Accessibility in the Smart Age

Recent studies on the usage of Desktop and Mobile indicate that, Mobile has overtaken the traditional desktop computer to access the internet. A recent survey has revealed that the device usage of desktop and mobile as 44.6% and  51.65% (Desktop Vs Mobile, Aug 2019-Aug 2020).

According to the World Health Organization (World report on disability, 2011), 15% of the world's population lives with some form of disability, One of the most prominent types of disabilities is Vision. People with vision impairments use screen reader software which helps them to understand the content that is being visible in desktop and mobile devices. According to Figure 01, 49.2% of the users are using both desktop and mobile screen readers and 9.5% are using only mobile screen readers. Therefore, it is important to identify the role of mobile screen readers in Accessibility.

Figure 01: Mobile vs. Desktop/Laptop Usage 

There are screen readers for different devices and the most widely used mobile screen readers are TalkBack and VoiceOver. Talkback is included in Android devices whereas VoiceOver is included in iOS devices. When mobile screen readers are turned on gestures and keyboard shortcuts can be different in iOS and Android devices. 

Android/TalkBack

Google introduced TalkBack on 2009 as standalone screen reader application. Recently they rebranded Talkback as Android Accessibility Suite and bundled TalkBack screen reader, Switch Access and Select to speak into a single app. 

 The TalkBack screen reader adds spoken, audible, and vibration feedback to your device. Following are the basic controls when the talkback is on

• Single-tapping an app will select it, and the device will read out what the app is. 
• Swiping left and right will move between apps, or buttons/controls if you are in a control bar. The device will read out each option. 
• Double-tapping anywhere will open the app/select the option. 
• You can also "explore by touch" — hold your finger down on the screen and drag it around, and your device will read out the different apps/items you move across. 
• You can do a two-finger swipe up from the bottom of the lock screen, to unlock the phone when talkback is on

Switch Access interacts with your Android device using one or more switches or a keyboard instead of the touch screen. This option is helpful for visually impaired people as well as dexterity impaired

Select to Speak lets you select something on your screen and hear it read or described aloud. Users can set the volume key shortcut to turn on Select to Speak 

In addition there are other Android accessibility options such as Magnification, Font size and display size, High contrast text for the low vision and color blind users.

iOS/VoiceOver

Voiceover was first introduced as a desktop screen reader with macOS 10.4 after its success on macs. Apple added VoiceOver to iOS with the release of the iPhone 3GS in 2009. VoiceOver is unique because it’s embedded to iOS system unlike Android TalkBack which is a standalone screen reader. 

Once VoiceOver is enabled, the iOS's basic control gestures will be a bit different. Apart from the basic common features of Android and iOS, when screen reader on, following will be the iOS specific gestures.

• Swipe with three fingers to scroll through a page. 
• Tap with two fingers to perform a context-relevant action — for example, taking a photo while in the camera app. 
• Rotate with two fingers on the screen to hear settings like headings, links, and images. Then flick to choose how you navigate the page. For example, you can skip from one heading to the next. 

Moreover Dictation, Zoom and contrast options are available for differently abled iOS users.

Screen Readers play an expanded role in today’s accessibility efforts. Mobile screen reader usage is a rising trend among differently abled users and it should be given prominence as desktop screen readers. Awareness on how to use screen readers in mobiles will lead to a better experience for everyone, not just differently abled users.