Part of the magic of travel is connection. From meeting new, like-minded people to forging a connection with a place itself, the ability to link up with others and freely explore distant lands leads to travelers feeling changed and fulfilled. Luckily, thanks to modern technology, connecting while on the road is easier than ever.
These five apps were designed to help people overcome barriers and connect with the world around them. Plus, each app is available on both Android and IOS.
Ava: Transcriptions & Captions
Those who have wished closed captioning existed in the real world will be happy to discover Ava: Transcriptions & Captions (Ava), a live captioning app that’s perfect for travel. Created to empower deaf and hard-of-hearing individuals, Ava uses AI to instantly transcribe what people are saying. The tool is 95% accurate and even allows users to add chosen terminology to their custom dictionary. Ava users love the app for its ability to help them have deeper conversations with close and new friends alike.
Aira Explorer
Pronounced “eye-ruh,” Aira provides people who are blind or have low vision with access to information through remote assistance. What exactly does that mean? Via their phone’s camera, Aira connects users with a trained agent who will assist them by visually interpreting their surroundings. From describing and navigating their environment to reading and explaining, the app helps users connect with the world around them at the push of a button.
Google Translate
With the ability to decipher real-world text like menus and signs through a phone camera and an option to draw tricky accents, symbols and diacritics directly on screen, Google Translate goes above and beyond the capabilities of the average translation app. Boasting an accuracy level of up to 94% (depending on the language), this tool aids travelers in having basic conversations when a language barrier is present. Plus, Google Translate has the option to “speak” translated words and phrases out loud, helping users learn the correct pronunciation along the way.
Travello
An app designed to connect travelers from around the world, Travello helps users find travel buddies, share their memories, align plans in destination and earn rewards. Wondering how it works? App users can share their upcoming itineraries to the platform to see a list of fellow travelers who will be in their destination at the same time, thus allowing users to connect and plan to meet. Additionally, Travello users can find their next adventure buddy through groups designed to appeal to different niches like blogging, backpacking, photography, solo travel and more.
Wheelmap
Wheelchair users know the struggle of finding accurate information surrounding accessibility while on the go. Luckily, there’s an app for that: Wheelmap. An interactive map designed to help users find wheelchair-accessible places, Wheelmap uses a simple traffic light system to rank accessibility in three categories: Green - fully wheelchair accessible, Orange - partially wheelchair accessible and Red - not wheelchair accessible. The map is ever-evolving, and app users can play a part too by ranking unmarked places — which will appear as grey — according to their experience.
Originally appeared in the Winter 2023 issue of The Compass magazine
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