Reading apps for people with sight loss

EasyReader is a free app from assistive technology specialist Dolphin that enables you to read with text or access audio books − or with text and audio synchronised so you can read along as you listen.One of the main advantages of this app is that you can use it to adjust text size, change colour schemes, or make other adjustments that will make reading easier.

EasyReader is compatible with a wide range of devices including iPhones, Android phones and Kindles. It also works seamlessly with built-in screen readers such as Apple VoiceOver and Google TalkBack.Once you have downloaded the app, you can sign into a wide variety of online book, newspaper and talking book libraries and use it to find and read a huge variety of accessible titles.

One of the best libraries that you can access through EasyReader is the Calibre Audio service. Calibre Audio is free to join for anyone who has a print disability and offers unlimited borrowing of over 14,500 unabridged audiobooks, including more than 3,000 audiobooks specifically for children and young people. Find the full list of the libraries available on the EasyReader website

How to get EasyReader

EasyReader is free to use and easy to download from the App Store or Google Play, or by using this link for Windows computers.

Memberships are required for EasyReader’s partner talking book libraries. You can set these up through the various library websites.

Find out more about EasyReader on the Dolphin website.

Although it is not a reading app, RNIB Reading Services is worth including on this list because it provides you with free access to over 30,000 Talking Books for children and adults. It is arguably the most popular audiobook reading library for people with sight loss in the UK.The service also works well with modern technology – for example, RNIB says that the best way to access its books on a tablet or smartphone is by using the Dolphin EasyReader app mentioned above.

Another major benefit is that you can stream RNIB’s Talking Books through Alexa smart speaker devices. Alexa will even remember your place in every book that it plays for you. Find out more on RNIB’s dedicated Alexa page.

If you prefer, you can use the RNIB service to order Talking Books to listen to on CD. If you are an educational organisation, we also recommend RNIB Bookshare service, which provides access to over 1,000,000 titles in a range of accessible formats to support the UK curriculum.

How to get RNIB Reading Services

RNIB Reading Services is available exclusively to people in the UK who are blind or partially sighted or print disabled. You can apply to use the service with this registration form. Once you have completed your registration, you will receive an email from RNIB confirming your account is active.

To use EasyReader with RNIB Reading Services, complete your registration and then follow these instructions on the service’s EasyReader guide.

Find out more on the RNIB Reading Services website.

Owned by Amazon, Audible is the world’s largest commercial audio bookshop and will need no introduction for many people who are living with a visual impairment. The range of titles it offers is vast and includes everything from biographies to fiction, business and children’s books.

You can stream Audible books from your laptop or PC, but we mention it here because you can also listen via on app on your phone or tablet.

You can buy each title individually or take out a subscription that starts at £7.99 a month. It’s then free to download the Audible app for your Apple or Android device and listen to your audiobooks wherever you choose.

Read more about what Audible is and how it works here.

How to get Audible on your smartphone or tablet

A guide to how to listen to Audible on your device is available on the Audible help pages. Find out more on the App Store or Google Play.

Google Play Books is a popular reading app for Android devices that’s easy to use. Simply download the app from the Google Play store and choose from millions of eBooks, audiobooks, comics, manga books and textbooks. It also includes useful features like personalised recommendations when you’re looking for something new to read.

Google Play Books works seamlessly with the Google Talkback screen reader that enables you to control your device even if you have no sight – find out more on Google’s support pages This app is free to download and there are no subscription fees. You do have to pay for most of the titles as you go though – just as you would from a bookshop on the high street.

Please note that most titles are protected by digital rights management, which means you can’t share the titles you buy with anyone else.

How to get Google Play Books

The Amazon Kindle app is useful because it enables you to access over 1.5 million books, magazines and newspapers even if you don’t own a Kindle device.

You can use it to read on your smartphone or tablet because it works well with screen readers such as Apple VoiceOver service or Android TalkBack. It also has a variety of text colours and font sizes that you can apply to make your reading experience easier if you have low vision.

When you have downloaded the app, it’s easy to search for the titles you want to read. There are some restrictions though. For example, Apple don’t allow purchases within the app unless you are a Kindle Unlimited or Amazon Prime member.

Another thing to consider is that Kindle books have their own format which you can’t read unless you have their app. All books are also protected by digital rights management, so remember that you can’t share them with others before you buy.

How to get the Amazon Kindle app

OneStep Reader is a well-established text-to-speech reading app from Belgian assistive technology specialist Sensotec. You can use it to take a photo of anything containing text and the app will read the text out loud or display it on a connected refreshable Braille display.

The biggest advantage of OneStep Reader is that it’s not just for books – you can use it to read a wide variety of complex documents including bills, emails, menus, recipes and nutritional information on food packaging. It also includes many other features such as spoken and vibration guidance that will help you align your photo.

Formerly known as KNFB reader, OneStep Reader was originally developed in collaboration with the National Federation for the Blind in the early 2000s and is now available for Apple and Android devices and also PCs with Windows 10. You do need to buy a licence to use the app though – please find more details below.

How to get OneStep Reader

Download the OneStep Reader Multi from the App Store, Google Play or the Microsoft Store for Windows 10. You’ll also need a OneStep Reader Multi web licence.

Prices for the licence vary, but you can expect to pay around £100. Instructions on how to buy and activate the licence once you have downloaded the app are available on the Sensotec website.

To use the app with Windows 10 on your PC, you’ll need suitable additional hardware such as a standard Windows 10 compatible flatbed document scanner.

Voice Dream Reader is a text-to-speech app for Apple customers that reads text aloud from pdfs, webpages, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, books and almost any other digital format in over 20 different languages. Apple named it as the Apple Design Award Winner for Inclusivity in 2021.

Although you have to buy the app – its costs £25.99 on the Apple App Store – Voice Dream Reader is one of the reading apps worth considering. It is designed in detail to be accessible and includes many different customisable settings you can use to adjust the tone, accent and speed of the voice that is talking to you.

Voice Dream Reader is also tailored for studying and education. You can scan and listen to documents, set bookmarks, highlight text, make notes and organise documents and books in searchable folders. It even includes a free companion Apple Watch app that can play your documents and books offline while you’re not connected to your iPhone.

One caveat is that although Voice Dream Reader work with a variety of book formats, you can’t use it to read books that you buy from Amazon, iBooks and other online booksellers that have applied digital rights management to protect their titles under copyright. It does however provide easy access to Bookshare, an online library of accessible books for people with living with a visual impairment or dyslexia.

How to get Voice Dream Reader

Voice Dream Reader is available on Apple’s UK App Store for £25.99. You will not be able to use it if you have an Android device such as a Samsung Galaxy or Google Pixel phone.
Find out more on the Voice Dream website