Using an onomatopoeic tool in usability test with blind people

ABSTRACT

A systematic review did not show any usability evaluation tool specifically developed for blind people. This paper reports an empirical study, investigating the similarity between usability evaluation tools for people with visual impairment. A total of 87 blind people from both genders, equally distributed, from 18 to 75 years old, with congenital blindness were reached. The hypothesis is that a tool using onomatopoeia could be similar to another tool that uses human expressions. Thus, this research compared the Circumplex Model of Affect emotions list and an onomatopoeic prototype using Chi². The results show a similarity between the two tools. Therefore, the findings suggest that the prototype based on onomatopoeia allows blind people to evaluate product usability. In addition, this paper presents a process to build similar tools for people with visual impairment.

KEYWORDS:

• usability
• blind people
• onomatopoeia

Acknowledgment

The authors would like to thank all blind non-governmental organizations that help in this research.

Disclosure statement

There are no competing interests with other publications.

Additional information

Funding

This study was financed in part by the Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior – Brasil (CAPES) [Grant Number 001] and Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico.

Notes on contributors

Carlos Henrique Berg

Carlos Henrique Berg started at Rádio Cultura FM 91.1 in Joinville in 1982 as a producer and programmer, studied Advertising at Unisinos in the 1980s and worked in Porto Alegre, at Centro de Propaganda as an accounting manager and planning. In the 1990s he worked in Joinville, at C & A, serving the city of Joinville; at Dicas Propaganda as a researcher and planner and then at the Equipe Communication as media and accounting manager for Salfer Stores. In the 2000s, in Florianópolis, at PEB Communication served the Government of Santa Catarina (Education, Finance and Administration) and at Marcca Comunicação to Alesc. In 2010, he dedicated himself to postgraduate studies, being a Doctor of Knowledge Media at UFSC, in 2017. He is currently a university professor in the disciplines of Marketing and Scientific Research and administrator of virtual learning environments. He has published three books on Marketing. He has knowledge of education, communication and research platforms. Personal page at www.chbplan.com.br

Vania Ulbricht

Vania Ribas Ulbricht has a degree in Mathematics, with a master’s and doctorate in Production Engineering from UFSC. She was a visiting professor at the Federal University of Paraná in the Graduate Program in Design (2012–2014). Researcher at Université Paris 1 (Panthéon-Sorbonne). She does volunteer work at UFSC’s PPEGC. She received a scholarship in Productivity and Technological Development and Innovative Extension from 2009 to 2013, DT/CNPq. Project coordinator: Media, Technologies and Language Resources for a learning environment accessible to the deaf, approved by CNPq through CALL No. 84/2013 MCTI-SECIS / CNPq – ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY / B – Emerging Centers He was a CNPq fellow in the DTI modality – THE. She has experience in the area of Education, with an emphasis on Educational Technology, working mainly on the following themes: accessibility, teaching-learning, hypermedia, hypermedia design, geometry and descriptive geometry. She has coordinated, since 1981, several national and international events, among which the following stand out: the National Drawing Congress, Graphics, Conahpas and Cinahpas. She is a full professor and a permanent professor in the Graduate Program in Engineering and Knowledge Management at UFSC. She is the leader, since 2014, of the Center for Digital Accessibility and Assistive Technologies registered with CNPq. Specializing in Neuroscience at the Institute for Educational Development.

Tarcísio Vanzin

Tarcísio Vanzin, Architect, Master and Doctor in Production Engineering from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). Lecturer in the Graduate Program in Architecture and Urbanism (PósARQ) and in the Graduate Program in Engineering and Knowledge Management (PPGEGC), both at UFSC. Throughout his career, he has worked in the following disciplines: Representation Methods, Geometry, Hypermedia Production, Creativity and Innovation, General Systems Theory, Multimedia Systems and Infographics, Human Errors, History and Media Theory and, more recently, Cybercities and Cybersociety. He develops research focusing on digital media and inclusion, coordinating the Digital Media Laboratory-LAMID of PPGEGC. He has professional experience in industrial projects, appraisals, architectural projects and civil construction. He received the Jabuti 2015 award in the Education and Pedagogy category for authorship of the work “Interdisciplinarity as a tool for inclusion in a learning environment”, chapter of the book “Practices of Interdisciplinarity in Teaching and Research”.

Luciane Maria Fadel

Luciane Maria Fadel graduated in Visual Communication from the Federal University of Paraná (1987), graduated in Computer Engineering from the Pontifical Catholic University of Paraná (1994), graduated in 2nd Degree from the Federal Technological University of Paraná (1992), master in Computer Science from the Federal University of Santa Catarina (2001) and a doctorate in Typography & Graphic Communication – University of Reading (2007) and Post-Doctorate in Narratives guided by Prof. Jim Bizzocchi at Simon Fraser University, Canada. She is currently an adjunct professor in the Department of Graphic Expression at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. He co-leads the Research Group on Digital Accessibility and Assistive Technologies and participates in the Hypermedia Environment Study Group focused on the Teaching-Learning process and the SAITE Group – Technology and Innovation in Health Education, at the Federal University of Maranhão. He is a member of the International Reference Group (IRG) on the use of digital storytelling in the treatment of patients in palliative care at SFU. He has experience in the area of Design for Experience with an emphasis on Human Computer Interaction, acting mainly on the following themes: interaction design, narratives, user experience, new media and digital storytelling.