Accessible Smartphone Applications for the Visually Impaired | Jasmina Pelivani
| | Abstract | The main purpose of this project is to understand the needs of visually impaired users when using smartphone technology. Many of the applications that are already developed do not have focus on accessibility. This thesis reviews the possibilties which exist in order to add accessibility to smartphone applications - what can be done in order to make them as useful as possible for the visually impaired?
In the thesis I will consider the design of user interface for this kind of Android applications, by working with problems of using a smartphone, problems pro- vided by a visually impaired, who also suggested this project.
In order to evaluate if the user interface principles which I have come to are useful, an example of an Android application is developed. The application, TravelBuddy, helps the user to fi nd information about the public transport in Denmark, using Rejseplanen's API. Android's built-in function TalkBack is used for better interaction between the user and smarthphone - TalkBack reads what is going on on the screen.
Based on the information I got from the meetings with the client, I have established the use cases for the program, designed the program structure and finally implemented the application. The application, and ideas for this, have continuously been reviewed by the client in order to make the application accessible for the target group.
The study concludes that if developing with the focus on accessibility for visually impaired, useful applications can be developed which actually make it possible for a visually impaired to use them. The focus must stay on the accessibility when choosing between two solutions, otherwise it often result in unuseful applications for the visually impaired. | | Type | Bachelor thesis [Academic thesis] | | Year | 2012 | | Publisher | Technical University of Denmark, DTU Informatics, E-mail: reception@imm.dtu.dk | | Address | Asmussens Alle, Building 305, DK-2800 Kgs. Lyngby, Denmark | | Series | IMM-B.Sc.-2012-31 | | Note | Supervised by Associate Professor Christian Probst, probst@imm.dtu.dk, DTU Informatics. | | Electronic version(s) | [pdf] | | Publication link | http://www.imm.dtu.dk/English.aspx | | BibTeX data | [bibtex] | | IMM Group(s) | Computer Science & Engineering |
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