App Name
Talking Typer
App Version
1.96
Platform
iOS/iPadOS
Category
Education
Description
Talking Typer finally makes its way to iOS. Help students make typing progress with this fun-to-use self-voicing app!
Talking Typer
An accessible typing and computer keyboard tutorial app with a keyboard game to help increase speed and accuracy in a fun environment!
Learn to type or improve your skills with drills, practice lessons, keyboard explorer, and an entertaining game. It is designed for blind and visually impaired students, but can be used by sighted students too. This makes it a great tool for the whole class.
35 Built-in Lessons
Talking TyperTM for iOS devices comes with 35 built-in lessons at levels 1-10. Teachers and parents can create new lessons, edit lessons, and assign lessons to individual students or groups. Speed, accuracy, and typing level can also be set for individual students or groups. The app saves the results of each drill allowing students, teachers, and parents to monitor improvement.
Hurry Scurry Game
The app also includes the exciting game Hurry Scurry, where students earn points by typing letters before the ball drops. It’s fun for all ages and skill levels!
Self-Voicing and Apple® VoiceOver Accessible
The app is both self-voicing and accessible with Apple’s VoiceOver. The onboard keyboard of your device can be used with Talking Typer, but an external keyboard is recommended.
The app can also be used with a refreshable braille display, like APH’s Refreshabraille 18TM Bluetooth®-enabled device, making it accessible for students who are deafblind as well.
Recommended ages: All.
Free or Paid
Free
Devices you’ve tested on
iPhone 11 SE, 15 Pro, iPad Mini 5th generation
Accessibility Rating
5 – Fully Accessible
Accessibility Comments
This app is fully accessible and designed d for optimal use with a Bluetooth keyboard.
Screen Reader Performance
Excellent
Button Labeling
All buttons are clearly labeled.
Usability
This app is designed specifically for screen reader usage and is very useable.
Other Comments
This app used to be $5 and now appears to be free. This is amazing work done by the American Printing House of the Blind, located in Louisville, Kentucky.
App Store Links
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/talking-typer/id992103463
At the end of last year I was looking for something to help me get into touch typing properly. I was looking at various options on the Mac but couldn’t find anything that was accessible. (I found one but the trial application form didn’t work). I had already bought this app and hadn’t really enjoyed it much but I went back to it.
I wouldn’t say it is the most fun thing to play. It probably works better in a classroom. Each lesson has a introduction where it brings in a couple of new letters and has a cursory explanation of how to find them. You then go through quite a long series of words or letters to type that are always exactly the same, and at the end you get a score. It doesn’t do anything clever like picking up if you are struggling with particular letters and helping reinforce how to find them. The instructions are fine but they are a bit tacked on at the start.
I think there is scope for something a bit more intelligent that can push you in the right directions rather than a series of just repeating the same thing over and over.
The mini game is fine. If you are using VoiceOver with screen curtain it’s just a matter of typing random words with some sound effects that don’t mean much. It’s OK but there’s not much to it. I did use it when I got my Hable One and it worked well with that, as well as my normal qwerty keyboard that I was mainly using.
Now the app is free, it’s obviously a no brainer if you want to improve your touch typing skills. It did help me but it wasn’t something I particularly enjoyed playing with.
The guys on Double Tap keep talking about another touch typing course which I think is online but I can never remember the name of it. I think something on Mac or PC would likely be better.