Auditory direct manipulation for blind computer users

Abstract

The use of computers today almost always requires that the user is able to see what is presented on the screen, a requirement that blind computer users are not able to fulfill. Many features of the graphical user interface are inaccessible for blind computer users; direct manipulation is one of them. Direct manipulation is a fundamental property of graphical user interfaces which makes the interface easier to use by presenting all objects continuously, allowing physical interaction, and giving immediate feedback on the user’s actions. The object of the work presented here is to find out if accessible direct manipulation could be beneficial for blind computer users. The main research questions are whether auditory direct manipulation is possible, if blind computer users could benefit from having auditory direct manipulation, and if this could support collaboration with sighted users. In order to investigate this, an auditory version of the game Towers of Hanoi has been implemented according to the principles of direct manipulation. Three different studies were performed on this game. The first study was an experiment where three different levels of continuous presentation were compared. The second study was an interview study with four blind subjects where qualitative aspects of auditory direct manipulation were investigated. The third study was a collaborative study, where one blind and one sighted subject were to play the game together taking turns in moving the discs. The results point both at important implementation issues, such as providing a way to focus or filter the auditory space and supporting articulatory directness, and at qualitative experiences of auditory direct manipulation, such as reactions on interacting with a direct manipulation interface and how this could be used in the subjects’ daily work with computers.

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