FIL3/HEP1. Difficulty finding/locating/using mobile-specific help information

Definition

A situation that arises from difficulty finding or using relevant mobile-specific help information due to lack of and/or inadequate mobile-specific help information.

Factors Leading to the Situation

  • Complex information presentation: illogical organization of information
  • Inadequate help information: insufficient contextual help
  • Unclear instruction: inefficient help feature (text with tooltip) A feature of a digital library (DL) intended to help users by providing extra information and instructions, such as help documentation, FAQ, and live chat/chatbots.

Guidelines

  1. Ensure that mobile DL (text with tooltip) The acronym for digital library (DL).  related help information is available.
  2. Ensure that mobile screen reader (text with tooltip) A software program that reads textual information through synthesized speech and offers specialized keyboard commands to operate a computer interface.  related help information is present.
  3. Ensure that mobile-specific help information provided by voice commands (text with tooltip) A feature that uses spoken instructions and hands-free interaction to control digital devices and improve accessibility.  is obtainable.

Rationale for Suggesting the above Guidelines

Users accessing DL (text with tooltip) The acronym for digital library (DL).  help information are usually those who seek additional information or instructions on how to use DL features. It is important to keep help resources located in intuitive places across different pages to make it easy for users to find the information they need. Additionally, help information should be presented with clear headings and a logical structure to help users navigate through the available help information. Consistent structure across help pages will also help users better understand the information provided.

Techniques and Methods to Comply with a Specific Design Guideline

1.1. Offer a list of gestures to interact with DL (text with tooltip) A feature that uses spoken instructions and hands-free interaction to control digital devices and improve accessibility. s in mobile environments.
1.2. Offer mobile specific context-sensitive help (text with tooltip) A help function that delivers immediate assistance to the user without the user having to leave the current context they are working in.  via multiple modes (e.g., haptic feedback).
2.1. Offer a list of help topics in terms of how to use mobile screen readers (text with tooltip) A software program that reads textual information through synthesized speech and offers specialized keyboard commands to operate a computer interface. to access/comprehend DL items (e.g., VoiceOver’s (text with tooltip) A screen reader that provides auditory feedback to enable BVI users to navigate and interact with Apple devices.  advanced features: Image Descriptions, Screen Recognition (text with tooltip) A feature that dynamically labels and organizes UI elements to enable BVI users to navigate and interact with inaccessible items or non-standardized apps effectively. ; TalkBack (text with tooltip) An Android screen reader that provides spoken feedback and gestures to help BVI users navigate their devices.  Image description: Describe image).
3.1. Offer help information regarding the use of voice commands (text with tooltip) A feature that uses spoken instructions and hands-free interaction to control digital devices and improve accessibility. .

Features Suggested for Users

1.1.1. Help topics on gestures (See example 1.1.1.a1. and 1.1.1.a2.)
2.1.1. Help topics on screen reader (text with tooltip) A software program that reads textual information through synthesized speech and offers specialized keyboard commands to operate a computer interface.  advanced features (See example 2.1.1.a1. and 2.1.1.a2.)
3.1.1. Help topics on voice commands (text with tooltip) A feature that uses spoken instructions and hands-free interaction to control digital devices and improve accessibility.

Examples of Best Practice

1.1.1.a1. VoiceOver (iOS) gestures

VoiceOver (text with tooltip) A screen reader that provides auditory feedback to enable BVI users to navigate and interact with Apple devices. gestures are touch-based commands designed to enable users to navigate the interface without sight. The presented gestures are related to interacting with items:

Explore and speak items

  • Touch with One Finger: Identify the text, link, or control located beneath your finger.
  • Tap or Touch the Item: Select and speak an item.
  • Two-Finger Tap: Pause or continue speaking.
  • Two-Finger Swipe Left/Right: Move out/in of a group of items.
  • Two-Finger Swipe Up: VoiceOver speaks the entire screen.
  • Two-Finger Swipe Down: Speak the entire screen from the selected item. VoiceOver reads the entire document, e-mail, or webpage to the end, automatically scrolling the document as it reads.
  • Swipe Left/Right with One Finger: Moves one screen element—text clip, link, or control—to the left or right. When you reach the link or control you wish to activate, perform a double tap.
  • Four-Finger Tap near the Top/Bottom of the Screen: Select the first/last item on the screen.

