Freedom to Roam: Mobile Device Opportunities and Challenges for People with Visual and Motor Impairments

Mobile devices present people with disabilities with new opportunities to act independently in the world. However, these empowering devices may themselves present significant accessibility challenges. We present a formative study that examines how people with visual and motor impairments select, adapt, and use mobile devices in their daily lives. We recruited 20 participants with visual and motor impairments and interviewed each participant about their current use of mobile devices, including how they select their mobile devices, how they use their mobile devices while away from home, and how they adapt to accessibility challenges when using these devices. In addition, 17 participants completed a diary study in which they recorded their experiences using mobile devices for one week. Our results show that people with motor and visual impairments are successful at using mobile devices to act independently, despite accessibility challenges. We provide guidelines for more accessible and empowering mobile devices.