Pr opos al :Smar t phoneAppl i c at i on As s oc i at e dSe r v i c e sf ort he Bl i ndandVi s ual l yI mpai r e d Y e mi maAr boue t T aj J one s She aMul l ool y Apr i l 2 0 1 6
Proposal: Smartphone Application Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired
Yemima Arbouet Taj Jones Shea Mullooly
Table of Contents I. About the Associated Services for the Blind Executive Summary ……………………. I A Company Information …………………. I B II. About the Proposed Application Needs Analysis ………………………….. II A Project Overview ……………………….. II B Development ………………………….... II C Implementation ………………………....II D Evaluation ………………………………. II E
I. About the Associated Services for the Blind I A. Executive Summary Philadelphia’s Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ASB), is a private, non-profit 501 (c) (3) organization created to inspire self-esteem, independence and self-determination in people who are blind or visually impaired. ASB provides support through education, training and resources, as well as community action and public education. The non-profit organization is proud to serve as a voice and advocate for the rights of all of their clients. The Business Problem: Lack of available apps and choices on the market targeted specifically for the blind and visually impaired. The choices are limited. The Solution: Develop an app that addresses the many needs of any individual, however, this app will specifically focus on catering to those who are blind and visually impaired. It will be capable of completing a variety of different functions. Proposed Project Description: Develop a new inline app to help the blind and visually impaired with daily functions such as locating buildings, taxi services, public transportation, and local businesses.
I B. Company Information Why the company exists The Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ASB) is a testament to philanthropy, charitable giving and volunteerism in Philadelphia and the surrounding communities for well over a century. It was organized and created to serve as a strong and unified advocate for the blind and visually impaired. Product or service it provides
ASB provides and offers services designed to rekindle self-confidence and rebuild lives through education, training and resources. The following list of offered services tackle a comprehensive range of challenges that clients face in learning how to adaptively rehabilitate, re-educate and re-create themselves so that they can lead fulfilling, productive lives.
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Human Services - deals directly with the physical, emotional and social problems created by blindness and visual impairment.
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Alternative Formats - provide the blind and visually impaired access to the resources and information that most people with sight take for granted.
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Lighthouse of the Blind - offers financial grants for purchasing special, adaptive equipment to those in need.
Leadership behind the company President & Chief Executive Officer - Patricia C. Johnson took the helm of the Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired in 1993, and she has remained President and Chief Executive Officer since. With over twenty years of leadership experience in both private and public sectors of business management, she offers compelling evidence of achieving results in staff management, cost containment, budgeting, strategic planning and efficiency initiatives. At Cigna Corporation, Ms. Johnson rose from Field Operations Manager to Chief of Staff for the Executive Vice President of Corporate Services and Human Resources. Ms. Johnson earned her Masters in Business Administration at the Wharton School of Business and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Delaware.
Human Relations - Tim McGovern Certified Psychologist, Client Evaluator - Patricia Cautilli Director, Human Services - Cedric Bryant Director, Braille Division and Custom Audio - Richard Forsythe Coordinator, Volunteer Services - Linda Gaffney Instructor, Computer Technology Center, (CTC) - David Goldfield Life Skills Educator - Bette Homer Public Relations Officer - Brian Rusk Job Coach - Frank Grossman Job Developer/Coach - Brad Morith History What started as the Pennsylvania Working Home for Blind Men in 1874 exists now, more than 125 years later, as the largest 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization serving the needs of people who are blind or visually impaired in the Delaware Valley, which includes Southeastern Pennsylvania, Southern New Jersey and Northern Delaware. An important part of their history took place in 1922, when the American Red Cross enlisted volunteers to teach braille to blind veterans returning from World War I. After tremendous growth, an independent agency named Volunteer Services for the Blind was formed in 1945 to transcribe books and magazines in braille. In 1947, recorded textbooks were created to help college students. In the early 1970’s, the program expanded to include government contracts. ASB became a reality in 1983, when Volunteer Services for the Blind united with two other local agencies, the Information Center for the Blind and the Nevil Institute for Rehabilitation and Services. Since 1975, they have occupied the same home, on Walnut Street in Center City Philadelphia. ASB remains steadfast in its mission to continually improve and build on what has already grown to be a comprehensive array of services for the people we are dedicated to serving.
What they do Associated Services for the Blind and Visually Impaired (ASB) is a private non-profit organization created to promote self-esteem, independence and self-determination in people who are blind or visually impaired. ASB accomplishes this by providing support through education, training and resources, as well as through community action and public education, serving as a voice and advocate for the rights of all people who are blind or visually impaired.