Take action on an item

  • Drag a slider: Tap the slider to select it, then swipe up or down with one finger; or double-tap and hold the slider until you hear three rising tones, then drag the slider
  • Start or stop the current action (e.g., play or pause music or a video, start or stop the stopwatch): Two-finger double tap
  • Dismiss an alert or return to the previous screen: Two-finger scrub (move two fingers back and forth three times quickly, making a “z”)
  • Edit an item’s label to make it easier to find: Two-finger double tap and hold

VoiceOver braille keyboard gestures

  • Cycle through spelling suggestions: Swipe up or down with one finger
  • Cycle through modes (like Braille Entry Mode and Command Mode): Swipe left or right with three fingers

Source: Apple. How to use VoiceOver (iOS) gestures

1.1.1.a2. TalkBack (Android) gestures

TalkBack (text with tooltip) A screen reader that provides auditory feedback to enable BVI users to navigate and interact with Apple devices. is an Android built-in screen reader with various gestures to interact with the device. The presented gestures are related to interacting with items:

Take action on a focused item (Version 9.1 & up)

  • Long press the focused item: Double-tap and hold
  • Move up the slider (e.g., volume): Up or right, then left
  • Move down the slider (e.g., volume): Down, or left, then right

TalkBack braille keyboard gestures

    Basic controls

  • Three-Finger Swipe up: Help and other options

Search on-screen with a braille display

  • On-screen search:
  1. To start an on-screen search, press Space+ dots 3 and 4.
  2. To start your search, type some text. As you type, items that match your search appear on the display.
  3. To jump to the previous or next search result, use the navigation keys on your display.
  4. To select a search result and leave search mode, press dot 8 or a routing key.
  5. To exit search mode without selecting a search result, press Space+ dots 3 and 4.

Source: Google. How to use TalkBack (Android) gestures

2.1.1.a1. VoiceOver Screen Reader Tips

The presented tips are related to utilizing VoiceOver Reader in DLs.

Hear image descriptions with VoiceOver (5 Steps)

Step 1. Go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Accessibility’ > ‘VoiceOver’ > ‘VoiceOver Recognition.’
Step 2. Turn on ‘Image descriptions.’
Step 3. Go to an app such as Photos or Safari, then select an image.
Step 4. Swipe up to hear more options, then double-tap when you hear ‘Explore image.’
Step 5. Move your finger around the image to find out the position of each object.

Source: Apple. How to use VoiceOver (iOS) image description

2.1.1.a2. TalkBack Screen Reader Tips

The presented tips are related to utilizing TalkBack in DLs.

Turn on image descriptions from the Talkback menu (3 steps)

Step 1. Move TalkBack focus to an image on the screen on the Android device.
Step 2. Open the TalkBack menu.
Step 3. Tap ‘Describe image.’

  • Users get a pop-up to turn on this feature at the first time.

Turn image descriptions on/off in Settings (4 steps)

Step 1. Open the Settings app.
Step 2. Tap ‘Accessibility’ > ‘TalkBack’ > ‘Settings.’
Step 3. Under ‘Controls,’ tap ‘Image & icon descriptions.’
Step 4. Turn ‘Detailed image descriptions on or off.’

Turn image description with on-device generative AI (starting from Pixel 9) (4 steps)

Step 1. Open the Settings app.
Step 2. Tap ‘Accessibility’ > ‘TalkBack’ > ‘Settings.’
Step 3. Under ‘Controls,’ tap ‘Image & icon descriptions > ‘Automatic descriptions.’

  • To turn on: Tap ‘All images’ or ‘Unlabeled images only.’
  • To turn off: Tap ‘Don’t describe images.’

Step 4. Tap ‘OK.’

Source: Google. How to use TalkBack (Android) image descriptions

Resources

See also: