Proposal: Smartphone ApplicationAssociated Services for theBlind and Visually Impaired

Yemima ArbouetTaj JonesShea MulloolyApril 2016

Proposal: Smartphone Application

Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired

Yemima Arbouet

Taj Jones Shea Mullooly

Table of Contents

I. About the Associated Services for the Blind

Executive Summary ……………………. I A

Company Information …………………. I B II. About the Proposed Application Needs Analysis ………………………….. II A Project Overview ……………………….. II B Development ………………………….... II C Implementation ………………………....II D Evaluation ………………………………. II E

I. About the Associated Services for the Blind I A. Executive Summary

Philadelphia’s Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ASB), is a private,

non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization created to inspire self-esteem, independence and

self-determination in people who are blind or visually impaired. ASB provides support

through education, training and resources, as well as community action and public education.

The non-profit organization is proud to serve as a voice and advocate for the rights of all of

their clients.

The Business Problem: Lack of available apps and choices on the market targeted specifically

for the blind and visually impaired. The choices are limited.

The Solution: Develop an app that addresses the many needs of any individual, however, this

app will specifically focus on catering to those who are blind and visually impaired. It will be

capable of completing a variety of different functions.

Proposed Project Description: Develop a new inline app to help the blind and visually

impaired with daily functions such as locating buildings, taxi services, public transportation,

and local businesses.

I B. Company Information

Why the company exists

The Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ASB) is a testament to

philanthropy, charitable giving and volunteerism in Philadelphia and the surrounding

communities for well over a century. It was organized and created to serve as a strong and

unified advocate for the blind and visually impaired.

Product or service it provides

ASB provides and offers services designed to rekindle self-confidence and rebuild lives

through education, training and resources. The following list of offered services tackle a

comprehensive range of challenges that clients face in learning how to adaptively

rehabilitate, re-educate and re-create themselves so that they can lead fulfilling, productive

lives.

• Human Services - deals directly with the physical, emotional and social problems

created by blindness and visual impairment.

• Alternative Formats - provide the blind and visually impaired access to the resources

and information that most people with sight take for granted.

• Lighthouse of the Blind - offers financial grants for purchasing special, adaptive

equipment to those in need.

Leadership behind the company

President & Chief Executive Officer - Patricia C. Johnson took the helm of the Associated

Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired in 1993, and she has remained President and Chief

Executive Officer since.

With over twenty years of leadership experience in both private and public sectors of business

management, she offers compelling evidence of achieving results in staff management, cost

containment, budgeting, strategic planning and efficiency initiatives.

At Cigna Corporation, Ms. Johnson rose from Field Operations Manager to Chief of Staff for the

Executive Vice President of Corporate Services and Human Resources. Ms. Johnson earned

her Masters in Business Administration at the Wharton School of Business and a Bachelor of

Science degree from the University of Delaware.

Human Relations - Tim McGovern

Certified Psychologist, Client Evaluator - Patricia Cautilli

Director, Human Services - Cedric Bryant

Director, Braille Division and Custom Audio - Richard Forsythe

Coordinator, Volunteer Services - Linda Gaffney

Instructor, Computer Technology Center, (CTC) - David Goldfield

Life Skills Educator - Bette Homer

Public Relations Officer - Brian Rusk

Job Coach - Frank Grossman

Job Developer/Coach - Brad Morith

History

What started as the Pennsylvania Working Home for Blind Men in 1874 exists now, more than

125 years later, as the largest 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization serving the needs of people

who are blind or visually impaired in the Delaware Valley, which includes Southeastern

Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Northern Delaware.

An important part of their history took place in 1922, when the American Red Cross enlisted

volunteers to teach braille to blind veterans returning from World War I. After tremendous

growth, an independent agency named Volunteer Services for the Blind was formed in 1945 to

transcribe books and magazines in braille. In 1947, recorded textbooks were created to help

college students. In the early 1970’s, the program expanded to include government contracts.

ASB became a reality in 1983, when Volunteer Services for the Blind united with two other

local agencies, the Information Center for the Blind and the Nevil Institute for Rehabilitation

and Services.

Since 1975, they have occupied the same home, on Walnut Street in Center City Philadelphia.

ASB remains steadfast in its mission to continually improve and build on what has already

grown to be a comprehensive array of services for the people we are dedicated to serving.

What they do

Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ASB) is a private non-profit

organization created to promote self-esteem, independence and self-determination in people

who are blind or visually impaired. ASB accomplishes this by providing support through

education, training and resources, as well as through community action and public education,

serving as a voice and advocate for the rights of all people who are blind or visually impaired.

II. About the Proposed Application

II A. Needs Analysis

The target market for this application will be members of the blind and visually impaired

community. These users need more information than knowing just where they are. This

application will help them understand what is around them, and give them insight on possible

services and businesses that they may not have been aware of.

II B. Project Description/Overview

Functionality

The application we propose will assist the blind and visually impaired in their day-to-day lives.

We propose four main components of the application: Building Recognition, Find a Service or

Place, Public Transportation and Call a Taxi. These components will use Google maps

technology to direct the user and voiceover software to read the information aloud so that the

blind and visually impaired can use the application. There will also be an option to change the

text size and color for those who are not blind and would like to adjust the way they see the

information.

Building Recognition

When the user clicks on the building icon, they will see an advanced camera software load

onto the screen. Once there, as they point the camera to a building, they will be made aware

of the building’s address, what purpose it serves, names of nearby services and locations

through a recognition interface. Keeping in mind the needs of those individuals who are

visually impaired, this part of the app will make use of audio capabilities to function as an

intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator.

