How can DSA help students with a mental health condition?

This blog has been updated! Originally published 10/05/19. Amended 02/02/22

“I kind of felt like I wasn’t eligible for what I was about to be given, but she (the assessor) reassured me that what I was feeling was necessary for me to Man sat on sofa covering his eyes with is handsget all this extra help” – Maddie.

In 2018, Mind revealed that according to recent research, 1 in 5 students has a diagnosed mental health problem. The transition into university can be overwhelming for students who must manage both the excitement of new-found independence and the overwhelming academic, social and financial pressures. University can be difficult to navigate for everyone, but the fact not all experiences conform to the “best years of your life” stereotype can make some students reluctant to accept or disclose their mental health difficulties. 

In 2019, and perhaps due to the improving awareness surrounding mental health, there has been a 50% rise in student mental health counselling demand. Whilst that would imply there are more students disclosing a mental health condition to their higher education institution, it is dismaying to discover that the number of students dropping out of university due to mental health is still increasing

It is an acknowledged problem that university wellbeing services are over-stretched, under-resourced and unable to accommodate all students in a timely fashion. Disabled Students’ Allowance (DSA) is a UK government grant which can provide alternative, personalised support to level the playing field and see students through their studies.
 

Can technology support students with mental health conditions?

Discover our Don't Disable Me training course series that focuses on the lived experiences of people with disabilities including those who face mental health conditions. In the course, you can learn first hand how technology can support those with mental health conditions in study, work and day-to-day life.


Can your mental health condition make you eligible for DSA?

A recent survey carried out by the Department of Education in January 2019 found that students with a mental health condition were more likely to feel uninformed about DSA than students with other types of disability. It also revealed that many were under the impression that you are only eligible for DSA if you need specialist equipment or have a physical disability. 

This is not the case. According to the eligibility guidelines on Gov.uk, a mental health condition is considered a disability if it has a long-term effect on your normal day-to-day activity. Your condition is ‘long term’ if it lasts, or is likely to last, 12 months. Medical evidence to this effect would be required to support any application for additional funding. 

What are the symptoms?

Experiencing any of the following difficulties while studying could suggest you would benefit from a DSA needs assessment:

  • Maintaining concentration and attention
  • Side effects from medication such as drowsiness and nausea
  • Low motivation and self-confidence
  • Fatigue from insomnia or oversleeping
  • Higher levels of absence
  • Difficulty organising your thoughts and planning your workload
  • Worrying about or inability to start or complete assignments
  • Intrusive thoughts and worries
  • Difficulty participating in classes due to low mood

How can DSA help?

DSA can provide a tailored package of technology and non-medical support to help you succeed in your studies. This could include a computer or laptop, or a printer/scanner to save travelling to the library during periods of ill health. You may find it useful to have software or apps to record lectures and seminars to ensure you have taken in all the information.

Software may be available to assist with organising thoughts or ideas and weekly sessions with a mentor could help with stress management. Depending on your university or course, you might be eligible for flexibility around absences and deadlines and adjustments to your timetable. 

Can technology help in higher and further education? 

Absolutely! Learn how assistive technologies can help students and professionals learn and teach more effectively in our how to use assistive technology in higher and further education training course.

Find out more 


Support is not one size fits allClaim It logo #ClaimItDSA

The most important thing to understand is that support provided differs person to person, and is based on your specific needs, circumstances and course requirements.  One of the steps to receiving DSA is to attend a study needs assessment, which is a one-on-one session with an assessor who will identify your needs and prepare a report recommending the extra support. The assessment is your opportunity to discuss any challenges you face in education, including the ways in which your course is assessed and taught, and is steered by the amount of information you share.

However, the following experience of Carys, who has Generalised Anxiety Disorder, shared by Student Minds is a good example of the variety and type of support you might receive through DSA if you have been made eligible for a mental health condition:

“Here is a list of just some of the support I will be receiving this year…

A reading software to help me with.... you guessed it... my reading. The main feature I'm looking forward to with this is being able to have information read aloud to me, so I can follow the text and focus on it more... A mind-mapping software to help organise and link my ideas and research... A note-taking software to allow any PowerPoint slides, my written notes and the lecture recordings to be stored in the same place…A mentor to help me with things like stress and time management.”

