Assistive Technology for the Blind and Visually Impaired | Tier List

In this video, Carrie ranks the best and most popular assistive technologies for the blind and visually impaired. There's so much available and this video does not cover everything! This is for 2022 even though it's a bit late.

Video Chapters
0:00 Ranking Assistive Technology
0:29 Explaining the AT Tier List
1:16 Criteria for the AT Tier List
2:25 1. Smartphones
2:56 2. Computers
3:27 3. Tablets
4:17 4. Screen Readers
4:48 5. Screen magnifiers
5:59 6. Screen Accommodations
6:51 7. Dictation
7:53 8. Braille
8:50 9. People
9:32 10. Audio Description
10:17 11. Screen Magnification
11:24 12. Optical Magnifiers
12:34 13. Wearable Assistive Technology
13:40 14. White Cane
15:13 15. Guide Dogs
16:55 16. Low Vision Products
17:49 17. Talking Products
18:56 18. Bump dots and more
19:47 19. Accessible Crosswalks
20:35 20. Book Players
22:01 21. Audiobook Apps
22:42 22. Magnifier Apps
23:44 23. OCR and Object Recognition Apps
25:10 24. Ridesharing Apps
26:50 25. Be My Eyes
28:12 26. Aira
29:19 Assistive Technology Tier List Summary

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[waylee]

Thank you for mentioning Braille. I use a Braille display for college, and it helps me so much. And I belive Braille literacy is vital.

[JoshTseng]

Hey you did the tier list too! And you are one of the first people to get the pronunciation of my name 100% correct. Thanks for the shoutout! 😂

Love the explanations behind some of your choices, it's always really interesting to hear from a fellow techie in the vision impaired community.

Out of curiosity: you seem to have access to quite a lot of assistive technologies, especially hardware. Do you have an assistive device library that you borrow these things from, or do you reach out to the brands directly to get a product on loan?

Here in Singapore we have a government-funded charity that has a beautiful showroom filled with assistive technology. I work as one of their partners and vendors in my day job, so I get to borrow their devices whenever I have the time to pop by. It's how I got the WeWalk cane to trial and make my video on.

I think it's not an understatement to say that the access to technology that you and I have is what makes us so super fortunate. Even though we're vision impaired, we're able to live our best lives thanks to these tools. ❤

[susancarr]

Hi, Carrie! I loved your video! I think I would have put my Alexa devices into an S tier all on their own. I use them all of the time for reminders to check communications from school, Ordering medicine, adding things to the grocery List, checking the weather… It's a super big help. I would also add YouTube videos and discord chats like yours as a separate S tier item. It is such a great thing to have access to the knowledge other people have in this area, as well as the emotional support that comes from the community online. It is one of the things that got me through my transition to low vision.

[Theonegov]

COMINT - NSA Remote Neural Monitoring - Communications Intelligence - A technology that collects ALL electronic and signal ( all radio type signals ) communications - EVERYTHING

[kirtmanwaring]

Totally agree with you about braille! Using a braille display with my phone these past few months now that braille on android is better has been life changing for me … even with the bugs that are still there. I know it's very expensive and I couldn't have done it without government help

[KlausSzyska]

Thank you Carrie for your personal insights and candid ranking of AT tools you have been using. As a seeing person, one has (for the most part) no idea what a VI or blind person goes through to be independent or let along be safe. New smart(AI)phone technology is unfolding (like Google's Gemini Nano and others) that shows promise for the VI/blind folks however future models need to include depth perception to be helpful/useful in analyzing surroundings for the blind.

[LDAWG_zolly]

hi carrie i love your content and it's impressive and innovative for us the blind and visually impaired people

[derekraines]

I enjoyed your presentation, I would’ve preferred though the classic a through F category! Thank you

[hilaryweiner]

This just popped up on my feed. I totally agree about the phone and computer being most useful. My tablet is almost as useful as the phone since I can enlarge font enough to read fluently and so much is available in digital form.

As for mobility, the beeping crosswalk signals are helpful where i live just outside Washington DC, but are confusing when they cover intersecting streets because they have the same sound signals coming from one transmitter. Probably belong in C tier. Bases come often enough and we have sidewalks, so they are A tier. Rideshare is great if I have to get to an appointment or the bus would take over an hour because of bad connections. Despite the cost, rideshare is S tier.

One thing you didn't mention is a flatbed scanner you can hook into your computer. They are pretty inexpensive, and work well for reading things that come in the mail if you need magnification.

Thanks for sharing this!

[BobCrook]

This was great, Carrie. Thanks for putting the video together.

[mutavarat]

Hello Carrie, and thank you for this insightful video. With recent technological advancements, I believe it would be possible to design a device that would allow a person who was totally blind from birth to thread a needle. I am talking about an immense expansion of independence for the blind. However, I have three concerns. First I worry that this arena of devices would be initiated with design flaws that might be copied by competitors and become standard practice. This happened in the software development industry when Apple hired unemployed Object Oriented programmers (an approach that was becoming more and more obviously inferior to Functional programming) to design the operating system for Windows. Because of this tactical business maneuver, we seem to be stuck with spaghetti-code for the foreseeable future. The second is that it would be offered for $7000 with an additional $200 monthly fee, which I believe would be unnecessarily expensive. Third, I am concerned that the device would be offered in stages, the way a new car model is introduced with 190 horsepower the first year, then four years later with 240 horsepower, and for the last three years of production offered with 300 horsepower, when the 300 horsepower car was possible from the very beginning. At this point it seems that the development of this device is inevitable, whether it is done by me or others. I don't care if it's me, I just want it done. But It would be good if it was initially well designed, was honestly as inexpensive as possible, and was bleeding-edge, with nothing held back regarding the required specifications. Patents and open-source are not a sure answer, as they have proven to be easily circumvented, and may result in 30 different companies trying to figure out how to do the same thing in 30 different ways. Until it was introduced, to avoid the above concerns, secrecy and compartmentalization would be a must. Then who cares who makes it? Let the manufacturers battle it out. The concept is surprisingly simple (famous last words) and would be easily supplanted if the long-promised "bionic eye" is ever developed. But it could be very practical and useful in the interim. I am not promising that I can or will pursue its' development, but I know that it would have to include significant support, financial and technical, from both the blind and sighted communities. I am eager to hear your comments, as well as those from anyone who is interested.

[Pierceb]

Thank you for your recommendations and your enthusiasm in recommending these tools and resources.

[moybetancourt]

You won me over with the guide dog's placement!!!! Nothing against them, but Awesome job staying up to what you believe! Keep up the amazing job! your content is great. 👍

[luizp]

thanks carrie you are a blessed soul, sister!

[louisearellano]

I enjoy using my braille labeler for labeling products i buy at any of the different stores

[mckensieparker]

I personally would put all technology that I can use in the S tear. It depends on which screen readers though.

[larrytestut]

It my favorite ones of assistive technology is voiceover and screen, magnification and voice control

[Spiralnebel_GB]

In my opinion light and maybe object/color recognition could be mentioned as well 👋😃

[taneis]

What screen reader can I find to install on my grandfather's phone? I can't see one that works on the app store. Can someone help?

[seanm.]

yeah, the smaller town you’re in the less reliable Paratransit and bus service becomes