Freedom to roam

TLDR

Mobile devices give people with disabilities new opportunities for independence, but they also pose accessibility challenges. This formative study examines how people with visual and motor disabilities select, adapt, and use mobile devices in daily life. The study involved interviewing 20 participants about device use and a one‑week diary study completed by 19 participants. Participants employed diverse strategies to adapt inaccessible devices, enabling them to perform everyday tasks and navigate independently, and the authors propose guidelines for more accessible design.

Abstract

Mobile devices provide people with disabilities new opportunities to act independently in the world. However, these empowering devices have their own accessibility challenges. We present a formative study that examines how people with visual and motor disabilities select, adapt, and use mobile devices in their daily lives. We interviewed 20 participants with visual and motor disabilities and asked about their current use of mobile devices, including how they select them, how they use them while away from home, and how they adapt to accessibility challenges when on the go. Following the interviews, 19 participants completed a diary study in which they recorded their experiences using mobile devices for one week. Our results show that people with visual and motor disabilities use a variety of strategies to adapt inaccessible mobile devices and successfully use them to perform everyday tasks and navigate independently. We provide guidelines for more accessible and empowering mobile device design.