Not sure if you are eligible for DSA? You can find out now with our free Higher Education Support Checker

We're hiring! Are you an experienced Disabled Students' Allowances (DSA) Assessor? We have opportunities both online and based in our DSA Assessment centres nationwide.


Join our team
 

Find out more:


 

Helpful tech tips: My Computer My Way

Are you wondering where you can get tech help for FREE? Look no further than AbilityNet’s recently updated tool, My Computer My Way (MCMW).

The tool helps anyone to make a device easier to use, which is critical to our mission to create a digital world accessible to all.

So, what is MCMW? And how do you use it?

Where to get tech help?

Simply go to the My Computer My Way home page at https://mcmw.abilitynet.org.uk or enter My Computer My Way into your preferred search engine.

We’ve designed the tool to help you discover how to make tech adjustments to a device. Tech adjustments are beneficial for older and disabled people. For example, many people’s eyesight deteriorates with age, and so you may wish to magnify what you’re seeing on your computer screen.

Tech help for seniors and disabled people

Most devices include various accessibility features to make simple adjustments, such as making text bigger or viewing the screen through a magnifier.

Companies such as Apple, Google and Microsoft are working hard to bring these features to the fore, so they’re easier to find. However, My Computer My Way provides tech help to make these adjustments – and more.

Other adjustments, for example, can help people with a visual impairment. My Computer My Way has tips on tools such as Voice Over – the screen reader included in iOS, a brilliant example of assistive technology.

How to get tech help from Apple, Google, and Microsoft

Apple, Google, and Microsoft are leaders in digital accessibility; notably, Google and Microsoft are previous Gold Sponsors of TechShare Pro – the UK’s largest accessibility show hosted by AbilityNet.

My Computer My Way offers tips across all three. We have tech tips for smartphones, including iOS and Android. In addition, we have tech tips for Android-based tablets, Apple devices, and Windows OS for tablets.

You’ll find tips for Apple’s macOS, Windows, and Chromebook on a desktop.

Tech tips tailored to your device

Following our revamp, MCMW will automatically recognise the device you’re using to access the tool. You’ll notice that your operating will be listed within the search fields on your screen.

The search filters appear just below an empty search box.

Screen shot showing the filters within My Computer My Way. Left to right these are Category,  Adjustments, Condition, Symptom, Operating System, Browser

Of course, you might be accessing My Computer My Way from a different device to the one you need help with, and you can change the filters.

Where can I get tech help?

You’ll see other parameters in My Computer My Way you can use to filter the tips. These filters help tailor the tech help for your individual needs.

You can narrow the field by category: Cognitive, Hearing, Motor, Vision; by condition, such as dementia or anxiety; or by symptom (e.g., colour blind). Alternatively, filter by adjustment if you know what you want to do, for example, Magnify Text.

Where can I find tech help near me?

My Computer My Way is an excellent tool for self-help. However, you can also access FREE tech help near you from one of our 350+ regional volunteers.

For FREE support, call our helpline on 0800 048 7642 during UK office hours, or you can complete our online form.

Free support from AbilityNet

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people.

Coronavirus: AbilityNet Home Visits Start Again

Please note: this page was last updated on 27 Jan 2022. We will continue to check the advice of the UK Government in relation to the steps we take regarding our home visit services. We will endeavour to keep this page up-to-date, but for the latest information about our at-home IT (information technology) support services, and our in-person DSA (Disabled Students' Allowances) assessment services, please call 0300 180 0028 during UK office hours or email enquiries@abilitynet.org.uk.


Updated guidance: 27 January 2022

AbilityNet Home Visits Service

Our network of tech volunteers provides free tech support to hundreds of people across the UK, enabling older and disabled people to make full use of their home technology.

When the pandemic began we took the decision to suspend our home visit service until further notice.

