Mobile Devices as Assistive Technologies for ASD: Experiences in the Classroom

Mobile technology is a new frontier for accessibility. Although mobile developers need solid guidelines to provide accessible experiences, there is a limited number of empirical research on mobile accessibility of different mobile platforms that work through various assistive technologies. In this context, more information is needed to understand both usage patterns and hardware/software platforms to guide decisions to meet the needs of people with disabilities who use mobile devices. This study, which is a pilot study of a long-term research, evaluates the accessibility of selected built-in and third party iOS applications in the iPhone and iPad through an extensive accessibility test with two blind users who are novice users of touchscreen mobile devices. This qualitative study is based on a multi-method approach, which consists of a background questionnaire, task observation, and a structured debriefing interview. The study also employs observation methods of data collection in order to gain better insight in mobile accessibility. The participants are demanded to execute three different tasks on each platform by using VoiceOver, which is the built-in screen reader in iOS. The participants are observed during the task executions and the “think aloud” procedure and video recording of the participants collected additional data. A short debriefing interview was also made to gain a detailed insight into the user experience. The findings reveal significant accessibility problems caused specifically by design of the graphical user interface features of the applications and limitations of the screen reader. Finally, as part of future research directions, preliminary guidelines are proposed to improve accessibility for iOS applications in both platforms.

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Empowerment of Assistive Technologies with Mobile Devices in a DUI Ecosystem

Procedia Computer Science ◽

10.1016/j.procs.2015.09.280 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 67 ◽

pp. 358-365 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Lucia Vilela Leite Filgueiras ◽

Soraia Silva Prietch ◽

João Paulo Delgado Preti

Keyword(s):

Mobile Devices ◽

Assistive Technologies

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The Case for Mobile Devices as Assistive Learning Technologies

Human-Computer Interaction ◽

10.4018/978-1-4666-8789-9.ch052 ◽

2015 ◽

pp. 1102-1117

Author(s):

Lorna McKnight

Keyword(s):

Mobile Devices ◽

Large Scale ◽

Learning Technologies ◽

Assistive Technologies ◽

Learning Support ◽

Special Educational Needs ◽

Support Tools ◽

Research Findings ◽

The Media ◽

Personal Devices

Mobile devices are often promoted by the media as being able to offer great benefits for users with special educational needs by supporting and enabling learning. However, there is a strong call from the research community for more evidence-based solutions in the field of Assistive Technologies (AT), so there is a need to carefully consider evidence from existing research. This paper presents results from a large-scale interdisciplinary literature review on assistive technologies, exploring the case for using mobile devices as learning support tools. The review suggests that research findings support this, showing benefits through app availability, portability, sensing and multi-touch capabilities, and their use as mainstream and personal devices. However, cautions can also be found, including needing to consider individuals' specific needs and desires and the constraints and practices of the educational contexts they are situated in.

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The Case for Mobile Devices as Assistive Learning Technologies

International Journal of Mobile Human Computer Interaction ◽

10.4018/ijmhci.2014070101 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 1-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Lorna McKnight

Keyword(s):

Mobile Devices ◽

Large Scale ◽

Learning Technologies ◽

Assistive Technologies ◽

Learning Support ◽

Special Educational Needs ◽

Support Tools ◽

Research Findings ◽

The Media ◽

Personal Devices

Mobile devices are often promoted by the media as being able to offer great benefits for users with special educational needs by supporting and enabling learning. However, there is a strong call from the research community for more evidence-based solutions in the field of Assistive Technologies (AT), so there is a need to carefully consider evidence from existing research. This paper presents results from a large-scale interdisciplinary literature review on assistive technologies, exploring the case for using mobile devices as learning support tools. The review suggests that research findings support this, showing benefits through app availability, portability, sensing and multi-touch capabilities, and their use as mainstream and personal devices. However, cautions can also be found, including needing to consider individuals' specific needs and desires and the constraints and practices of the educational contexts they are situated in.

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Making Shopping Easy for People with Visual Impairment Using Mobile Assistive Technologies

Applied Sciences ◽

10.3390/app9061061 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (6) ◽

pp. 1061 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Mostafa Elgendy ◽

Cecilia Sik-Lanyi ◽

Arpad Kelemen

Keyword(s):

Quality Of Life ◽

Visual Impairment ◽

Mobile Devices ◽

Social Life ◽

Assistive Technologies ◽

Daily Activities ◽

Challenging Tasks

People with visual impairment face various difficulties in their daily activities in comparison to people without visual impairment. Much research has been done to find smart solutions using mobile devices to help people with visual impairment perform tasks like shopping. One of the most challenging tasks for researchers is to create a solution that offers a good quality of life for people with visual impairment. It is also essential to develop solutions that encourage people with visual impairment to participate in social life. This study provides an overview of the various technologies that have been developed in recent years to assist people with visual impairment in shopping tasks. It gives an introduction to the latest direction in this area, which will help developers to incorporate such solutions into their research.

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