PowerPoint Presentation

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Universal Design CritAccessing Smartphones: Mobile for All

Crit Hosts: Corey Timpson, Director, Design + New Media and Collections, Canadian Museum for Human Rights @coreytimpson @cmhr_news

Morgan Holzer, Information Architect, NY Public Library@msh @nypl

Sina Bahram, President, Prime Access Consulting, Inc.@SinaBahram

Presenters: Sofie Andersen, Sr Digital Media Strategist, Antenna International /Antenna Lab@antenna_lab @sofieny

Annie Leist, Visual Artist & Project Coordinator, Art Beyond Sight @ArtByndSight @artaccessannie

Joe Baskerville, Chief of Technology, Cogapp@cogapp @joe_baskerville

Tasia Endo, Assistant Museum Educator for Interpretative Technology, Seattle Art Museum@iheartSAM @tasiaendo

how smartphones are used by individuals with access needs, which features of commercial devices and apps are working correctly, and documenting what is already being applied to mobile experiences in museums 3

Hashtags for session: #m4allmw#MW2014#a11y

Provocation:

Museums and Mobile > are they inherently exclusionary experiences?

Or, are there advantages to both for individuals with disabilities?

If you are thinking about disabilities it is not necessarily people who are self-identifying as having disabilities. Or for example people who hear just fine at home but have trouble in a museum environment. 5

Research:

61 individuals with disabilities44 cultural institutions9 access organizations

Individuals skewed towards blind/low vision and we saw a drop off in some answers.

More to come..

If you are thinking about disabilities it is not necessarily people who are self-identifying as having disabilities. Or for example people who hear just fine at home but have trouble in a museum environment.

54 million citizens with disabilities 35 million Americans who are age 65 and older6

Museums and Mobile

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Current mobile strategies :

Museum Mobile 2013 (MM13) survey shows 70% art museums providing mobile, and increasingly moving to mobile platforms for:

In gallery interpretationExperiment with visitor engagementAttracting new visitors7

Museums and Mobile

835% museums considering converting from audioguides to smartphones.

38% say they are offering mobile devices with access features.

Research Findings:

Potential confound mobile in general wanbt more specific smartphoneAntenna and ABS started a research project to ask how are we delivering mobile to individuals with disabilities?

60% museums provide mobile experiences -smartphones, traditional audio guides and apps (AI14).35% museums considering converting from audioguides to smartphones (AI14).38% say they are offering mobile devices with access features (AI14)8

Smartphones & Everyday life

9Device ownership by individuals disabled population aligns with everyone. 60% iPhones, 31% Android phones/tablets and 25% iPads.

Complex array of daily tasks wayfinding, social, paying bills etc.

65-69% have used audioguide or smartphone to visit.

Device Ownership by individuals disabled population aligns with general:

53% of individuals with disabilities own a smartphone WRC13 (Pew14: 58%) 27% tablets (Pew14: 42% - up from 23% in 2013 )60% iPhones, 31% Android phones/tablets and 25% iPads (AI14).

Complex Daily TasksIndividuals with disabilities use smartphones for complex array of daily tasks wayfinding, social, paying bills etc.Accessibility apps Sendero SeeingEye, VizWhizz, Blindsquare, TapTapSee, LookTell Moneyreader and 8 Ways.Re-appropriated apps for accessibility- eg. Aware.

Look at WEBAIM jive with anecdotal information. Mobile and screen readers9

Museums and Access

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Majority of museums provide access programs and in a variety of ways 93%.

Challenges: Dispersed information, ambient noise, exterior locations, complex spaces, busy environments.

Photo of Annie Leist at MFA Boston (courtesy of NYTimes)

If you are thinking about disabilities it is not necessarily people who are self-identifying as having disabilities. Or for example people who hear just fine at home but have trouble in a museum environment.

Museums address needs of individuals with disabilities in myriad ways verbal imaging, braille/large-print, tactile drawings.

Challenges in a museum experience: Dispersed information labels/signage/audio/videoAmbient noise can be hard to hear/mediaExterior locations can be hard to see screensComplex spaces hard to navigateBusy environments devices not all hands not free

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Museums and Access

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1/3 of individuals come to a museum once a month and 1/3 once a year.

Spend significant time at museums come regularly and spend 1-2 hours (64%) or longer.

