Good Tidings and Good Books to You: Audiobooks, Apps & Accessories for the Holidays
Books are fabulous holiday gifts for children of any age, but for many of our children, reading traditional print books can sometimes pose a challenge. What if a child has a physical disability that prevents him or her from turning a page independently? Children with visual impairments often struggle if the font is too small or not high enough contrast to read easily. A child with an intellectual disability just learning to read may become frustrated without intense support and give up too soon.
Audiobooks can be a great help to children who have difficulty reading, dislike reading or cannot read at all. There are several good options for listening to audiobooks on your smartphone or tablet. This year’s Holiday Tech Guide spotlights the joy of reading – for everyone!
For family and friends who ask what is on your child’s holiday wish list, you can suggest iTunes or Google Play cards, an Audible membership, or a cool new accessory to make reading more fun for your child. Given the recent hurricanes, floods, and wildfires affecting thousands of people, BridgingApps has also included two practical options for battery packs to keep your tablets and e-readers charged and ready for hours of books.
Holiday Tech Guide
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iBeani Tablet Stand [2]
The iBeani® iPad and tablet bean bag stand is a versatile, flexible holder for tablets of all shapes and sizes. It can be used virtually anywhere, at any angle, and on any surface both horizontally and vertically. It has been especially helpful for those with joint pain, mobility issues, low endurance, and people who need to rest and access tablets in a lying down position. Read books, listen to a podcast, and play games without the pain or discomfort of having to hold your device. Handmade in the UK, the iBeani® comes in a variety of fun colors [3] and fabrics and are designed with a small pocket on the side that is ideal for a charger, earphones, or stylus.
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LilGadgets Untangled Pro Premium Children’s Wireless Bluetooth Headphones with SharePort [5]
A beautifully designed, high-quality, Bluetooth wireless children’s headphone, featuring the integrated SharePort to make sharing a little easier between kiddos. Each pair comes with a high quality microfiber travel pouch, a four foot premium nylon braided 3.5 millimeter audio cable with an inline microphone and a micro-USB charging cable. The Untangled Pro is durably constructed out of a high quality polycarbonate, stainless steel and covered with comfortable SoftTouch Fabric. Fully charged, the Untangled Pro has a 12 hour battery life with 180 hours on standby.
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JOBY GripTight Tablet PRO 2 GorillaPod [7]
JOBY GripTight Tablet PRO 2 GorillaPod Mount securely holds tablets (5.1–9.25″ width) for hands‑free use—notably great for video calls and watching content. Adjustable tilt, easy landscape/portrait switching, and accessory-ready with cold-shoe and ¼″‑20 mount points.
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Big Grips offers oversized, ergonomic foam cases and accessories that make tablets—especially iPads—easy to grip, carry, and protect. Made from durable, non-toxic materials, their designs balance ultra-safe protection with surprisingly light weight. These washable, stain-resistant solutions are ideal for all ages, offering comfortable handling and better stability during use in classrooms, homes, or on the go.
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The EnergyQC 5000mAh Power Bank delivers fast, efficient charging with a 2.4A output in an ultra-compact design. It’s lightweight and easy to carry, making it perfect for travel or daily use. Built-in safety features protect against overcharging and short circuits.
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The Belkin BoostCharge 10K power bank delivers fast, reliable charging with a 15W USB-C port plus two USB-A ports, allowing you to charge up to three devices simultaneously. It features an integrated USB-C cable and a compact, lightweight design for convenient on-the-go use. Made with recycled materials and equipped with overcharge protection, it offers dependable, eco-friendly performance backed by a 2-year warranty.
Apps
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Bookshare is a service that offers accessible books to children and adults with print disabilities. If your child cannot read traditional print books because of a visual impairment, physical disability, severe learning disability or print disability, Bookshare can help! Bookshare books are available as audiobooks, enlarged fonts and braille. The service is free to US students who have a qualifying disability. An application must be completed and signed by a professional in the area of the disability. Bookshare books can be accessed online or through an app. An app that supports Bookshare is Capti Voice [15] (available for iPhone and iPad). Learn more at bookshare.org [16] or watch a short video [17].
Bookshare Reader App [18]
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Audible is an app from Amazon. Audible allows you to purchase and download audiobooks to listen to. Audible has high quality audiobooks and has a large variety. Audible is similar to the Kindle app in that you have to purchase the audiobooks from www.audible.com [20] or www.amazon.com [21]. You cannot buy the audiobooks directly from the app. The Audible app is available for iPhone, iPad, Android, Kindle and Windows. If you purchase a book on Kindle, you can read along as you listen on Audible. Read how to give the gift of an Audible subscription here: https://www.audible.com/mt/giftmembership [22].
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OverDrive [24] is a free service offered by public libraries and schools that lets you borrow eBooks and audiobooks. The books are selected by the libraries so each library gives you access to slightly different books. Overdrive can access over 30,000 public libraries. Overdrive has their own app but Overdrive books can be read on a Kindle app as well. There is also an app called Libby that is available for iPad and iPhones, Android and Windows and allows access to Overdrive. You need an Overdrive account. Go to your public library website to find out how to sign up.
If you are interested in searching for more apps, creating your own list of apps and sharing them, please go to BridgingApps.org [25]. BridgingApps, a program of Easter Seals Greater Houston, is a community of parents, therapists, doctors and teachers who share information about using mobile devices with people who have special needs.
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Check Out BridgingApps Holiday Favorite App List [27]
Betsy Furler is a consultant with BridgingApps, a speech pathologist and the mother of two children, one with special needs.
Amy Barry is the Content Manager and Editor at BridgingApps and mother of five children.
Cristen Reat is co-founder of BridgingApps and a mother who found success when using a mobile device with her children who have special needs. We share a passion for using mobile technology to enhance the lives of people of all ages with disabilities.
Fun & Educational Apps for Children with Special Needs [28]
Gift Ideas
- 100 + “Mom Approved” Gifts for Kids with Special Needs [29]
- 9 Great Toddler & Preschooler Toys for Kids with Special Needs [30]
- Trending Holiday Toys Top All Kids’ Wish Lists! [31]
- Holiday Gift Guide: Give Gifts That Fuel Creativity, Create Music and Challenge Your Child to Learn [32]
- Special Resources: This Season Give the Gift of Knowledge [33]
- Gift Ideas for Those on Special Diets [34]
- Cooking With Kids: Festive Holiday Pretzel Treats [35]
- Gift Guide from the Fitness Guy [36]
- Favorite Five: December’s Special Products to Make Your Life Easier [37]
You May Also Like
- Happy Holidays How to Make a Video Holiday Card [38]
- Holiday “Shared Enjoyment” Dr. Seuss Camera – Grinch Edition [39]
- Tech Tools for Family Holiday Cooking [40]
- {Hacks for Stress Free} Cookie Decorating with Kids [41]
- Life-Changing Apps for People with Disabilities [42]
- Tech Fun Favorite Holiday Apps [43]
This post originally appeared on our November/December 2017 Magazine [44]