Mobile Technology and Libraries: Mobile Assistive Technology Software

Libraries have endeavored to meet the changing Internet technology demands of their patrons. Over the last decade or so, mobile technologies have increased in presence in the library. Many libraries offer free Wi-Fi and loan e-readers, tablets, and laptops. 

In an article for Library Journal, Lisa Carlucci Thomas writes that 34 percent of public libraries and 44 percent of academic libraries offered some kind of mobile services to patrons, according to a 2010 survey (2012). Of the available services, text message reference services, text message notifications, mobile-friendly online catalogs, and mobile-friendly websites were the top library mobile technologies available (Thomas, 2012). As library patrons have become more adept at using mobile devices, the demands for responsive communication and self-service features have also increased.

Patrons with disabilities may find taking advantage of mobile technologies a challenge. Many of the assistive technologies for computer use and Internet browsing presented in videos I referenced in Assistive Technologies and the Digital Divide and Assistive Technology and Libraries: The Need for Marketing and Staff Education are desktop and laptop based.

That being said, most iOS and Android devices come with some built-in accessibility features. These include text-to-speech functions, speech-to-text (dictation) functions, features that address attention-deficit issues, and features that address some motor-skill issues (The Understood Team).

Many mobile devices also come with a virtual/smart assistant, such as Siri, Bixby, and Google Assistant, with varying levels of utility.

Additional free software that libraries can download for free to use on their loanable mobile devices include:

1. Google TalkBack by Google

“Google TalkBack is an accessibility app that aids users with vision impairments in the use of their Android devices. It speaks information on the screen and provides speech and vibration feedback to user actions,” (NLS). Available from the Google Play Store.

2. VoiceOver by Apple

“VoiceOver allows users to access information on the screen of their iOS device through speech and braille output. With specific gestures, users can control VoiceOver to perform certain tasks, and it can also echo text input. Users who also use a braille display can connect that display via Bluetooth to read VoiceOver output through braille,” (NLS). Free with most iOS devices.

References

National Library Service for the Blind and Physically Handicapped (NLS) (2017). Assistive Technology Products for Information Access. Retrieved May 07, 2018, from https://www.loc.gov/nls/resources/blindness-and-vision-impairment/devices-aids/assistive-technology-products-information-access/#_Toc450576122

Thomas, L. C. (2012). Mobile Libraries 2012. Library Journal, 137(2), 26-28.

The Understood Team (n.d.). Assistive Technology That's Built Into Mobile Devices. Retrieved May 07, 2018, from https://www.understood.org/en/school-learning/assistive-technology/assistive-technologies-basics/assistive-technology-thats-built-into-mobile-devices