Research Findings:

1/3 individuals with disabilities come to a museum once a month and 1/3 once a year (AI14 survey)

Spend significant time at museums individuals come regularly and spend 1-2 hours (64%) or longer. (AI14)

A loss of vision does not equate with a loss of interest in visiting museums (ABS white paper 2011)

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Mobile Interpretation and Access12

Individuals with disabilities highly rated learning and sharing customization also important.

No one approach fits all, If a device with the screen is used, then the screen should be legible to people of all vision levels, unless an alternative is provided.

Museums considering mobile are hindered by funding and uncertain mobile strategy.

Research Findings:

Individuals with disabilities mostly highly rated part of museum visit;LearningSharing experiences like audio desNo onlegible to people of all vision levels, unless an alternative is provided. [Individual with disabilities AI14]

Museums considering mobile are hindered by funding and uncertain mobile strategy.

legible to people of all vision levels, unless an alternative is provided. [Individual with disabilities AI14]

Museums considering mobile are hindered by funding and uncertain mobile strategy.

e approach fits all If a device with the screen is used, then the screen should be legible to people of all vision levels, unless an alternative is provided. [Individual with disabilities AI14]

Museums considering mobile are hindered by funding and uncertain mobile strategy.

cription with their family and friends (56%)look for customization of technology experience here as they do daily life.

Majority of individuals use an audioguide (43% always, and 7% sometimes) when visiting a museum. But 23% say they are not helpful.

Many museums (47% AI14) are considering access in their future mobile plans.

Many hindered by funding and uncertainty about mobile strategy not sure of visitor preferences for own/proprietary device.12

Provocation>Why not universal design from inception?

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Voiceover Guided access Hearing aid support Magnify mode Inverted mode Assistive touch Switch controlDevice accessibility features

Web (App) content Hybrid Apps Native AppsDeveloper quick tips

Apple VoiceOver : DemoTutorial

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21CONTENT AND FUNCTIONALITIESCurrentPractices

Screen readers and Text to SpeechAdjustable Font SizesTranscriptsVerbal Description AudioVerbal Description VideoCaptionsSigned VideosNavigation/GeofencingQR/NFC/AR/IRUI/DesignMultisensory

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22Screen readers

Full screen reader in device settings/out of the box & app functionality.

Text to Speech APIs part of app software/native apps.

Most used smartphone technology (72%) but apps have to be optimized; many museum apps dont currently work with them.

FunctionFull screen reader in device settings/out of the box & app functionalityText to Speech APIs - in app softwareText to Speech native apps - text entered into app & converted to speech

Research Results: Most used smartphone technology (72% AI14)Users want to be able to control media - not just visually but speed etc.Screen reader is not enough apps have to be optimized; many museum apps dont currently work with them.

MOMA app Voiceover with their app (compare with MOMA onsite version maybe)MFA Boston (if we can get hold of app or just show screen shots) (review commercial examples of what works well VoiceOver Demo comparable with desktop JAWS/TalkBack others)Lots here from Access. This could be a quick overview of the field. BARD App (also really nice speed options for screen reader) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pcz5YFMC85E&list= PLii7LtgEqUfU6dFGK2HS3fzt5G6cN9bhT) VizWhizz, Text Grabber.Zoom reader- using to take a picture of museum label to get infoCapti- Text to speech appOmobyiSpeech

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23Text Control and MagnificationCurrentPractices

Ability to adjust size of text with either a pinch/zoom or toggle button.

Audio or label text for visitors who are deaf or low-vision use with TTS/screen reader functionality.

Adjustable text sizes highly rated feature (41%).

Best to facilitate that through the iOS text size set across the phone

Custom sizes/magnificationAbility to adjust size of text with either a pinch/zoom or toggle button.

Transcripts: Audio or label text - for deaf visitors or low-vision users to use with text-to-speech /screen reader functionality. User controls text and follow audio, or move at own pace.

Research Findings:Adjustable text sizes highly rated feature (AI14 41%)

Different approaches swiping or scrolling through the text. In the museum we are used to providing large print transcripts but often find these are not signposted within the museum experience/information/exhibitions. Similarly, the apps should clearly indicate the features/functionalities available. 23

24MEDIA- AUDIO+ VIDEO DESCRIPTIONS

Visual descriptions are highly most highly rated interpretation (77%), then technical information about the work.

Opinions from the public are least important.

Verbal Description AudioUniversal experience v. separate tours.Crowdsourcing YouDescribe approach.

Verbal Description VideoFocusing on non-verbal elements (eg. artist videos) .Facial expressions and other visual cues for autistic viewers WhatCinema approach.

Research ResultsVisual descriptions highly most highly rated interpretation (77% AI14 survey), then technical information about the workOpinions from the public least important. Function: Audio version of live guided verbal imaging tours. These help to describe the work of art, sculpture or place. Some also contextualize or are combined with touch tours. Survey results: This is highly valued according to survey results and verbal descriptions are most offered of access services in museums. People are taking these and the vast majority take them together with someone else this is a social activity. In-depth interpretative offerings are the most highly rated. Visual descriptions are the priority, followed by technical information about the work (77%). Opinions from the public were the least important (61%). Implementation: Highly customized experiences that describe and sometimes guide listener around paintings, sculpture/objects and complex environments. Varying approaches and training/testing methodologies [MORE ON THIS ORGANIZATION DEVELOPED GUIDELINES ABS/SMITHSONIAN/RNIB?]. Different approaches verbal description only and description integrated into a general tour. Some advocate for them to be separate also some developed in audio and sometimes in text [NY HISTORICAL]. Also, using crowd-sourced content produces less uniform results - as yet tied weve not seen to a specific work, the Smithsonian is a soundscape collage of comments in a room, but provided alongside museum information could be interesting parallel developments using volunteer descriptions for YouTube with YouDescribe [SEE ABOVE OPINONS OF PUBLIC NOT APPRECIATED]. Rating system to crowd-souce the quality control in Smithsonian, like google-play, so that good descriptions are voted up. 24

25MEDIA: VIDEOCurrentPractices

Videos captions for the deaf users are also useful for everyone in noisy environments.

Sign languages are not static languages, the same idea can be expressed in multiple ways.

CaptionsVideos captions for the deaf. Also useful for everyone in noisy environments.Closed/Open options.

Sign LanguageNot a static/fixed language same idea can be expressed in multiple ways. Multiple voices should be used to reflect different aspects of a script Entirely separate production with actors not interpreters, or even avatars.

Whitney App Hancock TourSmithsonian American Access App MFA Boston App(poss compare with YouTube captions)(Guidelines WGBH- http://ncam.wgbh.org/invent_build/web_multimedia/mobile-devices)Closed and open captions

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26WAYFINDINGNavigation/Geofencing74% of adult Americans use phone for geo-location info (PEW14).

GPS, AR, turn by turn or sensory.

QR/NFC/IR potential but point and click problematic at close range.

Wearable technology Google Glass, Orcam.

Important to all audiences - 74% of adult Americans (over 18) use phone to get directions or location based info (PEW14).

GPS challenging interior & historic locations Turn by turn and push notifications will change this eg. Bytelight, iBeacon.

AR devices with sensory information about the environment - Project Tango.

QR/NFC/IR potential but point and click problematic at close range.

Wearables google glass, orcam.

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27MULTI-SENSORY

Tactile overlaysPolarized screens Braille displaysHaptic feedback/vibrations Induction loopsScreen/button combosTactile/audio combos

Tactus/Touch Revolution

Antenna Screen/Keypad

Tactile/audio experiments- Tooteko, Disney Research

Multisenory enironments not one size fits all but different approaches to reaching information and having experiences; eg Halsey Burgund and Disney

Tactile screensPolarized screens Braille displaysHaptic feedback/vibrations Induction LoopsScreen/button combosTactile/audio combosDisney

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28UI DESIGNExperiments

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29UI DESIGNSpaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

App/Tour of transformative, accessible hospital grounds and garden.

Initial stages of UI development to mirror universal design and architecture.

Prioritizing how to deliver information eg. Wayfinding, track list, keypad for a variety of audiences.

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30UI DESIGNSpaulding Rehabilitation Hospital

One experience for all - low vision usability needs.

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31LESSONS LEARNEDSeattle Art Museum

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In the past couple of years we have been incorporating this into interpretive technology offerings. For our special exhibition audio guides, which are distributed on free wands at the entrance to the galleries, we feature visual descriptions for every object with commentary. Also we have large-print scripts as well as braille versions of our explanatory materials available. 32

As we moved into mobile with an audio guide app, a strategy to give visitors access to the content on their own devices, we still incorporated lessons learned from Art Beyond Sight into the design of our custom-built app. Larger buttonsYoull see in these screenshots of our first app, for the elles: women artists from the centre pompidou, paris exhibition, that we maximized the surface area of buttons on any given screen. The screenshot on the left shows the main view of the app where visitors can tap on a thumbnail of the artwork on the tour to get the screen on the right, and you tap the image and hold the phone to your ear to listen. 33

ZoomAlso, by capitalizing on the pinch-and-zoom function of touchscreens, and especially when viewed on a tablet rather than a phone, partially-sighted visitors could use the app to zoom into the image within the app. 34

These show the other ways to access the same audio stops, either by the associated number on the wall using the keypad on the left, or by filtering through different categories that we created, shown in the screenshot on the right. 35

Rembrandt, Van Dyck, Gainsborough: The Treasures of Kenwood House, London European Masters: The Treasures of SeattleFebruary 14 May 19, 2013

High contrastAnd while we considered high visual contrast with our first version, in our second iteration of the app, for our exhibition European Masters, the colors of the design campaign afforded even greater visual contrast in the app for increased legibility.

FontAnd in following SAM branding, we use easy-to-read sans serif fonts.

So while these audio guide apps only feature the general interpretive content and not the visual descriptions, we consciously made basic design decisions with principles from our partnership with Art Beyond Sight to improve access for all app users.

We are no longer using this particular app at SAM, but we are still accounting for accessibility as we move forward into whatever is next for us in mobile. 36

Raise awarenessUtilize access tools Design onceTest early and oftenAllow customization Train staff

37RECOMMENDATIONS

RAISING AWARENESS make information known. Our survey says website/word is the main way people find out and even when features

USE TOOLS AVAILABLE there are so many functionalities to serve your needs. Make sure your developer/development management team is including access concerns in development priorities.

STAFF TRAINING tech is often easy for this audience to use, but museum/device staff have to know how to use the functionalities

MAKE ACCESS AVAILABLE make sure any custom cases are accessible to your staff to be able to turn on device feature.

DESIGN ONCE NOT JUST RETROFIT.

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Apple Accessibility: https://developer.apple.com/accessibility/

Android: http://developer.android.com/design/patterns/accessibility.htmlhttp://developer.android.com/guide/topics/ui/accessibility/apps.htmlhttp://eyes-free.googlecode.com/svn/trunk/documentation/android_access/index.html

Microsoft App Builder: http://appdevelopermagazine.com/1268/2014/3/31/Equal-Access-App-Development:-Create-an-App-with-Assistive-Technology-/

Verbal Description and Museum Experiences for Low-Vision visitorshttp://www.artbeyondsight.org/http://www.artbeyondsight.org/docs/fln%20formatted%20White%20Paper.pdf38RESOURCES/TOOLS

Standards - 38

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ABS/AI Survey/Research 2014 & ongoing https://www.facebook.com/events/642303872497214/?previousaction=join&source=1

PEW Internet and American Life 2013 & 2014Museum Mobile 2013- survey and analysisWireless Rehabilitation 2013- National Survey and ReportsIBM CSUN 2013 reportAFB 2014 conference papersCSUN 2014 conference initial reports

40RESEARCH REFERENCED

All museums and individuals with disabilities participating and spreading the word about AI14 surveyCo-presenters Annie Leist, Joe Baskerville, Tasia Endo, and research support from Blaire Moskowitz.ABS staff Elisabeth Axel, Nina Levant, Ibraheem Fakir.Sina Bahram, Prime Access Consulting, Inc,.Tom Babinski of IBM for use of CSUN13 research.American Foundation for the Blind Technology LabMatt Kaplowitz Bridgemultimedia Museum Access specialists Rebecca McGinnis, Hannah Goodwin, Beth Ziebarth, Danielle Linzer.Information videos produced by Lou Giansante for ABS.

41ACKNOWLEDGEMENTSWith thanks for participation and ongoing research

Sofie AndersenSr Digital Media StrategistAntenna InternationalTwitter: @antenna_lab @sofienyBlog: www.antennalab.orgsandersen@antennainternational.com

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