Smartphones have made juggling multiple single-purpose gadgets a thing of the past for many, but the blind and visually impaired often use a raft of devices built with eyes-free use in mind

However, according to our AOL colleagues at Engadget, Qualcomm and Project Ray are aiming to consolidate phone calls, text messaging with voice read-out, navigation, object recognition, audio book reading and more for the visually impaired in a system built on an off-the-shelf Android phone.

The smartphone could be just the ticket for visually-impaired federal workers and advocates of the federal government’s Section 508 provision, which provides assistive technology solutions to eliminate barriers for people with disabilities.

To navigate the smartphone, users leverage a handful of simple finger movements that can be started at any point on the handset’s touch screen. Voice prompts and vibration provide feedback to users, and the UI adapts to usage patterns and preferences.

Currently, Ray devices have access to Israel’s Central Library for the Blind and are being tested by 100 folks in the country. Read more at Engadget.