Touchplates: low-cost tactile overlays for visually impaired touch screen users
Abstract
Adding tactile feedback to touch screens can improve their accessibility to blind users, but prior approaches to integrating tactile feedback with touch screens have either offered limited functionality or required extensive (and typically expensive) customization of the hardware. We introduce touchplates, carefully designed tactile guides that provide tactile feedback for touch screens in the form of physical guides that are overlaid on the screen and recognized by the underlying application. Unlike prior approaches to integrating tactile feedback with touch screens, touchplates are implemented with simple plastics and use standard touch screen software, making them versatile and inexpensive. Touchplates may be customized to suit individual users and applications, and may be produced on a laser cutter, 3D printer, or made by hand. We describe the design and implementation of touchplates, a "starter kit" of touchplates, and feedback from a formative evaluation with 9 people with visual impairments. Touchplates provide a low-cost, adaptable, and accessible method of adding tactile feedback to touch screen interfaces.
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Some users would not want to be dependent on additional physical objects to use their cellphones.
“Even if costs were low, some users would not want to be dependent on additional physical objects in order to use their cellphones [8].”
From Designing a text entry multimodal keypad for blind users of touchscreen mobile phones (2014) · cites this paper as [8]
Hybrid solutions require users to carry different overlays, which can be impractical.
“Still, users would need to carry different overlays with them, which can be impractical.”
From Designing a text entry multimodal keypad for blind users of touchscreen mobile phones (2014) · cites this paper as [8]
Hardware-only approaches rely on physical tools between screen and user; smartphones are not aware of overlays and do not adapt to their presence or absence.
“Hardware-only approaches do not modify the underlying software; they rely on placing physical tools between the screen and the user. For instance, special plastic cases or screen overlays can delimit screen borders; however, smartphones are not aware of such overlays and do not adapt to their presence or absence [4, 8].”
From Designing a text entry multimodal keypad for blind users of touchscreen mobile phones (2014) · cites this paper as [8]
Prior approaches regarding touchscreen use by blind users can be classified into three general categories: software-only, hardware-only and hybrid.
“Prior approaches regarding the use of touchscreen by blind users can be classified into three general categories: software-only, hardwareonly and hybrid approaches [8].”
From Designing a text entry multimodal keypad for blind users of touchscreen mobile phones (2014) · cites this paper as [8]
Increasing tactile feedback and tangible interaction on touchscreens can improve their accessibility.
“Increasing tactile feedback and tangible interaction on touchscreens can improve their accessibility.”
From Interactiles: 3D Printed Tactile Interfaces to Enhance Mobile Touchscreen Accessibility (2018) · cites this paper as [20]
Prior tactile accessibility approaches were not focused on mobile systems.
“or not focused on mobile systems [4,20]”
From Interactiles: 3D Printed Tactile Interfaces to Enhance Mobile Touchscreen Accessibility (2018) · cites this paper as [20]
Prior research shows the positive impact of tangible interaction, but most such work has been designed for large touchscreens.
“Prior research [4,20] shows the positive impact of tangible interaction, but most such work has been designed for large touchscreens.”
From Interactiles: 3D Printed Tactile Interfaces to Enhance Mobile Touchscreen Accessibility (2018) · cites this paper as [20]
Qualitative studies consistently found problems with locating items within graphical interfaces that were designed to be seen rather than heard.
“These studies consistently found problems with locating items within graphical interfaces that were designed to be seen rather than heard.”
From Interactiles: 3D Printed Tactile Interfaces to Enhance Mobile Touchscreen Accessibility (2018) · cites this paper as [20]
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- Authors
- Kane, S. K., Morris, M. R., & Wobbrock, J. O.
- Affiliations
- University of Maryland, Baltimore County (US)
- Microsoft (United States) (US)
- University of Washington (US)
- Venue
- Proceedings of the 15th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility
- Publisher
- ACM
- Published
- 2013-10-21
- Pages
- 1-8
- OpenAlex
- W1977738030
- Cited by
- 107
- References
- 30
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 7 · 2023: 10 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 8 · 2020: 11 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 14 · 2017: 8 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 11 · 2014: 3
- FWCI
- 11.64
- Type
- conference paper
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility (ASSETS) (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Neuroscience › Cognitive Neuroscience › Tactile and Sensory Interactions
- Social Sciences › Human Factors and Ergonomics › Digital Accessibility for Disabilities
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Occupational Therapy › Assistive Technology in Communication and Mobility
- Keywords
- tactile feedback, touch screen, accessibility, visual impairment, blind users, haptic interface, low-cost assistive technology, personalization
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