Find a Service or Place

Once clicked, the user will automatically be prompted to request a service or a place they

would like to find. Similar to Siri’s capabilities, the user will be able to hear the intelligent

personal assistant make recommendations and perform actions by delegating requests to a

set of Web services. Once the user has identified a place or service they would like to find, they

will have the option to request directions to the specified location through the help of voice

navigation.

Public Transportation

Unlike other apps that offer this capability, this app will state the user’s current location.

Promptly after, it will state the location of the closest subway and bus stops. The user will

then hear something like “Would you like me to direct you to any of the listed routes?” If the

user responds with “Yes”, they will be navigated to the bus stop or subway stop of their choice

and alerted on the estimated wait time as well as the arrival time of the next bus or train.

Call a Taxi

If the user would like to request a taxi rather than taking public transportation, clicking on this

tab will provide them with the access to request a taxi. The user will be notified of the

estimated price of the taxi fare before they proceed to pay for the service as well as the

estimated wait time.

Design

Attached you will find the a style guide which shows how to use the proposed typography,

design elements and color scheme. There are also guidelines explaining how the application

will look and visual examples of the user interface design.

II C. Development

• Platform

This application will be developed for iOS and Android because these are the two main

smartphone platforms and will be most effective to reach all of the users.

• Back End

As far as this app is concerned, a CMS will be needed for consistency amongst the themes and

will allow for a basic layout the blind and visually impaired will find easy to navigate. With a

CMS, anyone can easily make updates to the map and the services connected to it, such as the

cab services, bus routes, Google maps integration, etc.

• Push Notifications

The user will have the option to receive push notifications, which will deliver alerts to their

phone such as information about a nearby business they often go too, or updates about how

far they are from reaching their location.

Push notifications will ultimately not benefit the user unless the notifications speak directly to

the user. It is key to remember that the average user of this app will be visually impaired and

will not be able to read the notification bar at the top of the screen. These notifications, if

used, must be read aloud with either Siri, for the iPhone, or through voiceover.

• Analytics

We are looking to gather data based on satisfaction and overall effectiveness of the product.

The analytics for this will be heavily influenced by usability as this app is design to make it

easy for the visually impaired to navigate a city. We would also look for information given to

the project from outside sources. This app should be able to use information given by the

users and project this information onto the map for the visually impaired to hear about if they

come in contact with the specified area.

II D. Implementation

This project is due to launch by the end of May 2017. We chose this date because it gives the

developers a year to organize everything and get the app to work. We will have completed the

necessary user interface and user experience design by May 2016 so the remaining pieces will

be done on the back end. There is no event associated with the launch date so, in essence, we

have as much time to create this project as we need, but it should be done within one (1) year.

Beta Application

Before the application is released to the public, a beta version of the app will be released to

three controlled groups:

1. A group of blind and visually impaired technical savvy users.

2. A group of blind and visually impaired users that are not as technically advanced.

3. A group of sighted users

Data from these three groups will be collected and the application will undergo revisions

based off of the response before the final release to the public.

Advertising

Since it is important that this application is easily accessible to the users and kept either free

or at a very low price, the advertising for the application will be focused towards free

advertising. The blind and visually impaired is a small and close community so word of mouth

will be the primary form of advertising. The Associated Services of the Blind will also tell their

clients about the application and provide training on how to use it if necessary. If these

methods do not generate enough interest, radio advertising would be considered as an option

for advertising.

II E. Evaluation

An evaluation will take place throughout the entire process to allow for useful information for

the next version or update of the application. For instance a multiple-choice survey may be

given to a group with questions ranging from their first impression of the application to the

straightforwardness and ease of use of the application. How much help did they need learning

how to use the application? Did this application easily work in their everyday lives and did it

successfully aid them in their day-to-day activities? Did this application become crucial to

them or was it just an extra assistance? This information will be collected and used as a

guideline for further development.

Proposal: Smartphone ApplicationAssociated Services for theBlind and Visually Impaired

Style Sheet and User Interface Design Guidelines

Source Sans Pro, Regular, 15 pt

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Vivamus finibus eros sed diam maximus, ac ullamcorper mauris vestibulum. Vestibulum cursus lobortis lacinia. Donec sed leo lacinia ipsum porttitor condimentum a eu leo. Maecenas dignissim urna eu nunc accumsan imperdiet sit amet eu purus

BODY TEXT

Source Sans Pro, Bold, 18 ptHeader four

Source Sans Pro, Bold, 24 ptHeader threeSource Sans Pro, Bold, 30 ptHeader twoSource Sans Pro, Bold, 36 ptHeader oneHEADER TEXT

BoldAa

RegularAaSource Sans Pro

TYPOGRAPHY

#CF203A#CF203A#CF203A#CF203A

COLOR PALETTE

01. Style Guide

FORMS

NAVIGATION ICONS

BASIC ICONS

ICONS

02. Icon and Forms

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION

CALL A TAXI

FIND A SERVICE OR PLACE

BUILDING RECOGNITION

NAVIGATION AND MENUS

03. Navigation

1001-1005 Chestnut St., Philadelphia, PA 19107-4219

Starbucks Coffee

SERVICES OFFERED HERE: Coffee, food, wifi, seating, bathroom, ATM

BUILDING RECOGNITION

BUILDING RECOGNITION

Loading...

Hold your phone up to a buildingto learn more about it

BUILDING RECOGNITION

DESIGN: BUILDING RECOGNITION

04. Application Design

DESIGN: BUILDING RECOGNITION

04. Application Design