INCOBS Announcements

The fate of 'Target Size'

Thu, 01 Feb 2018 15:15:59 +0100

The working draft of WCAG 2.1 had 'Target Size' as new success criterion. It didn't make it into the Candidate Recommendation. Why?

3D printing for blind people: The future potential of a cutting edge technology

Thu, 07 Jan 2016 02:14:52 +0100

Around the world innovators and tinkerers are exploring the potential of 3D printing for blind people. This article gives an overview of the most promising developments in this field.

Best practices for accessible diagram design (draft)

Mon, 27 Jul 2015 17:18:26 +0200

Prepublication draft of a chapter of the forthcoming book "Diagrammatics" (ed. by Clive Richards, Gower publications)

Samsung S6 removes important screen reader launch shortcut

Mon, 01 Jun 2015 10:23:28 +0200

Guerilla testing of a function that is critical to screen reader users.

Phablets for low vision and long-sighted users - summary

Thu, 26 Feb 2015 15:35:39 +0100

We have compared the Asus Zenfone 6, Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Apple iPhone 6 plus and Nokia Lumia 1320

Phablets for low vision and long-sighted users - the details

Wed, 25 Feb 2015 16:05:53 +0100

Results for text- and zoom magnification, virtual keyboard, speech recognition, mail app, browser, and more

A quick accessibility review of the Blackberry Q10 Smartphone

Tue, 02 Sep 2014 08:38:28 +0200

The Blackberry Q10 is one of the few remaining smartphones with a physical keyboard. We have checked its accessibility features for blind and low vision users.

Tablet tests with low vision users: Usability

Tue, 17 Jun 2014 10:32:32 +0200

The usability of tablets changes when using the zoom function - but other aspects also contribute, such as the legibility of virtual keyboards or low contrast.

Implications of new input modes (touch, speech, gestures) for the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

Sat, 14 Jun 2014 02:39:53 +0200

Should the current Success Criterion 2.1.1 Keyboard be replaced by a mode-agnostic Success Criterion?

Tablet tests with low vision users: Zoom magnification

Thu, 12 Jun 2014 14:05:15 +0200

In our tablet tests, all low vision users relied on the zoom function to carry out tasks. We compare the implementation of zoom on the iPad, the Surface pro, and Android-Tablets.

Tablet tests with low vision users: Adjustability of text size

Wed, 11 Jun 2014 11:59:32 +0200

When picking a suitable tablet as low vision user, the adjustability of text sizes is an important factor. We have compared the iPad 4, the Surface Pro 2 and three different Android-Tablets.

Be My Eyes and See4Me - two new 'lend-me-an-eye' apps for blind people

Tue, 03 Jun 2014 10:42:41 +0200

Be My Eyes and See4Me are two apps under development that promise to lend blind users the eye of a sighted helper.

Comparing zoom magnification on iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8

Fri, 21 Mar 2014 15:34:17 +0100

The three most common smartphone operating systems all offer zoom magnifiaction. We have checked which one works best.

Testing Android skins with TalkBack

Mon, 10 Feb 2014 14:27:55 +0100

Many Android smartphones come with specific "skins" (graphical user interfaces) to differentiate themselves from Google's stock Android. Can blind users handle these skins?

Tablet test with blind users: Overview

Wed, 05 Feb 2014 09:25:23 +0100

In November 2013 we tested three tablets with blind users: Google's Nexus 7, Apple's iPad mini, and Lenovo's ThinkPad Helix, a Windows 8 hybrid with detachable screen.

Tablet test with blind users: A comparison of common tasks

Tue, 04 Feb 2014 15:29:37 +0100

In November 2013 we tested tablets with blind users to check how accessible they are when using the built-in mobile screen readers in iOS, Android and Windows 8.

Tablet test with blind users: initial set-up comparison

Mon, 03 Feb 2014 17:45:56 +0100

Can blind users set up a tablet all on their own? We compared the Nexus 7 and the iPad mini.

iPad mini calendar technical test: Bugs and issues

Sat, 01 Feb 2014 09:15:46 +0100

To complement our tests with users, we conducted a technical test of the iPad mini calendar, recording issues and bugs.

Nexus 7 calendar technical test: Bugs and issues

Sat, 01 Feb 2014 09:13:17 +0100

To complement our tests with users, we conducted a technical test of the Nexus 7 calendar, recording issues and bugs.

Windows 8 calendar technical test: Bugs and issues

Sat, 01 Feb 2014 09:10:56 +0100

To complement our tests with users, we conducted a technical test of the Windows 8 calendar, recording issues and bugs.

Interface issues when using tablets with screen readers

Fri, 31 Jan 2014 17:15:34 +0100

Inaccessible controls, non-modal designs, bad names or labels, or missing instructions: These some of interface issues that impact on blind people using touch devices.

Blind people using touchscreens: The issues

Fri, 31 Jan 2014 16:13:24 +0100

Our tablet tests have revealed some general issues blind users encounter when using touch input on a tablet. We list the issues and illustrate them with examples from the tests.

A comparison of speech output of VoiceOver, TalkBack and Narrator

Wed, 22 Jan 2014 18:18:43 +0100

Our comparison table demonstrates differences in standard output of the built-in screenreaders VoiceOver (iPad mini, iOS7), TalkBack (Google Nexus 7, Android 4.4.2 ) and Narrator (ThinkPad Helix, Windows 8.1).

A review of five iOS navigation apps

Wed, 23 Oct 2013 10:07:00 +0200

Apps for Satellite navigation have become crucial aides for blind people to get around on their own. Robbie Sandberg has field-tested five iOS navigation apps.

GARI.info helps picking accessible smartphones, tablets and apps

Mon, 21 Oct 2013 11:15:00 +0200

Each year, many new smartphones and tablets are released. For people intending to purchase a new device, it difficult to get an overview and make an informed choice – especially if they have special needs that require specific accessibility features. GARI.info has been launched to help.