: Individuals who are blind or have low vision and want AI to narrate their environment and read text aloud.
Seeing AI, developed by Microsoft, uses artificial intelligence to describe the world through your phone’s camera. It reads printed text, recognizes products via barcodes, describes people and their emotions, and narrates surroundings.
Users can choose from different “channels” like Short Text, Document, Product, Person, and Scene, depending on their needs. It’s especially useful for reading mail, identifying objects, or navigating independently.
Pricing: Free (iOS only, with Android in preview).
RogerVoice
Best for: Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals who want to make phone calls with real-time captioning.
RogerVoice provides live transcription during phone calls. When a user makes a call through the app, speech is instantly converted to text on-screen using voice recognition. Users can reply by speaking or typing (the app can voice the message aloud).
This allows Deaf or hard-of-hearing individuals to make personal and professional calls without human relay operators.
Pricing: Free to download with a basic captioning tier. Premium calling plans may require a subscription.
Ava
Best for: Deaf or hard-of-hearing people who need real-time subtitles for group conversations, meetings, or lectures.
Ava offers live transcription of speech into text with around 90% accuracy using AI. In group settings, each participant can join on their device, and the app labels who’s speaking in real time. With just one phone on a table, it can also transcribe surrounding conversations.
Ava supports multiple languages and also offers a human-assisted “Scribe” service for near-perfect accuracy.
Pricing: Free plan with limited hours and session lengths. Premium plans start at $9.99/month.
Voice Dream Reader
Best for: People with dyslexia, ADHD, or other reading difficulties who benefit from listening instead of reading.
Voice Dream Reader converts text from PDFs, web articles, documents, and more into natural-sounding speech. Users can customize playback speed, voice, and highlighting for improved comprehension. The app supports over 200 voices across multiple languages.
It’s used widely by students and professionals to make reading more accessible and less fatiguing.
Pricing: One-time purchase (~$9.99). No recurring subscription required.
Remember The Milk
Best for: Individuals with memory challenges, ADHD, or brain fog who need help organizing tasks and reminders.
This to-do app acts like an external brain, helping users stay on top of appointments, chores, and deadlines. It offers recurring tasks, list-sharing, and multi-platform sync. Many users with cognitive conditions use it for medication reminders or daily routines.
Pricing: Free with basic features. Pro version (~$39/year) unlocks advanced features like subtasks and integrations.
Avaz
Best for: Non-verbal or speech-impaired individuals who need an AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication) tool.
Avaz uses picture-based communication to help users express thoughts. Tapping icons creates sentences that the app reads aloud. The app is fully customizable, supports multiple languages, and grows with the user—from basic requests to full conversations.
Pricing: Free trial available. One-time purchase (~$150–$300) or subscription (~$10/month) depending on region/platform.
Assistive Touch
Best for: Individuals with motor impairments or limited dexterity who have difficulty using physical buttons or gestures.
Assistive Touch places a floating button on the screen for controlling volume, lock, home, screenshots, and gestures with simple taps. Built into iOS and available via third-party apps on Android, it’s an essential feature for users with limited hand mobility or fine motor control.
Pricing: Free. Built-in on iOS; free apps available for Android (some with optional in-app purchases).
AccessNow
Best for: Wheelchair users, people with mobility impairments, or caregivers seeking physically accessible public spaces.
AccessNow is a community-powered map that shows which venues are wheelchair-friendly. Locations are marked as accessible, partially accessible, or not accessible. Users contribute reviews, and the app now includes thousands of locations with real-time accessibility data.
Perfect for planning ahead — whether you're looking for restaurants, hotels, or public spaces.
Pricing: Free. Available on iOS and Android.
Digital accessibility is no longer just a nice-to-have—it’s essential. From the workplace to classrooms and online communities, people with cognitive and physical challenges need technology that adapts to them, not the other way around.
According to the CDC, 1 in 4 adults in the U.S. lives with a disability. Yet most websites and tools remain largely inaccessible. By integrating tools like those above, organizations not only meet legal requirements like WCAG and ADA compliance but also show a real commitment to inclusive design.
Whether you're designing for users with dyslexia, building onboarding experiences for neurodivergent employees, or helping students process information in new ways, the right accessibility tool makes all the difference. These apps don’t replace human effort—they enhance independence, comprehension, and confidence.
Now that you’ve explored the most impactful tools on the market, the only question is: which one will you integrate first to build a more inclusive, usable, and empathetic digital world?