Guide
Five accessible calculator apps for low vision
A mix of free and paid calculator apps for iPad & Android that work with large print and screen readers. Some can also be used for testing.
I was first introduced to the world of calculator applications for low vision when I was in middle school and discovered that I couldn’t see the graphing calculator that was used in my Algebra 1 class. The buttons on the calculator had a small font size and were difficult to identify, and the non-backlit display was impossible for me to read since it had poor contrast and was not in a very high resolution. While ideally I would have started using accessible calculator apps while taking Algebra 1, my school district did not actually approve a large print graphing calculator accommodation until a few years later, and since then I have used a few different calculator apps in my various high school and college math classes. Here are five accessible calculator apps and web applications that can help students with low vision in the classroom, including a mix of low-cost (less than $5) and free calculator apps.
myScript calculator
The myScript calculator application is one of the first accessible calculator applications I ever tried out and is probably my most-used calculator option. Instead of having a user input values using a keyboard or by pressing on-screen buttons, myScript allows users to draw or write out equations using a stylus or their finger, and displays the answer in large print, and is also a viable option for students with dysgraphia. This is the calculator app that was approved for use on my personal iPad for Virginia’s Standards of Learning (SOL) standardized exams, as well as for the SAT and ACT exams. The myScript Calculator costs $2.99 and is available for iOS and Android devices.
Related links
- MyScript Calculator Website
- MyScript Calculator on iOS
- MyScript Calculator on Google Play Store
- 5 Apps That Help Students With Low Vision In The Classroom
- How I Use The Apple Pencil With Low Vision
- No-Tech Solutions For Drawing Graphs With Low Vision And Dysgraphia
- SOL Test Accommodations And Low Vision
- SAT Accommodations for Low Vision
- ACT Accommodations For Low Vision
Talking scientific calculator/talking calculator
Developer Adam Croser has created two different calculator applications that have enhanced VoiceOver support and are accessible with switch control as well as support for refreshable braille displays. While I have only used the Talking Scientific Calculator app in my math classes, both applications feature high-contrast buttons, high contrast display, VoiceOver screen reader support, and the ability to use speech recordings. One of my favorite features of this application is the fact that numbers are read naturally and not one digit at a time, so it is easier to follow along with speech output. Talking Scientific Calculator and Talking Calculator cost $4.99 each and are available for iOS devices including iPhone, iPad, and iTouch.
Related links
- Talking Calculator on iOS App Store
- Talking Scientific Calculator on iOS App Store
- How To Make iPad Accessible for Low Vision
- Enabling Temporary Accessibility Settings For iPad
Big Digits
Big Digits is a simple four-function calculator app that features high contrast buttons and VoiceOver support. I received a report from a reader that this application was approved for standardized testing for an elementary school aged student with Guided Access enabled, though I have not used it in any of my own classes/exams. Big Digits is $2.99 and available for iOS devices.
Related links
- Big Digits on iOS App Store
- How To Use Guided Access For Testing
- Testing Accommodations For Low Vision Students
- Remote Testing Accommodations For Low Vision
- Elementary School Classrooms And Low Vision: Designing Accessible Classrooms Series
Desmos Calculator
Desmos Calculator is a popular free mainstream calculator application with extensive accessibility support for screen reader users, screen magnification, high contrast displays, and many other popular low vision and nonvisual assistive technology features. Unlike other applications featured in this post, Desmos does not require any downloads and can be accessed from any internet connected device via the Desmos website, though Desmos applications are available for download on Android and iOS devices as well. I prefer to use the Desmos calculator application on my computer or in my tablet’s web browser while working on online math assignments.
Related links
- Desmos Calculator website
- Desmos Accessibility documentation
- Math Test Accommodations For Low Vision
- All About Extended Time Accommodations
- ALEKS Accessibility For Visual Impairment
- How Amazon Alexa Can Help With Online Learning
Mathway/Symbolab
Mathway and Symbolab are an automated tutoring services that shows users how to solve equations instead of just giving them an answer like a calculator would. While these types of applications can’t be used for standardized testing or exams, I found them helpful when doing practice assignments for my calculus classes because they provided more detailed explanations on how to solve the equations than the class textbook and also supported keyboard input and high resolution graphics. Mathway and Symbolab can be accessed for free through the web browser or with Android or iOS applications.
Related links
- Mathway website
- Symbolab website
- Socratic App Accessibility Review
- How I Use Quizlet With Low Vision
- How I Use Google Assistant While Traveling
Other calculator application options for students with low vision
- Amazon Alexa supports voice input/spoken output for basic calculations- I often will ask my Echo Dot to help me figure out percentage values when online shopping or to help me add multiple numbers together
- Google Assistant also supports voice input/output as well as typing equations/math problems
- Android, iOS, Mac, and Windows devices come with a built-in calculator application that support keyboard input and the built-in screen reader for each device (TalkBack, VoiceOver, and Narrator, respectively)
- For iPad users, there is no built-in calculator app, but calculations can still be performed with the Spotlight feature, which is accessed by going to the Home Screen and swiping down on the middle of the page. Users can then type in an equation with math notation and get a solution. Another option is to use the keyboard shortcut command-space
By Veronica Lewis/Veronica With Four Eyes, www.veroniiiica.com
Updated October 2023; original post published March 2018.
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