The 2024-2025 school year is upon us, and we have plenty of new, accessible apps to review. If you have any suggestions or ideas about apps or products that you’d like us to cover, please send us an email at ta-atsupport@neilsquire.ca. We’ll even create one-pagers to explain specific app tools or functions by request. To see an example of some previous one-pagers that we’ve created, click here.

Today we are going to look at a mind mapping app. This relatively new tool is designed to help you visualize and organize your ideas in a digital space. And while the concept of mind mapping isn’t new in itself, the digitization of this concept is fairly new, and it has some great benefits for persons with disabilities.

MindNode is an iOS-based app that is available for Mac, iPad, iPhone, and Apple Watch. The app has plenty of helpful features that are typical for mind map tools. You can easily manipulate and re-arrange your map, turn ideas into tasks, add visual tags, choose from a variety of stickers and themes, share your work, collaborate with others, and much more.

To be clear, the app’s features pretty much mirror the same features you’d find with any mind map tool. But MindNode’s commitment to accessibility features really makes it stand out from the crowd. Let’s take a look at some of these features:

VoiceOver Compatibility: Listen back to any piece of content from mind map to outline to tags. The content is even labeled by order, so it’s even easier to figure out where you are on your map without having to see it.

Voice Navigation: You can actually use vocal prompts to navigate between MindNode screens.

Adaptable Text: The app offers plenty of customization in how text is displayed on-screen. Or users can default to their system-wide settings and the app will adapt accordingly.

Accessible Themes: MindNode offers plenty of themes to choose from including a variety of accessible themes such as Black & White, High Contrast and Large Type. The app also offers a Dark Mode which is ideal for night-time work.

Focus Mode: The app has a very handy focus tool that will allow you to zoom in closely on a particular branch or section of your mind map in order to help reduce cognitive load.

More Accessibility Adjustments: MindNode also allows you to make certain adjustments as needed, including color inversions, motion reduction, and reduced transparency.

MindNode is available to try for free, but a subscription is required to have access to all of the features. Subscription cost is $3.99 monthly or $34.99 yearly CAD. To learn more, click here.

This post originally appeared on the AT Help Desk website

Tags: apps, assistive technology, AT HelpDesk, Atlantic Regional Office