Article

Experts discuss making kiosks accessible to the blind, Pt. 2

Several companies have already designed kiosks that can accommodate blind users.

April 14, 2011

Although the National Federation of the Blind's most recent lawsuits are against the airline industry, the case also shines a spotlight on the kiosk industry.

The NFB accused United Airlines and McCarron National Airport in Las Vegas of violating the civil rights of the blind by not deploying kiosks to accommodate them.

Chris Danielsen, spokesman for the advocacy group, said the technology has been around for years, so there's no excuse for deployers who haven't implemented features, such as Braille keypads or audio functions.

"The technology to make kiosks accessible has existed since airports and airlines began installing them, so our position is that there was no excuse for airports and airlines not to deploy accessible technology," he said.

Gregg Vanderheiden, director of the Trace R&D Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, said kiosk deployers can easily make their machines accessible to not only the blind, but to people with a variety of disabilities.

"The cross-disability techniques pioneered here at the university have already been built into automated postal kiosks, Amtrak ticket machines and information systems at Phoenix Airport and are available from several companies," he said.

Several manufacturers – in and outside the kiosk industry – have developed technology to accommodate people with disabilities. Here are a few technologies that could be used to make airport kiosks more accessible:

Click hereto see a slideshow of photos featuring hardware components and kiosks desiged to accomodate blind users.

Trace R&D Center 's EZ Access
EZ Access combines simple interactive techniques in ways that work together robustly and flexibly to accommodate users. With the addition of just a few buttons and speech output, the product becomes usable by people who cannot see, cannot read, cannot reach the screen or cannot make fine movements with their arms, hands or fingers.

Speech output and button navigation gives complete access to any onscreen controls and content (text, images and controls). Button help provides a way for users to instantly identify any button on the device and get information about it. System help provides context sensitive information about using the device. Layers of help provides extra help when people might be stuck or unsure of what to do next. Show captions provides a visual presentation of any text or sounds created by the device that are not already visually displayed.

IBM
IBM has been researching and developing accessibility features for years. It already has the following:

• Headset jack with volume adjustment
• Trace R&D Center's EZ Access BM Embedded ViaVoice text-to-speech output provides user assistance and reads the content of all screens
• Layered audio user assistance / system event sound effects
• On-screen visual focus indicator that highlights the currently selected on-screen content/control
• Textual equivalents for all graphics

SeePoint Technology
SeePointcurrently has the option to swap out a regular kiosk keyboard and implement a Braille and blind-friendly keyboard as well as inject a headset outlet for audio, said Giselle Birang, the company's director of marketing.

"SeePoint is working to create a kiosk that integrates large Braille button and audio activated kiosks. Although expensive, we feel that it is the next step for government regulations and designing a system for ease of use by the entire public is key," she said.

F-Origin
F-Origin, Inc. has developed a touch technology called zTouch, which is perfect for kiosk applications, in general, but specifically for helping to make the vision impaired user experience more pleasant and productive, said Flint Bradley, the company's head of sales and marketing.

zTouch is a force-based touch-screen solution that uses a combination of hardware, software, firmware and custom piezoresistive force sensors. The sensors, which are referred to as F?Origin Force Sensing sensors, are placed behind the touch surface and are the key components used for capturing and measuring the applied forces.

"The application of zTouch into a kiosk solution's touch-user interface enables raised keypads, Braille symbols on keys and virtually limitless variations to the surface characteristics depending upon the desired usage model," Bradley said.

It can also provide varying touch thresholds to differentiate between a lighter touch for "reading" the Braille text or locating a patterned button, and then a firmer touch for "selecting" an option.

Haptic feedback is another functionality his company can implement to help blind users feel when they've pushed buttons.

"zTouch is compatible with audible and Haptic feedback features, which complement the tactile surface variability and can ultimately enhance the vision impaired user experience," he said.

What technologies or functionalities has your company implemented to help make kiosks more accessible to people with disabilities? Leave your comments below.

Editor's Note: This is the second and final part in a two-part series of stories discussing kiosks and accessibility issues.