In light of latest changes we have decided they will now resume.

Many of our clients are in the most vulnerable group in terms of the possible effects of the virus, and our priority is to do as much as we can to keep them safe. We also need to be confident that our volunteers do not take unnecessary risks or undertake non-essential journeys. 

As a result remote support remains our preferred way of helping clients.

However the option of a home visit is now available, if both client and volunteer are happy to proceed. 

Our volunteers will take all necessary precautions to ensure that both volunteer and client stay as safe as possible and we will continue to recommend that volunteers and clients wear face coverings and socially distance where possible.

Our helpline also remains open during office hours and we can also answer your queries by email or on Facebook or Twitter:

  • Call: 0300 180 0028
  • Please note: calls to our helpline number cost no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number and count towards any inclusive minutes in the same way as 01 and 02 calls, and AbilityNet does not receive any money from these calls
  • Email: enquiries@abilitynet.org.uk
  • Facebook @abilitynet
  • Twitter @ abilitynet

Free online tools

You can also still access free online support.

DSA and other AbilityNet services

AbilityNet also operates assessments for Disabled Students Allowances (DSA) in various locations around the UK, and has staff delivering accessibility and other services based in several offices.

These services and offices remain open for the time being, but we continue to check the advice of the UK Government and will announce any further decisions via the usual channels.

If students would prefer to complete their DSAs needs assessment via an online video call rather than visiting a centre in person this can be arranged, please mention this preference when you speak with our booking team.

Robot Labrador Retriever helps people live independently

A big hit at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show, the wonderfully named ‘Labrador Retriever’ robot is enabling people with physical difficulties lead more independent lives by helping out around the house.

Watch the short video below - it brings home how helpful a robot can be for assisting with those daily tasks that people with a range of physical impairments find so taxing – or even impossible.

This article is a feature for our dispATches newsletter - a monthly round up of assistive technology news and events​. Keep up to date by signing up to our AbilityNet newsletter


Developed by Canadian company Labrador Systems, such autonomous personal robots are certain to play an important role in the lives of people for whom physical tasks will always prove challenging.

“At Labrador, we believe assistive robots can make a massive difference in people’s lives, especially for individuals with chronic pain, injury or other health issues that impact their daily activities. That’s why we’re pioneering a new generation of robots, specifically designed to help people live more independently. Whether delivering meals, helping with the laundry or keeping critical items within reach, our goal is to lighten the load of daily activities to empower people to live life more on their terms.”


The future of robots around our homes

It’s almost inevitable that the number of robots in and around our homes will increase. We already have robot vacuum cleaners and lawnmowers, personal companions like Jibo that trundle around providing reassurance and support for the isolated or those with anxiety or a learning disability, and even fully autonomous drones that can chase away burglars when you’re out.

Even the humble smart speaker represents a powerful virtual assistant that is ever-present and willing to provide information, that all-important connection with friends and family, and even an easy and accessible way of operating your appliances and other smarthome devices if their switches, knobs and touchscreens are either out of reach or supremely challenging to operate.
Combining the smartspeaker interface with an amazing ability to physically fetch and carry for you around the home, the (I’ll say it again) wonderfully-named Labrador Retriever is a winning combination - and just one example of what must surely be many more smart and dextrous domestic helpmates to come.

Want to learn more about how technology can help remove barriers that disabled people face? We are hosting a free webinar on Tuesday 8 February at 1pm GMT called 'Don't disable me: How you can avoid creating barriers for disabled people'.

Register for the webinar


Further resources 

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people. If you can afford it, please donate to help us support older and disabled people through technology. 

Useful insights into driverless vehicles for people with disabilities by Australian government

I’ve often written about how driverless vehicles hold great promise for people with disabilities. Recently, Australia’s Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications partnered with LaTrobe University and the iMOVE Cooperative Research Centre on a project to investigate how future driverless vehicles should be regulated to ensure that people with disabilities aren’t left high and dry.

