People with Learning Disabilities and Smartphones: Testing the Usability of a Touch-Screen Interface

Abstract

Mobile phone technology is becoming ubiquitous. However, a number of unique usability challenges are still unresolved, including small screen size, device orientation changes, and an array of interaction methods (tap, flick, pinch, etc.) These challenges may be particularly acute for people with learning disabilities. This study examined the usability of touchscreen interactions, the difficulties, and possible solutions. An app was developed in which (12) participants accessed Google Maps and manipulated it to find various London Underground station locations. Text input (a password), tap, swipe, and pinch were required, and their usage was analysed. Many participants were successful in finding the required information. However, many difficulties arose, including misunderstandings of the labelling (a live ‘Welcome’ button was not tapped, whereas a short list of instructions was erroneously seen as a menu and so erroneously tapped to access each step in the process) and an over-sensitive zoom feature. Three categories of error were formulated from the findings: affordance, user, and functionality. Recommendations are offered, such as using more appropriate ‘signage’ for link buttons (affordance); manipulating the zoom feature using + and - buttons rather than a ‘pinch’, which requires two fingered dexterity (functionality); and more formal training and familiarity (user).

Doing and Talking: People with Intellectual Disabilities’ Handling of Challenges of Remote Communication

“…Sadly, the necessary technology has often been inaccessible for those unable to write and read (Chadwick, Wesson, & Fullwood, 2013;Hegarty & Aspinall, 2006;Williams & Shekhar, 2019). An example can be any technology dependent on a keyboard.…”

Accessibility Evaluation of Interactive Learning Mobile Applications for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

“…The checkpoints of simple gestures, which appeared in both guidelines, were observed to be partially violated in half of the applications. It was found that 'tapping' was mostly used to interact with the interface, which would not be an issue, since dragging and multi-touch gestures were identified as difficulties during the evaluation of a touch-screen interface for individuals who experience intellectual disabilities [34]. While the checkpoint of minimizing the amount of information on each page was partially violated by 60% of apps and predominantly violated by 20% of apps.…”

Characteristics of mobile phone use in adolescents identified with mild intellectual disability who attend special schools in Serbia and their non‐disabled peers in mainstream schools

“…Some studies associate less frequent mobile phone use by people with intellectual disability with unsuitable design features of the devices, which, among other things, include unfriendly user interface and insufficient instructions (de Urturi Breton et al, 2012). Williams and Shekhar (2019) state that they may sometimes experience difficulties understanding the meaning of the icons or instructions which appear onscreen, or in situations when they are expected to type a required text or memorise a password and enter it correctly when unlocking the phone. Additionally, families of young people with mild intellectual disability are often overprotective of them.…”