Using Games to Practice Screen Reader Gestures

Abstract

Smartphones are shipped with built-in screen readers and other accessibility features that enable blind people to autonomously learn and interact with the device. However, the process is not seamless, and many face difficulties in the adoption and path to becoming more experienced users. In the past, games like Minesweeper served to introduce and train people in the use of the mouse, from its left and right click to precision pointing required to play the game. Smartphone gestures (and particularly screen reader gestures) pose similar challenges to the ones first faced by mouse users. In this work, we explore the use of games to inconspicuously train gestures. We designed and developed a set of accessible games, enabling users to practice smartphone gestures. We evaluated the games with 8 blind users and conducted remote interviews. Our results show how purposeful accessible games could be important in the process of training and discovering smartphone gestures, as they offer a playful method of learning. This, in turn, increases autonomy and inclusion, as this process becomes easier and more engaging.