An architecture to improve the accessibility of applications of mobile devices used by users with motor disabilities

Abstract

Users with motor disabilities face difficulties to use personal computers because the traditional input devices, such as the keyboard and the mouse, cannot be easily operated by them. Likewise, the usage of mobile devices is also limited due to a series of factors that are peculiar to them, like the reduced screen size and the proximity of physical buttons (and elements of the interface as well) and lack of customization features. However, modern mobile devices have robust buit-in components which can be used to create assistive technologies that enable to interact with other electronic devices. Therefore, this project aims to study, improve and develop techniques to enable users with motor disabilities to use mobile devices as assistive technologies, so that they are able to perform daily funcionalities, specially those related to communication. In order to do so, we will study some motor disabilities and watch motor-impaired volunteers while they interact (or try to) with their mobile devices, in order to verify which are the greatest difficulties they face when they are doing so. Based on these difficulties and on interaction techniques used to develop assistive technologies, we aim to propose an architecture that can be used to develop applications with improved accessibility. We aim to integrate this architecture with some software solutions we are going to propose to help the volunteers. Furthermore, we expect that the architecture improves the current techniques as it will grant flexibility regarding the way people with motor disabilities use mobile devices. (AU)