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Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to discuss the issue of tailored text input methods for visually impaired and blind users that are needed on touchscreen devices to support their accessibility. Previous approaches still have issues related to the necessity of searching for characters, slow entry speeds or cumbersome handling. Design/methodology/approach – The authors developed a new Braille-based text input method named EdgeBraille, which allows entering six-point Braille characters by swiping one finger along the edges of the touchscreen in an arbitrary sequence. The approach was compared with the current standard method of a talking keyboard, first in a short-term lab study (14 participants) and then during two weeks of daily training (seven participants). Findings – Overall EdgeBraille was perceived well by the users and possesses favourable handling characteristics. In terms of user performance (words per minute and error rate) the authors found no significant differences between the two methods. However, based on the evaluation results and the feedback of the participants the authors identified possibilities for improvement in terms of a smaller EdgeBraille version allowing the entry of eight-point Braille characters, and conducted a proof-of-concept study (seven participants). Originality/value – In the paper the authors comprehensively reflect on advantages and disadvantages of Braille-based methods in general and EdgeBraille in particular. The authors argue why and how Braille-based methods should serve as complement to current text input paradigms based on talking keyboard and indicate future directions of research.

In this work, we identify influencing factors on modality choices of older adults. In detail, we investigated when and why older adults prefer speech over touch interaction and vice versa when interacting with a mobile multimodal health and wellbeing service. We conducted a study with 19 older adults using a mobile application with a duration of three to six weeks. Due to this long duration of the study we were able to gain highly external valid insights as our results are based on real world experiences. We identify additional influencing factors within the areas of user characteristics, contextual factors and perceived system characteristics. We outline the impact of the factors and highlight the importance of several of these factors to enable accessible user interfaces. Our results provide first steps towards a more holistic model of modality choices taking into account interdependencies of different factors.

Tailored text input methods for visually impaired and blind users are needed on touchscreen devices to support their accessibility. Therefore, we de-veloped a new Braille-based text input method named EdgeBraille, which allows entering Braille characters by swiping one finger along the edges of the touchscreen. The approach was compared with the current standard method of a talking keyboard, first in a short-term lab study (14 participants) and then during two weeks of daily training (7 participants). Overall EdgeBraille was perceived well by the users. In terms of user performance we found no significant differences between the two methods. Based on the evaluation results and the feedback of our participants, we discuss advantages and disadvantages of Braille-based methods in general and EdgeBraille in particular, as well as possibilities for improvements.

Online social networks have become part of our everyday lives. However, many elders do not use these networks even though social connections are important for their health and quality of life. To help elders feel more connected to their safety network we have developed an assistive solution based on the elders' requirements that aims at improving their communication and sense of presence. The prototype, consisting of a touch screen device and web services was evaluated in two field trials lasting for 28 weeks in total in Finland and in Austria. In addition to interviews, we used the logged usage data to analyze the user's experience with the system.

Elderly people with no or limited skills of using computers are in risk of social isolation as social life moves to the Internet. This paper describes the design process and implementation of a user interface and device for the elderly for a social networking application. The idea is that people with no previous experience on using computers are able to use the device immediately and that the device is not considered to be a computer. An iterative and user-centred design process is used to ensure that all the needs and views from the users are taken into account. The user interface and the device have been tested in long lasting field trials and the results are presented in this paper. Based on the results the implemented device seems to qualify the needs of elder users.

International audience; Recent product releases such as Apple's \textit{Siri} and Google's \textit{Voice Search} have strongly emphasized the use of voice as a modern interaction modality. Seniors, in particular, might appreciate an alternative to small mobile phone keypads, touchpads and computer mice. This paper presents initial explorations of how elderly people would interact with language-technology-driven interfaces, how these interactions measure up against traditional physical interaction channels, and what features they may require to satisfy the needs of this very specific group of users.