TY  - JOUR
A1  - Prescher, Denise
A1  - Bornschein, Jens
A1  - Köhlmann, Wiebke
A1  - Weber, Gerhard
T1  - Touching graphical applications
BT  - bimanual tactile interaction on the HyperBraille pin-matrix display
JF  - Universal Access in the Information Society
N2  - Novel two-dimensional tactile displays enable blind users to not only get access to the textual but also to the graphical content of a graphical user interface. Due to the higher amount of information that can be presented in parallel, orientation and exploration can be more complex. In this paper we present the HyperBraille system, which consists of a pin-matrix device as well as a graphical screen reader providing the user with appropriate presentation and interaction possibilities. To allow for a detailed analysis of bimanual interaction strategies on a pin-matrix device, we conducted two user studies with a total of 12 blind people. The task was to fill in .pdf forms on the pin-matrix device by using different input methods, namely gestures, built-in hardware buttons as well as a conventional PC keyboard. The forms were presented in a semigraphic view type that not only contains Braille but also tactile widgets in a spatial arrangement. While completion time and error rate partly depended on the chosen input method, the usage of special reading strategies seemed to be independent of it. A direct comparison of the system and a conventional assistive technology (screen reader with single-line Braille device) showed that interaction on the pin-matrix device can be very efficient if the user is trained. The two-dimensional output can improve access to .pdf forms with insufficient accessibility as the mapping of input controls and the corresponding labels can be supported by a spatial presentation.
KW  - Planar tactile display
KW  - Blind users
KW  - pdf forms
KW  - Screen reader
KW  - Gesture input
KW  - Key input
Y1  - 2018
U6  - https://doi.org/10.1007/s10209-017-0538-8
SN  - 1615-5289
SN  - 1615-5297
VL  - 17
IS  - 2
SP  - 391
EP  - 409
PB  - Springer
CY  - Heidelberg
ER  -