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Universal Access in the Information Society
Published in: Universal Access in the Information Society 4/2020

16-10-2019 | Long Paper

Automatic switching between speech and non-speech: adaptive auditory feedback in desktop assistance for the visually impaired

Authors: Muhammad Shoaib, Ibrar Hussain, Hamid Turab Mirza

Published in: Universal Access in the Information Society | Issue 4/2020

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Abstract

Continual enrichments in auditory interfaces of desktop applications allow visually impaired people to successfully use computers in education, employment, and social interaction. Designers face multiple challenges while producing sound for auditory interfaces. This paper presents a new method of adaptive auditory feedback, which converts speech-only instructions to non-speech (i.e., spearcons), based on users’ interaction with the application in the desktop environment. Using within-subject design, fifteen participants (i.e., visually impaired) were involved in the study. Results from the study demonstrate that the adaptive auditory feedback method is more efficient than non-speech and more pleasurable with respect to repetitive speech-only instructions. Furthermore, adaptive auditory feedback improves task completion time and action awareness as compared to speech-only. Lastly, these findings may benefit researchers and developers to use adaptive auditory feedback, instead of using speech-only or non-speech feedback while designing auditory feedback for interfaces in desktop environment for the people with visual impairment.
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Footnotes
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Metadata
Title
Automatic switching between speech and non-speech: adaptive auditory feedback in desktop assistance for the visually impaired
Authors
Muhammad Shoaib
Ibrar Hussain
Hamid Turab Mirza
Publication date
16-10-2019
Publisher
Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in
Universal Access in the Information Society / Issue 4/2020
Print ISSN: 1615-5289
Electronic ISSN: 1615-5297
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-019-00696-5

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