May is Healthy Vision Month, and you can celebrate with Lily’s Picturebook, a distinctive app that features white-on-black and black-on-white images designed for the visually impaired.
Lily’s Picturebook also includes over 50 different word signs from American Sign Language (ASL) and simple, interactive games. The idea for this app, created by Rosemary Sanford, came from Lily’s mother, whose daughter lost much of her vision after being born 4 months premature. Lily loves the iPad, and the app is a way for her to learn language.
Lily’s Picturebook’s creator is a member of Moms with Apps, a collaborative group dedicated to promoting family-friendly apps. The app is easy to use, and even children without visual impairments might enjoy the game and learning about sign language and Braille. It is especially ideal for any siblings of visually impaired children to also use the app, so they can create a better understanding and learn how to communicate with their sibling.
Typically, visually impaired children see black and white easier than other colors because of the great contrast between light and dark. When images are easier to see, it makes learning more enjoyable and motivating.
In addition to the games, the introduction to Braille and ASL brings this app to another level. The videos of the ASL signs can be enlarged for easier viewing, and it is another component that makes the app friendly for individuals with hearing loss.
Lily’s Picturebook is available through the Interactive Touch Books free application, designed for iPhone and iPad.