The report - drawing upon experts and a wide range of disabled individuals - identifies barriers and opportunities for people with disabilities accessing Connected and Automated Vehicles (CAVs) to ensure ‘whole-journey accessibility’ and provides recommendations for the Australian Government.

This article is a feature for our dispATches newsletter - a monthly round up of assistive technology news and events​. Keep up to date by signing up to our AbilityNet newsletter


Barriers and opportunities

It identifies four areas that require guidelines or standards, and barriers and opportunities for each area:

  1. Vehicle design – seating availability, wheelchairs, handles and support, controls, colours, seating design and signage.
  2. Monitoring and Direct Assistance – identification of passengers, safety monitoring, conflict resolutions, stewards, platform assistance, emergency management plans, emergency communications, emergency training and consistent responses, emergency phones and customer service.
  3. Human Machine Interface – touch screens, communication of trip progress, announcements, planning, hailing, paying and booking, identification of the correct vehicle and boarding locations, payment, no reliance on smart phones, privacy and reducing stress and anxiety.
  4. Operations – Easy entry and exit practices, service customisation, safe departure and arrival, safe vehicle movements, and easy transfer.

You can read all the details from the Connected and Automated Vehicles: Barriers and Opportunities for people with disability document in either PDF or Microsoft Word format. 


Recommendations

The report makes a number of recommendations that, whilst being aimed at Australian government and industry, are equally applicable to the UK, US or Europe, say.
The non-regulatory recommendations are:

  • Establish a national or international collaboration platform to coordinate change between industry and disability groups.
  • Develop CAV guidelines. These guidelines should allow communities, industry and government to comprehensively consider CAVs from the perspective of people with disability.

The regulatory recommendations included:

  • Include CAVs in the Transport Standards by creating a class of driverless conveyances.
  • Update the definition of public transport to represent modern public transport.
  • Include standards for digital public transport infrastructure in the Transport Standards.
  • Review regulatory frameworks and their effectiveness in other countries.
  • Co-regulate with industry to ensure successful development and implementation of accessible CAVs.
  • Enable legal enforcement of the Transport Standards by empowering agencies to enforce compliance.

For all recommendations, you can download the full Australia’s Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport and Connected and Automated Vehicles report in either PDF or Microsoft Word format. 

Interested in Accessibility and Inclusive Design Training? AbilityNet has a range of affordable high-quality online training to help you build your skills :


Discover training courses

Please note: To help you get even better value this year, we have a 10 for the price of 8 bundle on our training courses for you and your team to enjoy. You can also 
save 10% this month on individual training courses using the discount code AbilityNetTraining10


An inclusive driverless future

Just as we see with inclusive design in apps and websites, I have no doubt whatsoever that driverless vehicles that accommodate people with more extreme needs will result in being extremely usable for everyone.

This in-depth research that combines industry and technology expertise with end-user driven input, resulting in specific, actionable recommendations, doesn’t come round the corner every day.
Thus every government concerned with equality of opportunity for future modes of travel, and every corporate organisation pumping multi-billion-dollar investments into driverless vehicles, should read this report very carefully. 
 

Further resources: 

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people. If you can afford it, please donate to help us support older and disabled people through technology. 

New free Accessibility and Inclusive Design Guide features AbilityNet

The Business Application Software Developers Association BASDA has announced today a free aid to help businesses support their accessibility agenda, entitled ‘Guide to Accessibility and Inclusive Design’.

Close up of Robin Christopherson standing on stage speaking

Featuring practical advice and guidance from experts including AbilityNet, you can download this free business software guide from the BASDA website.  

Collecting member insights into accessibility challenges

BASDA developed the guide from the collective insights of its members who shared challenges and successes from both the employer and employee perspective. The guide offers tips on the key accessibility development areas businesses should consider addressing within their workplace. 

Robin Christopherson MBE (pictured above), Head of Digital Inclusion at AbilityNet, has worked on AbilityNet's Digital Accessibility Maturity Model (DAMM) highlighted in the guide. “AbilityNet believes in a digital world accessible to all. Identifying when and where a business should start their journey can be the most challenging step, but it can also unlock great potential," he says.

