People often wonder how I use my iPhone because I’m registered as blind and have no useful vision, they are usually genuinely interested and have no idea about what features that enable blind and visually impaired people to use mobile phones, computers, tablets and other devices.
Recently, a photo of a blind lady looking at her phone whilst using a white cane was shared on Facebook with the caption ‘if you see what’s wrong with this photo say I see it’ With many people commenting that the person was faking her blindness, just because she was looking at her phone whilst using her long cane. As you can imagine, blind and visually impaired people like myself have been outraged by such comments, it baffles me why people think that a person would want to fake being blind. Why do people think that you can’t be blind and use a phone?
Having a visual impairment doesn’t mean that we can’t use a phone, it’s a lifeline for many blind and visually impaired people. We can use mobile phones just like sighted people, we just use accessibility features to enable us to do so.
For those of you that have read my blog for a while then you will know that I try to tackle the common misconceptions and stigmas surrounding visual impairment and disability in the hope to educate people and change their wrongly perceived ideas surrounding sight loss and disability. I thought I would tell you exactly how blind and visually impaired people use mobile phones, explaining some of the accessibility features in the hope to stop people making assumptions such as the recent Facebook photo.
I’m going to be discussing accessibility features that are available on iPhones (and any other Apple products) and Android devices as these are currently the most popular amongst the blind and visual impairment community, but other makes and models of phones have accessibility features as well.
Let’s get to business, shall we?
Accessibility features are built-in to Apple and Android devices, meaning that they are accessible to blind and visually impaired people straight out of the box. This is great as it means that we can use these devices straight away, just like sighted people.
So how do blind and visually impaired people use mobile phones?
As I have previously said, there is a range of features that mean that we can use phones just like sighted people, these features enable us to complete a range of tasks on our phones – keeping in contact with friends and family, reading and responding to emails, reading a good book, browsing the internet, online shopping, booking train tickets and checking bus and train times, online banking, using social media, getting to where we need to be, playing games, listening to music and so much more, the list goes on!
So, here’s a run-down of some of the accessibility features that blind and visually impaired people use.
Screen-reader
VoiceOver on Apple products such as the iPhone and TalkBack on Android devices are screen-readers that are built-in to these devices. The screen-reader reads out loud everything that’s on the screen. VoiceOver and TalkBack work with thousands of apps meaning that we can enjoy using iPhones or Android devices, just like sighted people. From texting, to calling, scrolling through social media, managing money, online shopping and responding to important work emails, blind and visually impaired people can use a mobile phone, even if they have no useful vision.
The screen-readers also read out images (when they have descriptions) so this is why it’s vital for people to add alt text to images on their blog or website and descriptions to images they upload on social media.
I personally use VoiceOver on my iPhone as I am a screen-reader user as I have no useful vision. I couldn’t imagine my life without my iPhone, I use it every single day for all sorts of things both for work and in my personal life.
Zoom
Zoom is a magnifier that enables people with low vision to zoom or magnify the screen. It works with built-in apps and third-party apps, making phones fully accessible.
You can also make the text larger and bolder, making it easier to see across all applications.
Magnifier
The camera on your phone can be used like a digital magnifying glass, to increase the size so you can see things more clearly. The flash can be used to light the object, filters can be used to differentiate between colours and photos can be taken and saved to get a close-up.
Speak screen
Some blind and visually impaired people may use zoom or other features but may need speech from time to time, this is where speak screen comes in. Speak screen does exactly what it says, it reads the screen out loud. This can be great for reading emails, reading a book or if you are struggling to read text. This is ideal for people who don’t need to use a screen-reader but could sometimes benefit from a speech functionality.
Display accommodations
For people with some useful vision, there is the option to invert colours, reduce white point, enable greyscale or select a range of filters to support a range of colours for various levels of vision.
Dictation
Dictation is a speech-to-text functionality, it means that you don’t have to type, you can talk to your phone instead, this means that you can dictate messages, tweets, Facebook posts, emails and much more.
Just like using a Google Home or Amazon Echo, phones also have similar features as well. You can use Siri or Google Assistant to complete a variety of tasks – making calls, checking the weather, listen to music, open an app and much more.
These accessibility features enable blind and visually impaired people like myself to use mobile phones just like sighted people. Just because a person has a visual impairment, this doesn’t stop us from using it. These features have been designed to give disabled people full access to technology at our fingertips, give us greater independence and it means that we can use it like everyone else.
