Mobile ADVICE: an accessible device for visually impaired capability enhancement

The visually impaired have limited access to the world of mobile devices. Our goal was to design a handheld mobile device to overcome limitations such as reliance on visual display and lack of audio and tactile feedback. We built a prototype handheld device using a combination of tactile feedback and auditory display based on preliminary research and testing. Our hypothesis was that this device would provide users with an interface with which they would be able to access advanced functions of a mobile device. This prototype was evaluated by both blind and sighted users. Based on both quantitative and qualitative measures, the results suggest that such a device can enhance the capabilities of visually impaired users of handheld mobile devices. Keywords Mobile devices, visually impaired, accessibility, audio feedback, menu navigation, PDA, haptics

• Type: Conference
• Year: 2003
• Where: CHI
• Authors: Robert A. Amar, Steven Dow, Richard Gordon, Muhammad Raafay Hamid, Chad Sellers
• Keywords: CHI 2003, Handheld Mobile Device, Handheld Mobile Devices, Human Computer Interaction, Prototype Handheld Device