From communicating needs and managing routines to finding an accessible toilet or planning a journey, the right technology and practical resources can make day-to-day life more manageable. There are now a growing number of accessibility apps and tools designed to help children, young people and their families navigate some of these challenges with greater confidence and independence.
We’ve brought together some useful options that families may want to explore.
For children and young people who experience difficulties with speech, communication, cognition or fine motor skills, technology can provide another way to communicate and participate in everyday life.
Speech Assistant AAC is a text-to-speech communication app designed for people who may have difficulty speaking. Users can create words and phrases which are then spoken aloud by their device, providing a practical way to communicate needs, questions and responses.
Proloquo2Go is an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app designed for people who cannot rely on speech to communicate. Its customisable system uses symbols alongside text-to-speech, allowing children and young people to build and communicate words, sentences and everyday needs.
For those who may benefit from practising hand control and coordination, Dexteria provides a series of activities focused on fine motor skills. Its exercises are presented in an interactive format and can help users practise movements involving their hands and fingers.
Be My Eyes is designed to support people who are blind or have low vision. The app can connect users with sighted volunteers for assistance with visual tasks, alongside AI-powered visual assistance.
Structure and predictability can be particularly valuable for some children and young people with neurological or additional needs.
Choiceworks allows families to create visual schedules, choice boards and tools to support emotional regulation. Visual prompts can help children understand what is happening next and make transitions between different activities easier to manage.
Tiimo is another visual planning tool designed to make routines and tasks easier to understand. Timelines and visual prompts can help users see what their day looks like and what they need to do next.
For older children and young people, Brain in Hand provides digital self-management support. It can help users plan routines, develop strategies for difficult situations and access additional support when they feel overwhelmed.
Recalify is designed to support people affected by brain injury with cognitive rehabilitation and everyday independence. The app provides personalised activities and tools that can help users work on areas such as memory, attention and other cognitive skills, while supporting them to build strategies they can use in daily life.
Parents may also find care-management tools useful. Hibi is designed to help families managing additional needs organise information, including medical documents and aspects of their child’s care.
Leaving the house can involve considerably more preparation when accessibility needs have to be considered. Knowing what facilities are available before arriving somewhere can remove some of that uncertainty.
AccessAble provides detailed accessibility information for thousands of locations across the UK and Ireland, including shops, restaurants, hospitals, universities, hotels, railway stations and entertainment venues. Families can check features and facilities before travelling to help decide whether somewhere meets their needs.
Sociability similarly helps people find accessible places and provides information about the accessibility of venues, including cafés, restaurants and toilets.
For wheelchair users, Wheelmap is a worldwide map where users can find and contribute information about wheelchair-accessible public places.
Families travelling by train can also use Passenger Assist, the rail industry’s assistance service, to arrange support for journeys. Assistance can include help getting on and off trains, navigating stations and support with luggage.
Access to appropriate toilet and changing facilities can make an enormous difference to whether a family feels able to spend a full day away from home.
Changing Places helps families locate specialist accessible toilets across the UK. Changing Places Toilets provide additional space and equipment beyond a standard accessible toilet, including an adult-sized changing bench and hoist.
The Changing Places Toilet Finder can also be used on a mobile device to find suitable facilities when planning a journey or while out and about.
Finding suitable parking close to a destination can be another important consideration.
BlueBadgeParking provides a map and database of disabled parking locations, helping Blue Badge holders and their families identify potential parking before travelling.
It is worth remembering that individual car parks and local authorities may have different rules for Blue Badge holders, so families should check restrictions and signage when they arrive.
Technology isn’t the only thing that can make days out a little easier.
A RADAR Key, sometimes called an NKS key, provides access to many locked accessible toilets across the UK. These toilets can be found in locations such as shopping centres, transport hubs, public spaces and service stations.
For families caring for a child or young person who needs accessible toilet facilities, having a RADAR Key with them can be particularly useful when away from home. It can reduce the need to find a member of staff to unlock a facility and provide quicker access when it is needed.
RADAR Keys can be purchased from a number of legitimate retailers and organisations. Families should be aware that having a RADAR Key does not guarantee that every accessible toilet will use the same locking system, so checking facilities before a journey can still be worthwhile.
Some tools are designed specifically to make the organisational side of caring a little easier.
Apps such as Hibi can help families keep important information together and coordinate aspects of care, while tools such as Birdhouse have been designed to help parents record things such as sleep, medication, diet and behaviours. Keeping this information in one place may help families identify patterns and provide useful information when communicating with professionals involved in their child’s care.
However, no app will be right for every child or family. Needs can change over time, and what works brilliantly for one person may not suit another. Where appropriate, families may wish to discuss communication, mobility or assistive technology needs with the professionals supporting their child.
Finding an app is one thing. Working out what support is available to your family — and where to begin — can be much harder.
At Big Stepping Stones, we support parents and carers of children and young people with brain injuries, neurological conditions and complex needs by providing practical and emotional support based on both professional knowledge and lived experience.
Our team can provide advice and guidance across areas including welfare benefits, respite, care planning and accessing local services, as well as signposting families to relevant organisations and specialist support.
We can also help families understand the legal and financial support that may be available to them, including guidance around the Court of Protection, trusts, financial planning and accessing specialist legal advice. Where appropriate, we can also help families explore funding pathways that may support their child or young person’s care and wider needs.
As a young person grows older, we can provide guidance through the transition into adulthood, including further education, employment, independent living and navigating adult services.
Whether you need practical advice, help understanding your legal or financial options, support planning for the future, or simply aren’t sure where to begin, Big Stepping Stones is here to help you understand the options available to your family and find the right support for your circumstances.