"Our free Digital Accessibility Maturity Model (DAMM) complements the latest BASDA guide and effectively allows a business to self-assess where they are with regards to accessibility at a current point in time and provides a clear indication and roadmap on how to move forward. These combined resources now available to businesses will help ensure that an organisation embraces and embeds inclusive design and then everything it builds is accessible by default,” Robin continues.
 

Download your free DAMM toolkit


A lack of knowledge, understanding and support are often barriers in prioritising accessibility and inclusive design.

BASDA notes: "Many businesses may not realise that accessibility and inclusive design can unlock a huge, overlooked market share, boost brand value as well as increase customer loyalty. Whilst many businesses are compliant with The Equality Act 2010 in terms of diversity and inclusion within their workforce and culture, they have yet to fully embed it within their software products and other digital assets. Designing for users with varying levels of impairment ensures that the needs and expectations of all potential users can be accommodated."

BASDA is a not-for-profit trade body, and works to ensure its members’ voices are heard within UK Government and policy makers as well as industry media. 

Get 10 training courses for the price of 8

Looking for accessibility and inclusive design training? AbilityNet has courses tailored to various roles in the workplace including HR, content editors and developers.

To help you get even better value this year, we have a 10 for the price of 8 bundle on our training courses for you and your team to enjoy. 


Book your training bundle
Save 10% on training courses: If you're looking to book individual courses, get 10% off any upcoming AbilityNet online training course if you book before the end of February using the discount code AbilityNetTraining10

Further resources

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people. If you can afford it, please donate to help us support older and disabled people through technology

How changing the settings on your iPad and iPhone can help people with tremors and other dexterity difficulties

This blog has been updated! Originally published 13/01/17. Advice amended 12/01/22


The software that drives iPhones (iOS) and iPads (iPadOS) includes a range of incredibly powerful accessibility options for people with tremors due to conditions such as Parkinson’s or Cerebral Palsy, or who have reduced dexterity with age.

These can be found in the Accessibility settings and can help anyone with dexterity issues take their day to day computer usage to a whole new level.

One size definitely doesn’t fit all

Everyone’s wonderfully different. In this mobile-first world of extreme computing we all know how important inclusive design is for every single user. And settling for a vanilla experience on your device will waste a lot of the potential it has to be inclusive for you – especially ‘on the go’.

Like many other people with disabilities, I have always been deeply touched and truly grateful for the work that Apple has put into ensuring that its devices and software are as accessible and inclusive as possible. If you’ve never been in the Accessibility settings of your iPhone then I’d strongly recommend taking a peek now.
 

Screenshot of Apple General Settings showing Accessibility menu item optionScreenshot of Apple Accessibility setting

As a blind person I’m able to use my iPhone by turning on VoiceOver - and a quick glance down the other accessibility settings show us that people with a wide range of vision, hearing, motor and reading difficulties are also very extensively catered for.

How can technology help? 

Discover our Don't Disable Me training course series that focuses on the lived experiences of people with disabilities including those who face visual, hearing and physical barriers. In the course, you can learn first hand how technology can support those facing these barriers at work, in study and day-to-day life.


Touch accommodations

Built into iOS are some incredibly powerful options that can be customised to make a smartphone even easier to use for people with a tremor or other dexterity difficulty. For this group of users, it is often incredibly difficult to do a simple concise tap that is swift, on-target and not interpreted as a series of taps or swiping gestures.

The first two settings in the touch accommodations section aim to resolve this first issue; where a single tap is interpreted as many.

Screenshot of Apple Accessibility Touch Accommodations menu options

Assistive technology training

Many people are unaware of the accessibility and productivity tools built into mainstream packages such as Office 365 and Google Suite.

AbilityNet can provide 1:1 training on most assistive technologies (AT). 


Hold duration

The ‘hold duration’ is the length of time you must touch the screen before a touch is recognised and processed by the phone.