II. About the Proposed Application
II A. Needs Analysis The target market for this application will be members of the blind and visually impaired community. These users need more information than knowing just where they are. This application will help them understand what is around them, and give them insight on possible services and businesses that they may not have been aware of.
II B. Project Description/Overview Functionality The application we propose will assist the blind and visually impaired in their day-to-day lives. We propose four main components of the application: Building Recognition, Find a Service or Place, Public Transportation and Call a Taxi. These components will use Google maps technology to direct the user and voiceover software to read the information aloud so that the blind and visually impaired can use the application. There will also be an option to change the text size and color for those who are not blind and would like to adjust the way they see the information.
Building Recognition
When the user clicks on the building icon, they will see an advanced camera software load onto the screen. Once there, as they point the camera to a building, they will be made aware of the building’s address, what purpose it serves, names of nearby services and locations through a recognition interface. Keeping in mind the needs of those individuals who are visually impaired, this part of the app will make use of audio capabilities to function as an intelligent personal assistant and knowledge navigator.
Find a Service or Place Once clicked, the user will automatically be prompted to request a service or a place they would like to find. Similar to Siri’s capabilities, the user will be able to hear the intelligent personal assistant make recommendations and perform actions by delegating requests to a set of Web services. Once the user has identified a place or service they would like to find, they will have the option to request directions to the specified location through the help of voice navigation. Public Transportation Unlike other apps that offer this capability, this app will state the user’s current location. Promptly after, it will state the location of the closest subway and bus stops. The user will then hear something like “Would you like me to direct you to any of the listed routes?” If the user responds with “Yes”, they will be navigated to the bus stop or subway stop of their choice and alerted on the estimated wait time as well as the arrival time of the next bus or train. Call a Taxi If the user would like to request a taxi rather than taking public transportation, clicking on this tab will provide them with the access to request a taxi. The user will be notified of the
estimated price of the taxi fare before they proceed to pay for the service as well as the estimated wait time.
Design
Attached you will find the a style guide which shows how to use the proposed typography, design elements and color scheme. There are also guidelines explaining how the application will look and visual examples of the user interface design.
II C. Development •
Platform
This application will be developed for iOS and Android because these are the two main smartphone platforms and will be most effective to reach all of the users.
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Back End
As far as this app is concerned, a CMS will be needed for consistency amongst the themes and will allow for a basic layout the blind and visually impaired will find easy to navigate. With a CMS, anyone can easily make updates to the map and the services connected to it, such as the cab services, bus routes, Google maps integration, etc.
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Push Notifications
The user will have the option to receive push notifications, which will deliver alerts to their phone such as information about a nearby business they often go too, or updates about how far they are from reaching their location. Push notifications will ultimately not benefit the user unless the notifications speak directly to the user. It is key to remember that the average user of this app will be visually impaired and
will not be able to read the notification bar at the top of the screen. These notifications, if used, must be read aloud with either Siri, for the iPhone, or through voiceover.
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Analytics
We are looking to gather data based on satisfaction and overall effectiveness of the product. The analytics for this will be heavily influenced by usability as this app is design to make it easy for the visually impaired to navigate a city. We would also look for information given to the project from outside sources. This app should be able to use information given by the users and project this information onto the map for the visually impaired to hear about if they come in contact with the specified area.
II D. Implementation This project is due to launch by the end of May 2017. We chose this date because it gives the developers a year to organize everything and get the app to work. We will have completed the necessary user interface and user experience design by May 2016 so the remaining pieces will be done on the back end. There is no event associated with the launch date so, in essence, we have as much time to create this project as we need, but it should be done within one (1) year.
Beta Application Before the application is released to the public, a beta version of the app will be released to three controlled groups: 1. A group of blind and visually impaired technical savvy users. 2. A group of blind and visually impaired users that are not as technically advanced. 3. A group of sighted users Data from these three groups will be collected and the application will undergo revisions based off of the response before the final release to the public.
Advertising Since it is important that this application is easily accessible to the users and kept either free or at a very low price, the advertising for the application will be focused towards free advertising. The blind and visually impaired is a small and close community so word of mouth will be the primary form of advertising. The Associated Services of the Blind will also tell their clients about the application and provide training on how to use it if necessary. If these methods do not generate enough interest, radio advertising would be considered as an option for advertising.
II E. Evaluation An evaluation will take place throughout the entire process to allow for useful information for the next version or update of the application. For instance a multiple-choice survey may be given to a group with questions ranging from their first impression of the application to the straightforwardness and ease of use of the application. How much help did they need learning how to use the application? Did this application easily work in their everyday lives and did it successfully aid them in their day-to-day activities? Did this application become crucial to them or was it just an extra assistance? This information will be collected and used as a guideline for further development.
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