Inequality in User Experience: Can Mobile User Interfaces that Help Sighted Users Create Barriers for Visually Challenged People? | SpringerLink
Skip to main content
Springer Nature Link
Log in

Inequality in User Experience: Can Mobile User Interfaces that Help Sighted Users Create Barriers for Visually Challenged People?

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Computers Helping People with Special Needs (ICCHP 2024)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNCS,volume 14750))

Abstract

Designing mobile interfaces for enhanced usability and user experience has become a standard practice in modern-day app development. However, this approach often prioritizes the needs of sighted users, leading to a compromised experience for people who are visually challenged or blind. This study reveals the user experience elements that make it easier for sighted users to accomplish a task while creating barriers for people who rely on screen readers. Using task-based usability tests of six globally popular mobile apps, the study compares the experiences of 12 sighted and 15 visually challenged (VC) users. The results reveal drastic differences in usability and experience between the two groups, highlighting the gaps and experience compromises despite being accessible by norms. The study highlights how designing interfaces for enhanced usability and user experience for sighted users compromises six prominent aspects of usability for people who are visually challenged or blind, leading to productivity challenges and poor user experiences, calling for a more inclusive and accessible approach to mobile app design. The study suggests investigating technological advancements, such as building screen reader capabilities to understand the designer’s intent or creating tools to support the designer in keeping screen reader limitations in mind while designing, to address such issues and provide an equal experience for VC users.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution

Subscribe and save

Springer+ Basic
¥17,985 /Month
  • Get 10 units per month
  • Download Article/Chapter or eBook
  • 1 Unit = 1 Article or 1 Chapter
  • Cancel anytime
Subscribe now

Buy Now

Chapter
JPY 3498
Price includes VAT (Japan)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
JPY 9151
Price includes VAT (Japan)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
JPY 11439
Price includes VAT (Japan)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Álvarez-Robles, T., Álvarez, F., Orozco, Y., Sandoval-Bringas, J.A.: Analysis of specialized websites in digital libraries: evaluation of UX with blind users. In: Stephanidis, C., et al. (eds.) HCII 2021. LNCS, vol. 13096, pp. 133–146. Springer, Cham (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-90328-2_9

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  2. Al-Razgan, M., et al.: A systematic literature review on the usability of mobile applications for visually impaired users. PeerJ Comput. Sci. 7 (2021). https://doi.org/10.7717/PEERJ-CS.771

  3. Alshayban, A., Ahmed, I., Malek, S.: Accessibility issues in Android apps: state of affairs, sentiments, and ways forward. 1323–1334 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1145/3377811.3380392

  4. dos S. Rosa, J.R., Valentim, N.M.C.: An exploratory study about accessibility, usability and user experience with the visually impaired using mobile applications. In: ACM International Conference Proceeding Series, Article no. 3439998 (2020). https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85102882807&doi=10.1145%2f3439961.3439998&partnerID=40&md5=983259e10c8a5c7450cd826ffca4edf5

  5. Aizpurua, A., Arrue, M., Vigo, M.: Uncovering the role of expectations on perceived web accessibility. In: Proceedings of the 15th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility - ASSETS 2013, pp. 1–2 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1145/2513383.2513411

  6. Stephanidis, C.: Margherita Antona Universal Access in Human-Computer Interaction Methods, Techniques, and Best Practices (2016). http://www.springer.com/series/7409

  7. Busaeed, S., Mehmood, R., Katib, I.: Requirements, Challenges, and Use of Digital Devices and Apps for Blind and Visually Impaired (2022). https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202207.0068.v1

  8. Rodrigues, A., Nicolau, H., Montague, K., Guerreiro, J., Guerreiro, T.: Open challenges of blind people using smartphones. Int. J. Hum. Comput. Interact. 36(17), 1605–1622 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1080/10447318.2020.1768672

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. W3Org. Accessibility, Usability, and Inclusion (2018). https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-usability-inclusion/. Accessed 5 May 2022