I got my first phone when I was younger, I’ve gone from using a small phone with no accessibility features and having family and friends on speed dial, to using phones with a keyboard with a screen-reader and then the iPhone which revolutionised the experience for me. It’s given me independence and means I can use a phone just like my sighted friends and family. Thousands of apps are available at my fingertips. I use my iPhone for navigating unfamiliar areas or getting to where I need to be, do a bit of blogging, check social media, browse the internet, respond to emails, read, listen to music, keep in contact with my friends,, recognise products the list goes on. One thing I love is the fact that people with a visual impairment can use mobile phones straight out the box with their accessibility features. Mainstream devices are fully accessible with no extra costs added for blind and visually impaired people and that’s the way it should be.
So, the next time you see a blind or visually impaired person using a phone whilst using their long cane, they are not faking their visual impairment, we can use phones just like you can. The possibility of a person using a mobile phone whilst using a long cane is not an alien concept. As a long cane user myself, I regularly use my phone when out and about, it helps me in more ways than I can describe.
There is a wrongly perceived idea that if you are blind then you see nothing at all, but there is a spectrum of sight and 93 % of blind people have some useful vision. It may not be much, but it helps them navigate this predominantly sighted world.
Simple adaptions such as a screen-reader, zoom and easy access to a magnifier are a lifeline for many of us and we couldn’t complete some daily tasks without the use of our mobile phone.
Many blind and visually impaired people now feel embarrassed to use their phone whilst out in public, it’s people’s wrongly perceived ideas and assumptions that make them feel this way. I personally use my phone a lot when I’m out for navigation, contacting my friends and family and checking train times, why should I stop doing all of these things because people think I’m faking my blindness? I shouldn’t, it’s not fair. Just because I can’t see my phone, it doesn’t mean that I can’t use it! You don’t have to be sighted to use a mobile phone.
I wanted to share some of the ways how blind and visually impaired people use phones and explain some of the accessibility features that are available on such devices to tackle these wrongly perceived ideas. I hope this post has challenged some of the myths surrounding sight loss and educated some of you on how accessible these devices can be and how important they are for many of us.
I know that not everyone has these outdated, wrongly perceived assumptions, many people are genuinely interested in how we use technology, so I hope this post has given you a bit of an insight.
The next time you meet a blind or visually impaired person, don’t make assumptions about them and their visual impairment, treat them like human beings and don’t think that they are faking their blindness, why on earth would someone want to do that anyway?
If you see a blind or visually impaired person using a mobile phone, remember that they could be using it to complete an important task or it could be assisting them getting to their destination, in the same way yours does.
Accessibility features enable us to use phones, tablets, computers, kindles and other devices just like sighted people. We use them for work, education and for fun, and so do sighted people, our sight loss doesn’t mean that we can’t do all of these things.
See us for who we are, don’t define us by our sight loss.
If you would like to learn more about assistive technology that blind and visually impaired people use then check out some of my other blog posts and videos over on my YouTube channel.
What accessibility features do you use on your mobile phone? Let me know in the comments, let’s show the world that blind people can use phones.
Holly x
Lynne Nicholson UK says
Currently I use my phone camera to take photos of items on the top shelf in supers then zoom in on the photo to see what is there so I can still shop independently.
I’m trying to learn how to use voiceover as my sight is still deteriorating and even four inches from my nose is beginning to get too fuzzy to deal with
lifeofablindgirl@gmail.com says
That’s a good way of doing that. Best of luck learning VoiceOver
Yvonne says
Hi just trying to get a phone for a friend who is blind can you recommend one for me and the cost .He was given a builders phone and it’s impossible for him to use it .
Yvonne
Holly says
Apple and Android are the most popular, but if your friend isn’t wanting something that is touch-screen or advanced, then I’d suggest getting in contact with any local or national visual impairment organisations as they often have cheaper, more basic options available. Hope that helps!
Jenni says
Thank you for this!
lifeofablindgirl@gmail.com says
No problem at all!
Elin says
This was such an informative post, I’m sure lots of people will learn something from it. I used to use Zoom on my phone which was really helpful when I had more sight but now VoiceOver is a lifesaver! I don’t know where I’d be without all these features! Great post as always hun xxx
lifeofablindgirl@gmail.com says
Thank you lovely! Me either, they are amazing! Xxx
Khushi says
hi
another lovely post as always Holly 🙂
I’m currently using my android phone with talkback and I do all those things what other people do on their phones and I’m happy to own my phone.
#Blind people also use a phone
lifeofablindgirl@gmail.com says
Thank you! That’s great 🙂
Melina Elisa says
This was such an interesting post! I’ve always wondered how people who are blind or visually impaired use screens with no buttons on it! I thought it would super difficult to be on a flat screen where it would be difficult to differentiate where is what. Super interesting post. I would love a part two answering some more on this topic ! Great post xxx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
lifeofablindgirl@gmail.com says
Thank you so much, really glad you found it informative! I’d love to do a part 2, feel free to send me your questions and I’ll answer them in a future post xxx
Melina Elisa says
I definitely would love if you only use siri guide you to an app, or if you memorize where apps are located?