Screenshot of Touch Accommodations menu settings showing hold duration options

Starting at 0.1s, here you can set the minimum time your fingertip needs to be touching the screen before a tap is sent. This will allow you to fine-tune the phone’s response so that tremulous butterfly-light taps aren’t constantly activating items or sending keystrokes from the on-screen keyboard. Only more definite and intentional touches are processed.

Ignore repeat

The partner setting to the hold duration option above is ‘Ignore repeat’. Here you can tell the phone to discount multiple taps in quick succession in favour of more deliberate taps that are more spaced out.

Set the minimum duration in which multiple touches are treated as a single touch. Starting at 0.1s you can increase this value until all but your initial tap is ignored.

Tap assistance

Often it is very hard for users with dexterity difficulties to ‘tap and go’ without dragging their finger across the glass. Try doing a swipe on your phone now using the smallest possible movement and you’ll see the problem; even a few millimetres will turn a tap into a swipe.

Enabling tap assistance will allow any single finger gesture simply to be treated as a tap.

There are two choices here; use either the initial or final touch location as the point of the tap. In other words, should the phone consider the starting or ending point of the swipe as the position on the screen where the single one-finger tap was made.

For some users, the first place they put their finger might be closest to where they were intending to tap, whilst for others the fact that their finger is now resting on a surface makes it easier to slide it to where they want the tap to be, at which point they would lift it off to send the tap.

Leading the way to inclusion

There’s no doubt in my mind that Apple are continuing to show how accessibility, or inclusive design, can be done well.

In the coming years we should be optimistic about an ever-greater choice of inclusive products. We’re touching the future and, personally, I think it feels good.

Do you have or care for someone with Parkinson's?

AbilityNet is working with Parkinson’s UK to help people with Parkinson’s learn how to get online and use digital devices.

Get tech support with Parkinson's

Useful links

What does your boss think about digital accessibility?

As a digital professional you know that digital accessibility benefits staff, customers, profit margins and drives brand value – and it’s the right thing to do. 

But there are always competing priorities and it's not always easy to convince senior leaders to make the investment you need. 

Digital accessibility is perceived as a never-ending task

Shows someone in a suit with briefcase beneath a large lightbulb in a spotlight. Illustrative style.Our survey of digital leaders revealed that 22% of C-Suite executives perceive digital accessibility as a "never-ending task," when asked about barriers to digital accessibility. 

It's true, digital is an ever-changing beast and as such, it takes hard work to maintain digital accessibility, but we'd argue that means you have plenty of opportunities to make improvements - and get things right. In other words, Digital accessibility is a cycle of continuous improvement and part of a “pivot from project to product,” as Newcastle Building Society's Chief Information Officer, Manila McLean, said at TechShare Pro 2021.


McLean added: “These are not projects to build, and then they are done. The customer’s device changes, how they consume media changes and influences how we do what they consume financial services. “So if we are standing up digital products, those will never be done. There will always be opportunities for improvement and continual revolution.”

Gerard McGovern, CIO, Guide Dogs for the Blind Association, agrees. “A saying I like is that if you are not embarrassed by the first version of a product you put out, you’ve probably spent too long making it,” he said. “You get out the door, get feedback, learn from that, improve the product. And that is what is exciting.” 

Accessibility begins with an Inclusive design

It’s vital to build accessibly, said Ritam Gandhi, Founder of Studio Graphene. “For a lot of people, it [accessibility] is an afterthought. Success is accessibility by design.”

McGovern agrees: “Years ago, security by design wasn’t that popular, but I can guarantee now no one is designing products without security.

He added: “When you do discover there are problems, and you will, it costs significantly more time and resource to fix them, and your reputation invariably is damaged if it is a security issue. The same is true with accessibility.”

What are the drivers for digital accessibility?

However, the main driver for digital accessibility is still more stick than carrot, says our survey. Of the respondents, 71% cited the need to comply with regulations as “Very” or “Extremely” Important while customer-led factors rated lower:

  • Hearing from customers who are unable to access services (60%)
  • Creating more accessible products for customers (59%)
  • Encouraging customers to engage with companies as an ethical brand (50%).
     


