Tactile-based direct manipulation in GUIs for blind users

Abstract

The increasing use of graphical user interfaces is making computer systems more, rather than less difficult to interact with for blind users. One solution is to create interfaces for blind users which are based on auditory and tactile information rather than visual information. The GUIB Project is developing such an interface making use of a number of different information sources: synthetic and digitised speech, non-speech sounds, braille and a touchpad. This video illustrates how the GUIB interface allows users to directly manipulate interface objects using a touchpad and braille display with cursor routing buttons. This gives blind users the same sense of engagement with the interface which sighted users gain from using a mouse