The beginning of the year represents an incredible opportunity to begin new, healthier habits. When the calendar flips, we kick off the new year with a renewed sense of purpose and an ambition to do better.
While people, on average, tend to break their New Year’s resolutions after only a few weeks, developing familiarity with a new piece of technology can stick indefinitely. That’s because, unlike traditional health goals that can push you out of your comfort zone and take time to bear fruit, learning something new on your computer or phone can change habits instantly because the benefits are clear from the get-go.
Apple started saying “there’s an app for that” back in 2009, and it’s even truer in 2026. Today, our phones are more than just phones: they’re cameras and flashlights, calculators and GPS devices. There are apps that can help you manage your money, connect with others, or lose yourself in a mindless game.
And then there are apps that can raise the quality of life for those with disabilities and mobility issues. It may not be January 1st anymore, but read about the apps below, make a resolution to try one or more, and see how you can expand your horizons into a more accessible 2026.
Accessible Places
Google Maps – Did you know that the Google Maps app you likely have on your phone has an ‘Accessible Places’ feature? To turn this feature on:
- Open your Google Maps app
- Tap on your profile picture or initial in the top right corner
- Select ‘Settings’ from the menu
- Select the ‘App & Display’ setting
- Near the bottom, you will see a feature that says ‘Emphasize Accessibility Info’. Turn this on to show wheelchair-accessible features like entrances, seating, restrooms, and parking more prominently when viewing a place.
AccessNow – In addition to Google Maps, give the AccessNow app a look. AccessNow is specifically geared towards individuals with disabilities, providing accessibility information about places around the world. While the app doesn’t currently list many accessible locations within the Kootenays, its crowdsourcing architecture means you can add your personal observations and insights, and contribute to a global community working to make communities around the world more accessible.
Pain & Medication Management
Bearable – Frustrated with your symptoms and want to feel more control of your health again? Bearable lets you track symptoms, medications, treatments, and triggers, identify correlations, and generate reports. It’s designed specifically for people with chronic illness and supports customized daily check-ins and long-term trend insights.
Curable – Over 1 million people have used Curable to find lasting relief from chronic pain and symptoms, including migraine, neck pain, joint pain, fibromyalgia, sciatica, and more. The app focuses on the brain’s role in pain using a combination of science-backed exercises, audio lessons, tools for relief, custom plans, coaching and Q&As.
Medisafe – Never forget to take a medication again. Tested with two thumbs up by pharmacists, Medisafe is the number one medication reminder app to help you remember when to take your pills, and track all of your meds and measurements.
Eyesight
SuperVision+ Magnifier – Whether you need help reading small print at a near distance or seeing signs at a far distance, SuperVision+ Magnifier is a game-changer. It works far better than simply taking a picture and zooming in. In fact, it can even be used as a microscope. SuperVision+ also offers live image stabilization to improve clarity if your hands are shaking while holding your phone.
Memory
Duolingo – There are lots of memory games out there that claim to improve memory, but nothing beats learning a new language. Learning a language forces your brain to store new vocabulary, recall rules, switch between systems, and monitor accuracy, all of which trains working memory, attention, and function. Duolingo makes language learning fun with its gamified experience. Perhaps you have a friend, neighbour, or family member who speaks a different language? Learn it on Duolingo and connect in ways you never thought possible while boosting your brain health.
Hands-free voice assistants
Mainstream voice assistants Google Assistant, Alexa (Amazon) and Siri (Apple) can empower those with disabilities to even greater levels of independence. We’re going to zero in on these powerful tools in our next blog.
Start your year on a high note. Try one of the apps listed above or try them all. Tell us what you think and how you make out, and post a comment on one of our social pages. If you have an app that has helped you live better that we haven’t listed above, feel free to share those insights, too.
Visit us on Facebook
Visit us on Instagram
Visit us on LinkedIn