6 Must-Have Apps for People with Disabilities

September 18th, 2015

If you have a family member who is disabled, you know how difficult life can be for both of you. The frustration of not always being able to help them, understand what they want, and protect them when you’re not around is immense. Luckily, there are technology tools in the form of apps out there that can help make life easier, safer and better for them and you. Here are a few of the more helpful must-have apps for people with disabilities and their family members.

Communication

Talkitt assists those who have speech disorders, such as individuals with cerebral palsy, Parkinson’s disease, and stroke victims. The app helps translate words that sound incomprehensible into something that can be understood. The people communicating will be able to use their own voice as well – the app recognizes the individual’s speech vocal patterns and thus translates it. Talkitt works in every language.

Avaz allows those who cannot speak to use pictures to depict what they want. For instance, a nonverbal autistic child can use symbols and voice synthesis to tell parents they are hungry. There is even a keyboard to help the child to eventually use text to communicate.

Assisting deaf and hearing impaired individuals, RogerVoice converts voice to text for phone calls. In other words, subtitles are created on the receiving end of the hearing impaired so they can respond accordingly.

Safety, Security and Independence

With the push of a personal assistance button, the Mobile Alert™ by LifeFone app powered by SmartTek is able to bring help to a disabled user’s exact GPS location – all without saying a word. The app is connected to a 24/7 monitoring center where the user’s individualized profile with medical and emergency contact information is on file to ensure that their unique needs are met– the FIRST time. This is particularly helpful for those who have difficulty communicating due to a mental, physical or medical condition. The monitoring center uses the individual’s profile and contacts care givers or First Responders as the situation dictates.

Helping those that are blind as well as visually impaired, Be My Eyes helps make the connection with sighted volunteers. These volunteers help via a direct video connection with tasks such as reading certain things or navigating around an area. Volunteers are notified after the afflicted person enters a request for assistance and are on hand to ensure the task or action is done correctly and without harm to the user.

Also provided by LifeFone and powered by SmartTek, FamilyGuard™ provides all the benefits of Mobile Alert™ – a personal assistance button that you can assign to you or a family member’s smartphone plus the ability to monitor in real-time locations for family members. The tracking feature is particularly helpful in extending the independence of family members who may have memory or communications issues.

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What is Mobile Personal Security? And Why Do I Need It?

August 31st, 2015

So, maybe you’ve heard the term mobile personal security, aka mPERS, flying around, but what does it mean and why should you have it? Well, it means exactly what it says – personal security that extends outside the home – and accompanies you on the go! New technology such as LifeFone Mobile Alert™ is making it possible for anyone to carry their own personal security system via an application (app) on their smartphone. Yes! You heard, right! Mobile personal security applications are growing in popularity as more smartphone users, and there are 250 million of us out there, are installing and arming themselves with this valuable tool to use in any emergency.

The overall number of crimes, accidents and situations that risk personal safety in the U.S. is staggering. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), there were an estimated 1,163,146 violent crimes committed nationwide in 2013 and of that an estimated 345,031 were robbery-related. Obtaining rapid response times to these situations can be the difference between life or death.

So how can your smartphone combined with this type of application help save your life?

While it may sometimes be difficult to call 911 with your phone in a precarious situation or extreme circumstance, a user of a mobile personal security app can, with one touch of a button, send out GPS detailed coordinates of their location to a professionally monitored call center. This “help or panic” button has proven to be a faster route to medics, firefighters and police officers than calling 911! Some apps even have the ability to send out notifications to emergency contacts registered by the user, provide call center professionals with additional and secure personal and medical information and provide two-way communications if necessary.

LifeFone Mobile Alert™ app comes with a user-defined panic plan that is initiated with one touch of a virtual button on a smartphone. With Mobile Alert, if a user presses the button and the user is in distress or even senses danger, can’t speak or needs medical attention, a signal will be sent to trained professional monitors who will send the closest available response team to that user according to the Google enabled GPS coordinates on their smartphone.

This is a revolutionary development in personal security and because the system uses Google maps, it is often far more accurate than calling 911. Until now, we have only looked to protect ourselves in our homes by installing security systems or in our cars with On Star and other systems – because there was no cost-effective and reliable option for security outside the home. Mobile personal security apps like ours have changed that for the better and provide a personal “On Star” system anywhere there is cell service.

As a mobile society constantly on the move and with security concerns rising, it’s important to be armed with added protection and fast avenues to assistance when faced with scary or life-threatening situations. Especially in times of crisis, our smartphone is usually the closest thing we can reach to for help, making it the perfect tool for security. And, what’s better than your personal security reliant on the one item you have with you virtually all the time – your smartphone. It’s not only smart – it could save your life.

For more information on LifeFone’s mPERS app features and how to get reliable personal security right on your smartphone, visit http://www.lifefone.com/apps.

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Posted in Apps, Autism, Blog, Default, Disabled, Parenting, Personal Security, Safety, women | Comments Off on What is Mobile Personal Security? And Why Do I Need It?