Also, I see that there’s a rectangle around your app and on your apple watch. What does that do you for?
lifeofablindgirl@gmail.com says
These are really interesting, thank you!
Brad says
We, blind people, like anyone else, can ask siri/google assistant to open any app but we can use our screen readers too.
The way it works is you swipe to the app you want then double tap on it to open it.
I’m blind so don’tknow about the triangle, was it? But it’s probably a curcer.
Chloe May Blogs says
A lovely informative post! I have never actually thought about visually impaired people using phones before so it is nice to see how it is done x
lifeofablindgirl@gmail.com says
Thank you so much x
Tom Stevenson says
Thanks for sharing this informative article. Nowadays technology makes it easier for blind peoples to use mobile phones.
lifeofablindgirl@gmail.com says
It definitely does
Peter Callaghan says
An excellent article. I am sure it is going to be very helpful to many people.
I have a query, if I may? The charging of mobiles is often quite difficult. How do you locate the tiny little charging ports on the phone? My 91 year old Mum is 95% blind and a bit techno resistant now. She understands the need for us to be able to contact her but this charging issue is a real obstacle. She would not know when her phone was flat. Do you have any thoughts on this? We’d be very grateful.
Holly says
Thank you. I have an iPhone and use VoiceOver which reads out loud what’s on the screen. In regards to the battery, it reads out the battery percentage and also alerts me when the battery is at 20% then at 10%. In terms of locating the charging port, mine is at the bottom of the phone and I can feel where it is, hope that helps
Laura Aquino says
My family member is recently blind as a result of central nervous system affecting her optic nerve. Trying to get her to segue to an iPhone voice over, any instructions for getting started?
Holly says
That’s great that you’re encouraging her to use VoiceOver on the iPhone. There is a VoiceOver practice which is in settings > accessibility > VoiceOver, there is a list of basic gestures and underneath that there is the VoiceOver practice which might be a good starting point. Many visual impairment charities offer support so she could maybe reach out to them if she thinks that would be beneficial? Hope that helps a bit.
Oscar says
Hello, I was wondering if blind or partially sighted people sometimes feel uncomfortable using their mobile phone in public (like in the underground, bus etc.) because people around them could hear or read the messages they got? Thank you in advance and very nice article by the way!
Holly says
Thanks! This is definitely something that’s personal preference and will vary from person to person
Dan says
My wife is recently completely blind after a car accident. She has always been an iPhone user, and she is working to learn voiceover, but she is (and I am) confronted and frustrated with the rotor, and notifications popping up while she’s trying to do things, and apps like audible being poorly designed for blind people. I’m sure we’ll get there, but the learning curve is very frustrating.
Two questions:
1) Do you have any tips for setting up voiceover to behave better?
2) How useful is your apple watch? She hates waking me to ask the time, so the vibrate feature sounds handy.
Thanks so much!
Holly says
It can take a lot of getting used to, but definitely worth the perseverance.
I’d recommend really getting to grips with the VoiceOver gestures as these are key, and the main aspect of doing things quickly, easily and efficiently.
Make sure that she has a voice she likes, at a speed that works for her. All of these can be changed, and there’s a range of voices to choose from.
I love my Apple watch and find it really useful
Rose says
Hello!
I’m trying to help a friend who doesn’t know about any of the ways that blind people can do basic things on an Android cell phone. Can you recommend a resource to direct him to or that I could use to help him set up his phone so that he can: (1) make regular phone calls, i.e., entering a phone number without using his hands, and (2) enter digits to select menu options when on a live call, e.g., enter a password and meeting ID when trying to connect to a phone conference call or Zoom call?
Unfortunately, the classes for visually impaired people which he was able to attend before the pandemic are no longer meeting. So, he doesn’t have a way to get his questions answered.
He can’t call in to our virtual church services because he can’t see the screen well enough to touch the numbers on the phone key pad. So, he’s been very isolated during the pandemic.
We would like for him to be as fully engaged in our church as he was before the pandemic lockdown, so I would really appreciate any recommendations that you can give me for the best websites, YouTube videos, blogs, etc., where we can learn how to help him navigate his phone without touch.
Thank you for your blog and for sharing your knowledge!
Holly says
Really sorry to hear that your friend is having some difficulty with technology, especially during the current situation.
There are a lot of resources from Google Accessibility which have information on TalkBack and other accessibility features. I’d recommend getting in touch with any local or national vision impairment organisations, many offer help with technology and other services