Designing Accessible Apps

Our guest post is written by Cheryl Bregman of Abilipad. Cheryl is a pediatric occupational therapist in Rockville, Maryland. Her interests include research and product development for students with developmental delays and learning disabilities. She founded Appy Therapy LLC and recently released her first app, Abilipad, which is constantly evolving, in pursuit of Universal Design.

In traditional learning environments, it is often difficult to design curriculum that addresses the needs of all learners. However, in the land of apps this is well within our reach.  The iPad, in particular, has many features which make it a fundamental learning tool for people with different learning styles as well as for people with physical, sensory and cognitive challenges.

The concept of creating a product that reaches the broadest range of users is known as Universal Design. This term was first applied in architecture where buildings and environments were designed to provide access to people with physical disabilities. While the benefits for people with disabilities are clear, they are less evident for those without disabilities.  But consider the access afforded to a mom pushing her stroller up a wheelchair ramp or to the cyclist using a curbside cut and of the advantages of an automatic door.

So, when one develops applications with accessibility in mind, it will in fact enrich the experience for all users.  For developers who adopt the Universal Design framework, it is preferable to incorporate these features from the outset; however one can also add them to an existing application.  The following three principles of Universal Design for Learning, developed by the Center for Applied Special Technology, can be used to guide the design of educational apps:

1. Present content in multiple and flexible formats.

Enable users to access and interact with your app in a variety of ways so as to optimize learning.  Consider that the text within an app may be inaccessible to young children or to people with learning disabilities; that visual information (images, movies, animations) may be inaccessible to users with visual deficits, and that information conveyed solely through sound may be inaccessible to people with hearing deficits and to users with processing or memory difficulties.

By providing users with multiple means of accessing information, they can select the modality which best suits their needs and learning style. Your app can be accessible to users who have reading difficulties by enabling the text to be read aloud via a text-to-speech option and by presenting information with illustrations or animations. For users who are deaf or hard of hearing, one can add closed captions, subtitles, visual equivalents for sound effects, or a sign language video. For users who are visually impaired, one can enable changes to the font, font size and color; as well as text to speech functionality and animation with narration .  Any application can also be made  VoiceOver compatible. This technology enables people who are blind or have low vision to independently control their iOS device. The VoiceOver reads what is written on the screen and is operated with simple gestures. It also offers support for Braille displays for those who are both blind and deaf.

2. Provide different ways for users to communicate their knowledge

Offer users multiple opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of the instructional content and to be successful. People can demonstrate what they know through writing, speaking, drawing, creating movies, solving puzzles, organizing information, manipulating letters and images, testing out scientific constructs using physics games, and so on! Provide flexible alternatives – be creative!

For people with speech impairments, modified keyboards with text and /or picture symbols that have speech output can provide a platform for users to communicate their experiences. And for those with severe physical disabilities it is possible to integrate speech to text transcription or switch-based scanning. With scanning, selected items are highlighted in   sequence and the user can select the desired item with a single tap.

3. Stimulate interest and motivation for learning.

Wherever possible, developers should provide the learner with choices regarding the content matter and the sequence for completing tasks. Involving users in these decisions increases the degree to which they will feel connected to the material.

Students will also work hard “just because” mastering a skill provides them with a sense of accomplishment. For some, mastery may require more practice and the iOS device serves as an ideal platform for such practice. Applications should provide examples that guide the user, and that carefully grade the amount of support provided. Consider incorporating calculators, spell checkers, word prediction, and text-to-speech. Setting different levels of mastery (e.g. Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced) also enables students to access developmentally appropriate materials that maintain their interest. Higher levels should have the user apply the skills they previously learned. Rewards also reinforce success, but should be used carefully to have value to the students.

When UDL principles are applied, apps are able to enhance instruction by individualizing lessons, motivating the learner and producing interactive learning activities. As members of Moms with Apps, we should lead the way in designing intuitive, creative and inclusive applications for all users irrespective of learning style or disability.