Ember: A Smartphone Web Browser Interface for the Blind

Abstract

Ember is a smartphone web browser interface designed exclusively for the blind user. The Ember keypad enables blind users to type using their knowledge of Braille. The interface is intuitive to the blind user because the layout consists of a very few large targets and remains consistent throughout the application. The verbal command option provides another dimension for user-interface interaction. Twelve out of thirteen users found that Ember verbal command navigation was easier than using a traditional web browser. Ten out of thirteen users found it faster to use the Ember tactile method of navigation compared to a traditional web browser. The learning rate for both the tactile and verbal command methods was faster compared to the learning rate associated with a traditional web browser layout. Finally it was seen that five out of five users found it significantly faster to use the Ember keypad compared to the QWERTY keypad.