April and early May 2026 brought four major releases to GABLVM. Each was built around the same principle: a person using only a screen reader and a keyboard, or VoiceOver on an iPhone, should get the same depth of experience as someone using a mouse on a high resolution screen. Here is a quick tour, with links to the dedicated post for each tool.
Qibla Finder (April 4)
Find the direction of the Kaaba in Makkah using your device compass, with optional spoken audio guidance that tells you which way to turn and by how much. On a desktop, the page shows the bearing angle and cardinal direction so you can orient with a physical compass. On a phone, the audio guide updates as you rotate.
Open the Qibla Finder, or read the dedicated Qibla Finder post.
Tafsir Lab (April 18)
Read Quranic commentary verse by verse, in plain accessible HTML. Three English tafsirs are available, including the classical Tafsir Ibn Kathir. Switch between them at any time. The Lab handles sparse coverage and repeated commentary in a way that keeps a screen reader experience clean.
Open the Tafsir Lab, or read the dedicated Tafsir Lab post.
Quran.com Account Sync (April 27)
Connect your Quran.com account once, and your bookmarks, verse notes, and reading streaks sync between the two services. Set a daily reading goal in the Quran.com mobile app and your progress shows up on the GABLVM My Quran Account page in real time. The integration uses OAuth 2.0 against Quran.com's official developer platform.
Open My Quran Account, or read the dedicated Quran.com Sync post.
Quran Player updates (ongoing, plus Magic Tap on May 8)
The Quran Player has had twenty reciters and English audio translation for a while. Recent additions include a smarter bookmark that captures the next verse if you pause right at a verse boundary, a chapter-mode resume that jumps straight to your saved verse without replaying the bismillah, and as of May 8, full iOS Magic Tap support so VoiceOver users can play and pause with the standard two-finger double-tap gesture even when the tab is in the background.
Open the Quran Player, or read the dedicated Quran Player post.
One principle
All four tools were built around the same idea. Sighted convenience features sit on top of accessible foundations, never the other way around. A blind user gets the full experience first, and the visual presentation is layered over it.
If you have feedback or want to suggest the next tool, write to [email protected].