Yet, for our panellists, a focus on customers is paramount. “The customer is at the heart of what we do. And the diversity around our customer base means we will have customers who at times, or permanently, have accessibility needs,” said McLean.

She added: “If you look at some of the other big topics, like diversity and inclusion and equity and sustainability, it’s on par with those topics, and everybody needs to show we are working and taking positive to be as inclusive as possible.”

Measuring the return on digital accessibility

Measuring the impact of digital accessibility is the top challenge facing the C-Suite. “It’s very hard to measure the impact,” said Ritam Gandhi, Founder of Studio Graphene, speaking at TechShare Pro.

McGovern says there has, however, been a shift from how content looks to a focus on the content. “Who remembers the welcome pages you had to click through with lots of flashing text because someone discovered you could easily do that in HTML? We’ve been on a journey where accessibility for everyone is more important.”

Measuring impact, he says, is about listening to customer feedback.

“It’s very easy to find out when you’ve done it wrong because people will let you know. So, if you are not hearing that, that is sometimes no news is good news.”

Download the FREE White Paper: Change Agents: How can C-Suite and IT leaders build a culture of digital accessibility? https://www.abilitynet.org.uk/how-accelerate-your-digital-accessibility-...

About the survey

On AbilityNet’s behalf, The Dennis Insights team reached out to 78 UK based C-suite executives in July 2021. Questions took the form of an online survey, which, on average, took less than 10 minutes to complete.

Some 76% of respondents were DA decision-makers.

How AbilityNet can Help

Apps for people living with Parkinson's

Illustrative style: shows a brain with someone inside it but behind a cage.Parkinson’s disease or Parkinson’s is a long-term neurological condition. It causes problems in the brain that worsen over time.

In the UK, around 145,000 people are living with Parkinson’s. Symptoms of Parkinson’s develop slowly over the years and vary from person to person. However, people living with the condition typically experience:

  • Tremor, the involuntary shaking of parts of the body
  • Slow movement
  • Stiff and inflexible muscles

People living with Parkinson’s may also experience depression and anxiety, problems with balance, a loss of smell, insomnia, and memory problems. Apps can help support you in managing some of the symptoms of Parkinson’s. We listed some examples below. 

Helpful tech for Parkinson’s in your smartphone

Most smartphones include accessibility features, which can help you use them with a range of impairments - and many are helpful for people living with Parkinson’s.

For example, using your voice may be helpful for people experiencing tremors. Android phones include a text-to-speech feature so you can dictate using your voice. Android phones also have Google Assistant, which (when turned on) you can activate by saying “Hey Google.”

Using the assistant, you’re able to perform many tasks, including sending a text, answering messages, turning on the battery saver, and more.

Similarly, an iPhone comes with many accessibility features. For example, you can say “Hey Siri” to access the voice assistant. Once activated, you can, for example, say “open Safari” to launch a web browser or ask, “what’s the time.”

Read our factsheet on technology and Parkinson’s 

Why apps for Parkinson’s?

Most people won a smartphone today. Apps for smartphones can help with tasks such as memory or relax you before you sleep. Of course, no one is saying they’re a panacea, but Parkinson’s UK and others recommend apps to help maintain independence.

This blog includes a round-up of some assistive technology and apps, which may support you or a loved one who has Parkinson’s.

What apps are available for Parkinson’s?

1. KiNDEO: An app to capture your life story

Recommended by Parkinson’s UK in its app library, KiNDEO by John Gilbey, whose father lived with Parkinson’s and dementia. The app allows people living with Parkinson’s to record life stories and fun moments to create meaning.

It is an easy-to-use storytelling platform.

Find out more about KiNDEO

2. Moodistory: Monitor changes in your mood

Icon for MoodistoryThere are many apps designed to help you track changes in mood. For example, Moodistory for iPhone and Apple Watch has a simple interface. The makers claim you can create a journal entry in “under 5-seconds, without writing a single word”. 