  10. Alajarmeh, N.: The extent of mobile accessibility coverage in WCAG 2.1: sufficiency of success criteria and appropriateness of relevant conformance levels pertaining to accessibility problems encountered by users who are visually impaired. Univers. Access Inf. Soc. 21(2), 507–532 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-020-00785-w

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Power, C., Freire, A., Petrie, H., Swallow, D.: Guidelines are only half of the story. In: Proceedings of the 2012 ACM Annual Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems - CHI 2012, p. 433 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1145/2207676.2207736

  12. Leuthold, S., Bargas-Avila, J.A., Opwis, K.: Beyond web content accessibility guidelines: design of enhanced text user interfaces for blind internet users. Int. J. Hum.-Comput. Stud. 66, 257–270 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2007.10.006

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Aizpurua, A., Arrue, M., Vigo, M.: Prejudices, memories, expectations and confidence influence experienced accessibility on the Web. Comput. Hum. Behav. 51, 152–160 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2015.04.035

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Aizpurua, A., Harper, S., Vigo, M.: Exploring the relationship between web accessibility and user experience. Int. J. Hum. Comput. Stud. 91, 13–23 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhcs.2016.03.008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Griffin-Shirley, N., et al.: A survey on the use of mobile applications for people who are visually impaired. J. Vis. Impairment Blindness 111, 307–323 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1177/0145482X1711100402

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. Sauer, J., Sonderegger, A., Schmutz, S.: Usability, user experience and accessibility: towards an integrative model. Ergonomics 63(10), 1207–1220 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1080/00140139.2020.1774080

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Yan, S., Ramachandran, P.G.: The current status of accessibility in mobile apps. ACM Trans. Accessible Comput. 12(1), 1–31 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1145/3300176

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. Rodrigues, A., Montague, K., Nicolau, H., Guerreiro, T.: Getting smartphones to talkback: understanding the smartphone adoption process of blind users. In: ASSETS 2015: The 17th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference of Computers and Accessibility, pp. 23–32 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1145/2700648.2809842

  19. Alnfiai, M.: Evaluating the accessibility and usability of a universal CAPTCHA based on gestures for smartphones. Univ. Access Inf. Soc. 20, 817–831 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-020-00730-x

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Milano, P.: “Usable accessibility” to the Web for blind users “Usable Accessibility” to the Web for blind Users (2016). http://ui4all.ics.forth.gr/workshop2004/files/ui4all_proceedings/adjunct/accessibility/109.pdf. Accessed Jan 2014

  21. Zaina, L.A.M., Fortes, R.P.M., Casadei, V., Nozaki, L.S., Paiva, D.M.B.: Preventing accessibility barriers: Guidelines for using user interface design patterns in mobile applications. J. Syst. Softw. 186, 111213 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jss.2021.111213

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Lee, Y., Lee, J.: A checklist for assessing blind users’ usability of educational smartphone applications. Univers. Access Inf. Soc. 18(2), 343–360 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-017-0585-1

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

Authors acknowledge support received from National Centre for Assistive Health Technology (NCAHT), IIT Delhi in carrying out this work.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Design, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, New Delhi, 110016, India

    Sachin Tanwar & P. V. M. Rao

Authors
  1. Sachin Tanwar
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. P. V. M. Rao
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sachin Tanwar .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria

    Klaus Miesenberger

  2. Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic

    Petr Peňáz

  3. Tsukuba University of Technology, Tsukuba, Japan

    Makoto Kobayashi

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2024 The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Tanwar, S., Rao, P.V.M. (2024). Inequality in User Experience: Can Mobile User Interfaces that Help Sighted Users Create Barriers for Visually Challenged People?. In: Miesenberger, K., Peňáz, P., Kobayashi, M. (eds) Computers Helping People with Special Needs. ICCHP 2024. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14750. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-62846-7_3

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-62846-7_3

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-031-62845-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-031-62846-7

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation