Abstract
This chapter draws on the concept of Universal Design and Audiovisual Translation Studies to discuss accessibility of visual content in mobile apps with a view to arguing for a more active role of audiovisual translators as advisors to app design. Drawing on the results of a study tapping user experience with a healthcare management app, we show that not only does mobile phone assistive technology fail to solve accessibility problems, but also many app features do not comply with accessibility guidelines suggested by international consortia and mobile technology companies. To the challenges brought by sensory disability, more particularly, visual-impairment, there is the added barrier of socioeconomic background, education and digital literacy. Our study suggests that for an app to be fully accessible to visually impaired users, its design could benefit from the expertise of an audiovisual translator collaborating with app developers from its pre-production stage.
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Notes
- 1.
Retrieved from http://universaldesign.ie/What-is-Universal-Design/.
- 2.
- 3.
We used the World Health Organization’s definition for blindness and low vision: ‘low vision’ is defined as visual acuity of less than 6/18 but equal to or better than 3/60, or a corresponding visual field loss to less than 20°, in the better eye with the best possible correction. ‘Blindness’ is defined as visual acuity of less than 3/60, or a corresponding visual field loss to less than 10°, in the better eye with the best possible correction. ‘Visual impairment’ includes both low vision and blindness. Retrieved from https://www.who.int/blindness/Vision2020_report.pdf.
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In order to reach the widest coverage within the spectrum of visually impaired subjects, it is recommended to adopt congenital blindness as default target audience for accessibility actions. This is because, once the needs of these subjects are met by accessibility tools, the needs of other subjects will also be met.
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Acknowledgements
Research funded by the National Council for Scientific and Technological Development (CNPQ) under grant No. 310630/2017-7, the Foundation for the Coordination and Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) (Post doctoral grant No. 88882.316058/2019-1) and the State Funding Agency of Minas Gerais (FAPEMIG) under grant APQ-01.461-14. The authors also wish to express their gratitude to the Federal University of Minas Gerais for the award of funding to undergraduate students in the project team within the scope of the Program PIPA (Pro Inclusion and Pro Accessibility) at the Centre for Accessibility and Inclusion (NAI).
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Pagano, A.S., Mayer, F.A., Gonçalves, L.N.F. (2020). Accessibility of Visual Content in Mobile Apps: Insights from Visually Impaired Users. In: Bogucki, Ł., Deckert, M. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Audiovisual Translation and Media Accessibility. Palgrave Studies in Translating and Interpreting. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-42105-2_23
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