The calendar helps you track changes in your mood longer-term and identify patterns and triggers.

You can download it for iOS, MacOS and Apple Watch.

Find out more about Moodistory

3. Breathe2Relax: stress management tool

Thumbnail for Breathe2RelaxListed in the NHS app library, Breathe2Relax is available for Android and iOS. 

The app includes exercises to help users learn the stress management skill called diaphragmatic breathing. Breathing exercises can decrease the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ (stress) response and help with mood stabilization, anger control, and anxiety management.

Download Breathe2Relax for Android

Download Breathe2Relax for iOS

4. Sleepio: a sleep app

People living with Parkinson's may experience sleep problems. Sleepio is a CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) app that aims to help you conquer long-term sleep problems. 

Download the companion app for instant access to your daily sleep diary and schedule and your virtual sleep expert. 

Over a number of tailored sessions, you'll learn cognitive and behavioural techniques, designed to get your sleep schedule, thoughts and lifestyle into shape.

5. Cove: Music for mental health

Thumbnail representing the Cove appAnother app from Parkinson’s UK’s app library, Cove, is a clinician-approved app that helps you express how you’re feeling using the power of music. So, how does it work?

You scroll and pick a mood that helps reflect how you’re feeling. You can then add chords, melody and percussion from a list of 30+ instruments. It acts as a way of journaling your mood without words. 

Download Cove from the app store

How AbilityNet can help people living with Parkinson’s 

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people.

Related Factsheets from AbilityNet

Support for Parkinson’s

  • Parkinson's UK has support and information for people living with Parkinson's and their families
  • Call the Parkinson's helpline on 0808 800 0303

Parkinson’s and technology: a volunteer’s story

How does Parkinson’s affect your ability to use technology?

AbilityNet county coordinator for Cambridge, Andrew Harding, has insight into living with the condition. He also runs a support group for Parkinson’s and supports people in using technology through his volunteering for us.

“The fundamental problem is my tremor,” says Andrew. He added, “It became harder and harder to write on the keyboard. Often my space bar would suddenly move the cursor halfway across the page.”

Adapting technology for Parkinson’s

Andrew has embraced speech to text software as a way of using his computer.

“The software on the Mac is brilliant for converting text, speech-to-text. It is built into Windows 10 and Windows 11 as well. I find it easier to talk to the PC now. Otherwise, I’d simply be using my only stable hand to type one finger at a time.” said Andrew.


It has meant learning a new way of interacting with his computer. “You can probably talk quicker than you think. I find it very easy to kind of get, get halfway through a sentence and I realize I’ve just gone ahead of myself and lost my track. I need to go back and do a bit of tidying up of the sentences at the end,” said Andrew.

Helping others adapt technology to their needs

Andrew believes others will benefit from speech-to-text, which is included in many devices – as well as in standalone software packages.

“There are quite a few people I’ve come across in my time at AbilityNet who need help with speech-to-text. It could be somebody who’s got sight limitations,” said Andrew whose role is matching volunteers with people who need help.

“Somebody contacted the AbilityNet team a few weeks back. They were unable to communicate other than through the PC [and their] ability to read and to hear was, was poor. His ability to speak was poor,” said Andrew.

He added, “There are people like that who really, without the support of AbilityNet would be completely isolated and completely stuck with very careful work, you’re able to show them how they can use it to communicate still. “It’s very satisfying when you when you get a result like that.”

Using technology to support people with Parkinson’s

The Parkinson’s group Andrew runs has embraced technology as a means of connecting through pandemic related lockdowns.

“It is a regional group in Norfolk last few years, we basically, virtually met without a break on zoom every week,” he said.

He added “IT has been the only means for many of the people who were in the group of being socially connected, getting health care and a shopping, doing the banking, you know, for the, for the last couple of years,”

Do you have or care for someone with Parkinson's?

AbilityNet is working with Parkinson’s UK to help people with Parkinson’s learn how to get online and use digital devices.

Get tech support with Parkinson's

How AbilityNet can Help

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