ACCESS CAPSTONE PROJECT

For my capstone project, I proposed developing an accessible mobile audiobook application to help make audio books and other audiobook alternatives more accessible for individuals with visual impairments. Through user research and working with key non-profit partners, I found there was an important need for more accessible audio options for individuals with print disabilities.

Many individuals who are blind, have low vision, learning disabilities or other visual impairments rely on audiobooks for education, employment and entertainment but face significant barriers. While major audiobook retailers and libraries have made progress in providing alternatives such as DAISY digital talking books, the options are still often difficult for many users to access, expensive compared to other digital media, and limited in selection compared to what is available in other formats.

For my capstone, I set out to build a prototype of a more accessible and user-friendly mobile audiobook app. Some of the key design features I implemented included:

• Accessible navigation based on Apple VoiceOver for iOS or TalkBack for Android so someone using only sound could fully browse, select and enjoy audiobook content. This involved extensive testing to ensure all interactive elements like buttons, tabs, menus etc were clearly announced and operable by sound.
• Integrated text-to-speech reading of book descriptions, titles and other on-screen text so users would not need a separate screen reader app or online text-to-speech service. I incorporated several high-quality TTS voices with options for speed and settings.
• Support for audiobook files in different formats like mp3 and accessible ePUB so the app could support a wide range of legally obtained audiobook content from various sources. This required dealing with copyright and digital rights management issues.
• Features for navigation like bookmarks, variable playback speed and a sleep timer to emulate popular audiobook playback controls while ensuring they were optimally operable by screen reader.
• Integration with major online audiobook retailers, libraries and audiobook donation/lending platforms so users could easily find, stream, borrow or purchase a vast collection of audiobook titles right from the app. This was one of the more challenging aspects from a technical and legal standpoint.
• Account registration and personalization so users could create playlists, get recommendations, rate titles and manage an online audiobook library. All account-related features had to be fully accessible without vision.
• Extensive accessibility testing with real individuals with vision impairments to help refine the design, address any usability issues and ensure the user experience was inclusive of people of all abilities from the start. This helped strengthen many aspects of the design.

Some other noteworthy elements of my capstone project included:

• Development of a comprehensive accessibility evaluation methodology for mobile audiobook apps based on WCAG, Section 508 and other guidelines I could share with other student developers.
• White papers and presentations delivered at developer conferences on designing inclusive mobile technology for users with disabilities and leveraging accessibility best practices.
• An business plan and proposal to release the app commercially after graduation and continue improving it based on user feedback to help address the important need for more accessible audio options.
• Contributions of the design and early prototypes to open source projects like the Android TalkBack or iOS VoiceOver projects to help advance accessible mobile navigation.

Presenting the completed prototype mobile audiobook app and all the supplemental research materials at my capstone defense, I was pleased the project was very well received. The committee felt it showed not only strong technical skills but also a clear understanding and personal passion for how technology can be leveraged to create more inclusive products and services. It was a deeply rewarding experience applying what I had learned in my degree program to a meaningful issue and helping address an important barrier faced by many in the disability community.