Using a Mobile Application to Help Visually Impaired Individuals Explore the Outdoors Shelby K. Long1, Nicole D. Karpinsky1, Hilal Döner2, and Jeremiah D. Still1 1Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA, USA 2Middle East Technical University, Ankara, Turkey
Introduction • 285 million individuals are visually impaired (World Health Organization, 2014; National Federation of the Blind, 2015)
• Visually impaired people cannot access crucial cues in unpredictable environments • Increased mobility may increase feelings of independence and improve quality of life (Capella-McDonnall, 2007; Hersh & Johnson, 2008; Rimmer & Braddock, 2002)
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Current Strategies and Technologies
Currently, many visually impaired people use a white cane to assist with navigation 3
Current Strategies and Technologies
Examples of a hiking application, electronic cane, 3D-printed braille, and navigation belt 4
Design Principles • Easy to use • Cost effective • Improve upon current technology • Aid in obstacle avoidance • Minimize hazards • Improve understanding of orientation information
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Study • Assess needs of visually impaired users when navigating outdoors • Interviews • Storyboarding
• Determine goals • Personas • Scenarios • Use cases
• Usability Testing • Did we meet our goals? 6
Needs Assessment: Interviews • Subject-matter experts (N = 9) • Blind long-distance hiker • Accessibility professionals • Potential users from Turkey (n = 3) and USA (n = 2)
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Discoveries • Issues with map inaccuracy and incompatible, inaccessible apps • Need way to know trail conditions in real time • Relied on white cane and route memorization • Want accessible emergency options and ways to connect with other hikers
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Personas and Scenarios
Barbara 9
Usability Testing • N = 6 (2 Turkish, 4 American) • Usability dimensions • Errors and clarity of design (number of errors) • Efficiency (time on task) • Satisfaction (System Usability Scale; Brooke, 1996)
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Use Cases • To understand the usefulness of the application, use cases were developed • For example, when Barbara encountered a downed tree she could have: • Tagged the obstacle with the Report function • The trail condition would be tagged for future users
• Used the Home function to call Emergency Services
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Tasks • 1: Check battery life
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Tasks • 2: Call park services
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Tasks • 3: Pick a recent trail
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Tasks • 4: Report a downed tree
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Usability Testing • SUS signified high satisfaction with the application (M = 88.33, SD = 9.04)
• Participants completed all tasks in under one minute (M = 27.82, SD = 9.47) • Minimal errors were made in Task 1-3
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Discussion What did we find?
What does our app offer?
• Users are frustrated with current options • Limited choices for visually impaired • Our prototype was well received
• Real-time updates • Easy-to-use features • Integration • Minimal errors and high satisfaction • Allows visually impaired to navigate independently 17
Current Directions • Looking for: computer programmer, funding • Want to further the “social tagging” option and add vibro-tactile feedback • Have app appeal to seeing and non-visual users
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Questions? For more information, contact: Shelby Long (
[email protected])
Thank you to Shih-Min Hong, Trevor Thomas, and all that contributed ideas to this project!
Long, S. K., Karpinsky, N. D., Döner, H. & Still, J. (2016, July). Using a mobile application to help visually impaired individuals explore the outdoors. Presented at the 7th International Conference on Applied Human Factors and Ergonomics. Orlando, Florida. 19
