Smartphones have built-in accessibility features, so people with different disabilities are able to use them. Depending on their level of sight, there are different accessibility features that blind and low-vision individuals use to navigate their smartphone, such as the screen readers VoiceOver or TalkBack, Zoom, Magnifier, Motion reduction, and much more.

Using a Smartphone with a screen reader

Smartphones have a built-in screen reader program that can be activated through the accessibility settings called VoiceOver on Apple devices and TalkBack on Android devices. It is a speech synthesiser that will read out what's on the screen, and the user can navigate with the use of certain gestures.

VIDEO - How I use technology as a blind person! is a great first-hand overview of how blind people use screen readers to use technology.

Using a Smartphone with a Zoom, Magnifier or enlarged text

People who have low vision often prefer to use a zoom, digital magnifier or enlarged text features that can also be activated through the accessibility settings on smartphones. They can enlarge what is on the screen as much as they need to be able to see it.

Be My Eyes works with all accessibility features so that it is easy and accessible for the blind and low-vision users to use the app for visual assistance.