Mobile App Design and Functionality for Low Vision

UsersPenetrating International

Markets and New Demographics

Inclusive Design Meetup GroupWednesday, March 27, 2013

185 Frederick St.Devlin Digital

Raising AccessibilityStartup 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.

Sean PowerProject 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.

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.

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.

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/

Mobile Share of Global Web Traffic

http://impactofinformationsystemsonsociety.wordpress.com/2012/12/05/how-it-innovation-is-transforming-africa/mobile-share-of-web-traffic/

Reasons for Growth, Domestic and Int’l

Increased access to mobile broadband.

Price reduction for devices.

Increasingly robust app ecosystem.

Global Interest in Apps for Mobile

Regional Interest in Apps for Mobile

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.

Smartphone Adoption by Demographic

http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2012/Smartphone-Update-2012/Findings.aspx

Population Pyramid USA 2010

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

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.

Physical Disability in Int’l MarketsSome 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%.

Incomplete Data on Disability Prevalence

www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/chapter2.pdf

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.

Impact Solution Can Make in Int’l Markets

Rising Middle Class in Int’l Markets

www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/chapter2.pdf

Disability Among Seniors

Global Disability Prevalence, 45+ Years

www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/chapter2.pdf

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

By Country, By Age

www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/chapter2.pdf

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.

The Low Vision Usability Study

Audio of an Example of a Test

Methods SummaryEight 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.

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).

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).

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).

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).

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).

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.

Download the Whitepaper

http://www.raisingaccessibility.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/02/Mobile-App-Design-and-Functionality-for-Low-Vision-Users.pdf

Sean Power @seanmpowerGeorge Batalinski @gbatalinski

Raising Accessibility @RaiseAccess facebook.com/RaisingAccessibilityhttp://raisingaccessibility.com