Amazon develops iOS app enhanced for blind and disabled

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With the help of applications like Zoom and Assistive Touch, visually challenged users can hear many books being read aloud, so that can navigate text easily. Online shopping giant Amazon has enhanced its Kindle iOS application with new features to benefit the blind or visually impaired people. The latest version of the app was released on May 1, 2013 and also supports the VoiceOver technology of Apple.

The application reads aloud text which is selected and thus makes it easier to navigate. On the Kindle store, more than 1.8 million books are compatible with the VoiceOver technology. Around 900,000 of these are less than $4.99 and more than 1.5 million are less than $9.99. The VoiceOver technology can be turned through the Accessibility options in the settings menu on the iOS device.

After the feature is enabled, taping on a line or swiping down a page with two fingers will read the text aloud. the text line can be listened to continuously from the top to the bottom of the page. The application also supports other iOS accessibility features. The Zoom feature allows one to magnify the screen by double tapping three fingers, while Assistive touch lets you create your own gestures to control and navigate the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad.