Designing Mobile Applications for All: Accessible Contact Manager

Designing Mobile Applications for All:

Accessible Contact Manager

Jon Azpiroz (Vodafone Spain Foundation, Spain)

Karel Van Isacker (EPR, Belgium)

What is ÆGIS?

• Seeks to implement 3rd generation access techniques in mainstream ICT (desktop, rich Internet and mobile applications).

• Developed and explored with the Open Accessibility Framework (OAF).

• OAF provides embedded/built-in accessibility solutions, toolkits for developers, for “engraving” accessibility in existing and emerging mass-market ICT-based products.

• www.aegis-project.eu

Motivation, Problem area

• Accessibility for mobile devices is still way behind compared to desktop computers

• Difficulties integrating accessibility in a very fragmented market (not 1 fits for all).

• Few and rather expensive solutions .

• Time urgency: Increasing number of mobile applications (Apple App Store: Over 250,000 applications).

Research Approach, Methodology

Identify the barriers in the use of mainstream ICTs

Identify the specific mobile restrictions

Design guidelines for accessible mobile applications

Example application: Contact Manager

Validation and Refinement

• Barriers for:

– Visual impairment users:

• Screen readers and/or screen magnifiers

incompatibility with dynamic or graphical apps

• No emotional voices

• Lack of sufficient contrast

– Motor impairment users:

• Not able to use keyboards and/or mouse

• Difficulty to work with dynamic interfaces

• Poor quality of voice recognition

Barriers of Mainstream ICTs

Barriers of Mainstream ICTs• Barriers for:

– Cognitive impairment users:

• Need for constant adaptation and learning

• Complex and overloaded menus

• Confusing or not standardized icons

– Hearing impairment users:

• Poor quality of sound and/or interferences

• Poor quality of images in video calls

• Lack of subtitles and sign language adaptations

Barriers of Mainstream ICTs

• Barriers for:

– Speech / Communication impairment

users:

• Difficulties typing messages

• Complex menus and constant learning required

Mobile Restrictions

• Screen size

– Very limited but increasing

– Orientation: Square, landscape, portrait,…

– Not standardized aspect ratio

• Limited Processor speed and memory

available to run applications and ATs

Mobile Restrictions

• User input

– Not standardized. Different methods

available:

• T9 keypad

• Extended QWERTY keyboards

• Touch-screen virtual keyboards

• Voice commands

– Can be improved with spell checkers and

predictive text

Designing Accessible Mobile Applications

• Two fundamental factors:

– Target a mobile platform that is capable of

running ATs

– Adaptability, personalization and

customization of mobile applications

Rules to support accessibility

• If a component does not display a short string, a

descriptive name for it has to be specified.

• A tool tip for each component has to be set

whenever it makes sense.

• If a tool tip for a component can not be provided,

a description alternatively can be provided that

assistive technologies can give the user.

• Specify keyboard alternatives wherever possible

and keep in mind that keyboard alternatives

varies by components.

Rules to support accessibility

• Assign textual description to all Images and

Icons objects in your application.

• In a bunch of components that form a logical

group, try to put them into one container.

• Any custom component is created, it should

support accessibility.


• Targeting mobile platforms that are

capable of running ATs:

– Without accessibility APIs:

“Name:” label +

text box

ATs should replace or

chain the video driver

Off-screen model

On-screen


• Targeting mobile platforms that are capable of

running ATs:

– With accessibility APIs:

• Accessible slider:

– Name: Age_slider

– Role: Slider

– Current Value: 30

– Minimum Value: 0

– Maximum Value: 100

– Background Color:

White

– Foreground Color: Light

Gray

ATs

User

presentation


• Accessible environments that provide

accessibility APIs:

– BlackBerry OS

– Android OS

– iPhone OS

– (Work on progress) JavaME platform

• Accessible environments that do not provide

accessibility APIs:

– Symbian OS (although solution in the works)

– Windows Mobile OS


• Optimization of user experience

– Input of information:

• Design of menus

• Text prediction

• Spell-checking

• Short-cuts (when possible)



– Output of information

• Provide visual alternatives: text, icons, audio

• Make it configurable

– Naming and labelling

• Unique and meaningful names

– Theme support



– User preferences

• Look and feel

• Font adjustment

• Number of options or icons

– Compatibility with accessibility services

– Documentation and help menu

Example Application

• Accessible Contact Manager and Phone Dialler

Validation and Refinement• Accessible solutions should always be

validated by the end users

• What do first users think about it?

– Cognitive impaired users:• High degree of satisfaction with the redundant

information: text + image + voice

– Visual impaired users:• Text-only vertical contact list

• Translate UI frequently used settings to the home page (image and font size adjustment)

• Separate applications for Contact Manager and the phone dialler

Validation and Refinement• What do first users think about it?

– Motor impaired user:

• Search field

• Scroll bar with alphabet letters shortcutsVisual impairment users feedback

1st Evaluation Phase• Cognitive users report great acceptance of the

application

• Motor impairment users experience difficulties using the touch screen– Capacity touch screens are needed -> shift target

telephone to HTC HD2

– Navigation through the contact list should be simplified -> gestures are much easier for the users and the scroll bar is incorporated

– Screen saver affects some of the users before the end of the task

Conclusion and outlook

• Mobile applications require specific solutions to solve

mobile restrictions

• Accessibility is more than providing compatibility with

ATs

• User needs are quite different: Adaptability and

configuration are key parameters, across different

platforms (OSs)

• Application design should focus on each accessibility

group, looking for specific solutions

• Continuous refinement and validation of the solutions

should by the users is required to obtain a “design for all”

Designing Mobile Applications for All: Accessible Contact Manager

Technology

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