Touch sensation as part of multimedia design elements to improve computer accessibility for the blind users

Many HCI researchers are keen in producing accessible computer applications for the users. However, not many of these findings focus on disable user especially the blind. Most of the technological advancement meant for the blind user is in the form of assistive technologies mainly screen reader. Blind user has highlighted the inefficiency of screen reader as well as other unobtainable and expensive assistive technologies. This paper proposes the use of touch sensation as one of the essential design element to exist alongside with other multimedia design elements. A prototype was developed incorporating the multimedia design elements and was tested among blind users to measure the usability score. The result indicates that touch sensation plays an important role in improving the representation of a computer application to blind. Associating touch sensation in improving the accessibility of computer application has produced totally new experience to the blind users in perceiving information thus enhanced the learning process altogether.

[1]  Mike Sinclair,et al.  Touch-sensing input devices , 1999, CHI '99.

[2]  Yong Liu,et al.  Altered Anatomical Network in Early Blindness Revealed by Diffusion Tensor Tractography , 2009, PloS one.

[3]  D. Burr,et al.  Early visual deprivation severely compromises the auditory sense of space in congenitally blind children. , 2016, Developmental psychology.

[4]  Saiganesh Swaminathan,et al.  Linespace: A Sensemaking Platform for the Blind , 2016, CHI.

[5]  Sufian Yousef,et al.  Eliciting Usability from Blind User Mental Model for Touch Screen Devices , 2014 .

[6]  Najmul Hasan,et al.  A Systematic Literature Review of the Application of Information Communication Technology for Visually Impaired People , 2016, International Journal of Disability Management.

[7]  Tyler Thrash,et al.  Spatial navigation by congenitally blind individuals , 2015, Wiley interdisciplinary reviews. Cognitive science.

[8]  Ravi Kuber,et al.  An empirical investigation into the difficulties experienced by visually impaired Internet users , 2008, Universal Access in the Information Society.

[9]  Kevin C. Chan,et al.  Top-down influence on the visual cortex of the blind during sensory substitution , 2016, NeuroImage.

[10]  P. Strzelczyk,et al.  MetaType 1 : a METAPOST-based engine for generating Type 1 fonts Bogus , 2001 .

[11]  Kristen Shinohara.  Designing assistive technology for blind users , 2006, Assets '06.

[12]  Ahmad Hisham Zainal Abidin,et al.  Touch screen with audio feedback: Content analysis and the effect of spatial ability on blind people's sense of position of web pages , 2013, 2013 International Conference on Research and Innovation in Information Systems (ICRIIS).

[13]  Jakob Nielsen,et al.  A mathematical model of the finding of usability problems , 1993, INTERCHI.

[14]  Brani Vidakovic,et al.  Leveraging data complexity: Pupillary behavior of older adults with visual impairment during HCI , 2006, TCHI.

[15]  Wan Fatimah Wan Ahmad,et al.  A study on design principles and requirements for multimedia application development: MFolktales application for children's education , 2015, 2015 International Symposium on Mathematical Sciences and Computing Research (iSMSC).

[16]  Adam N. Pate,et al.  Effects of applying multimedia design principles in PowerPoint lecture redesign , 2016 .

[17]  Ione Fine,et al.  Auditory motion processing after early blindness. , 2014, Journal of vision.

[18]  Jaime Sánchez,et al.  Development of an Audio-Haptic Virtual Interface for Navigation of Large-Scale Environments for People Who Are Blind , 2016, HCI.

[19]  Susan A. Youngblood,et al.  Multimedia Foundations: Core Concepts for Digital Design , 2012 .

[20]  Simone Bacellar Leal Ferreira,et al.  Aligning Usability Requirements with the Accessibility Guidelines Focusing on the Visually-Impaired , 2012, DSAI.

[21]  M. Izani,et al.  Keyframe animation and motion capture for creating animation: a survey and perception from industry people , 2003, Proceedings. Student Conference on Research and Development, 2003. SCORED 2003..

[22]  Shirley Ann Becker,et al.  Web usability: a review of the research , 1999, SGCH.

[23]  Jun Rekimoto,et al.  Ambient touch: designing tactile interfaces for handheld devices , 2002, UIST '02.

[24]  Franco Lepore,et al.  Auditory motion in the sighted and blind: Early visual deprivation triggers a large-scale imbalance between auditory and “visual” brain regions , 2016, NeuroImage.

[25]  Suziah Sulaiman,et al.  An Exploratory Study on Blind Users’ Mental Model in Computer Accessibility , 2015 .