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Mobile App Design and Functionality for Low Vision Users

Mobile App Design and Functionality for Low Vision Users. Penetrating International Markets and New Demographics. Inclusive Design Meetup Group Wednesday, March 27, 2013. 185 Frederick St. Devlin Digital. Raising Accessibility.

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Mobile App Design and Functionality for Low Vision Users

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  1. Mobile App Design and Functionality for Low Vision Users Penetrating International Markets and New Demographics

  2. Inclusive Design Meetup GroupWednesday, March 27, 2013 185 Frederick St. Devlin Digital

  3. Raising Accessibility • Startup committed to breaking down barriers through technological solutions. • In November 2012 conducted a usability study observing how people who experience visual impairment use mobile devices and interact with apps. • Partnered with Devlin Digital and Good Wally, two pillars in the accessibility community. • Close connection with the Toronto Accessibility & Inclusive Design Meetup Group.

  4. Sean Power • Project Lead on the Raising Accessibility low vision usability study. • Management Consultant for small- and medium-sized businesses with Bansal Power. • Sits on the Board of Directors and on the Accessibility Committee for a charity in Oshawa. • Hosted a panel discussion on disabilities in development with an international development charity.

  5. Raising Accessibility Vision • Design and develop technology that re-thinks human communication. • Develop a set of tools that solve condition-specific problems for people with disabilities. • Make assistive technology an obsolete term.

  6. Questions Answered • From which countries will your new users come in 2013 and on. • Among which demographics will your app become popular in 2013 and on. • How many of these new users experience a physical impairment. • Design and functionality recommendations for serving these disabled users.

  7. Smartphone Adoption USA http://blog.nielsen.com/nielsenwire/online_mobile/smartphones-account-for-half-of-all-mobile-phones-dominate-new-phone-purchases-in-the-us/

  8. Mobile Share of Global Web Traffic http://impactofinformationsystemsonsociety.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/how-it-innovation-is-transforming-africa/mobile-share-of-web-traffic/

  9. Reasons for Growth, Domestic and Int’l • Increased access to mobile broadband. • Price reduction for devices. • Increasingly robust app ecosystem.

  10. Global Interest in Apps for Mobile

  11. Regional Interest in Apps for Mobile

  12. Questions Answered • From which countries will your new users come in 2013 and on. • Among which demographics will your app become popular in 2013 and on. • How many of these new users experience a physical impairment. • Design and functionality recommendations for serving these disabled users.

  13. Smartphone Adoption by Demographic http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Smartphone-Update-2012/Findings.aspx

  14. Population Pyramid USA 2010 http://www.tutor2u.net/blog/index.php/economics/comments/excellent-moving-graphic-showing-us-population-pyramid-1950-to-2010/

  15. Questions Answered • From which countries will your new users come in 2013 and on. • Among which demographics will your app become popular in 2013 and on. • How many of these new users experience a physical impairment. • Design and functionality recommendations for serving these disabled users.

  16. Physical Disability in Int’l Markets • Some challenges in measuring disability prevalence: • Countries define disability differently. • e.g. Canada/USA prevalence at 15%, India at 2% despite weaker health system. • Census/reporting data often incomplete. • Global Burden of Disease Survey estimates 15% of world’s population experiences disability. • World Health Organization’s World Health Survey estimates 10%.

  17. Incomplete Data on Disability Prevalence www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/chapter2.pdf

  18. Impact Solution Can Make in Int’l Markets • Physical disabilities impact lives differently: • In North America, children with poor eye vision get glasses and stay in school. • In Brazil, many children with poor eye vision drop out due to lack of access to assistive devices.

  19. Impact Solution Can Make in Int’l Markets

  20. Rising Middle Class in Int’l Markets www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/chapter2.pdf

  21. Disability Among Seniors

  22. Global Disability Prevalence, 45+ Years www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/chapter2.pdf

  23. Low Income Countries: High Disability Prevalence; High Interest in Mobile Apps

  24. By Country, By Age www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/chapter2.pdf

  25. Questions Answered • From which countries will your new users come in 2013 and on. • Among which demographics will your app become popular in 2013 and on. • How many of these new users experience a physical impairment. • Design and functionality recommendations for serving these disabled users.

  26. The Low Vision Usability Study

  27. Audio of an Example of a Test

  28. Methods Summary • Eight subjects, eight unique types of blindness. • Four tests managing controlled conditions. • Two variables: speed and accuracy during use. • Good Wally, accessibility consulting firm led by George Zamfir. • Devlin Digital Accessibility Lab. • Observe challenges, issues, surprises, or “duh” moments.

  29. Recommendation 1 • Make the most of audible and haptic (vibrating) alerts. THREE OUT OF EIGHT LOW VISION SUBJECTS WHO USED THE LOOP APP SUGGESTED THAT AUDIBLE ALERTS WOULD BE ESPECIALLY BENEFICIAL AND IMPROVE THEIR USER EXPERIENCE (Power, 2013).

  30. Recommendation 2 • Use custom multi-touch gestures to improve navigation. DURING OUR STUDY, SUBJECTS SOMETIMES UNKNOWINGLY HELD THE PHONE UPSIDE DOWN. ADJUSTING THE APP’S INTERFACE ACCORDING TO THE PHONE’S POSITION IMPROVES THE USER EXPERIENCE FOR PEOPLE WITH LOW VISION (Power, 2013).

  31. Recommendation 3 • Use high contrast, large buttons. CONSIDER ADDING THE ABILITY TO CHANGE THE CONTRAST AND COLOUR OF BUTTONS IN THE SETTINGS MENU. EVERYBODY’S EYES WORK DIFFERENTLY (Power, 2013).

  32. Recommendation 4 • Think twice about how your app uses the camera. SUBJECTS IN OUR FOCUS GROUP FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO FIND THE OBJECT THEY HOPED TO TARGET IN THE VIEWFINDER (Power, 2013).

  33. Recommendation 5 • Consider how spatial awareness might impact how users interact with your app. SUBJECTS USING LOOP WERE UNSURE WHERE TO HOLD THE DEVICE RELATIVE TO THEIR FACE AND TO THE OBJECT BEING VIEWED. MOST ENDED UP EXPERIMENTING WITH DISTANCE UNTIL THEY FOUND AN OPTIMAL LENGTH (Power, 2013).

  34. Questions Answered • From which countries will your new users come in 2013 and on. • Among which demographics will your app become popular in 2013 and on. • How many of these new users experience a physical impairment. • Design and functionality recommendations for serving these disabled users.

  35. Download the Whitepaper http://www.raisingaccessibility.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Mobile-App-Design-and-Functionality-for-Low-Vision-Users.pdf Sean Power @seanmpower George Batalinski @gbatalinski Raising Accessibility @RaiseAccessfacebook.com/RaisingAccessibility http://raisingaccessibility.com

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