Vision Connect Proposal- Independent Study HCI - Shivani Jain by Shivani Jain

VISION CONNECT AN IMPROVED APPROACH TO MOBILE COMMUNICATION WITH THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED

Shivani Jain Independent Study HCI UG- 05589 A Advised by James Morris November 23rd, 2015

TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. ABSTRACT

2. CURRENT SITUATION AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES

A. Demographics and Advocacy Organizations

B. Social Interaction between Blind and Sighted Individuals

C. Currently Available Technologies

D. Current Initiatives to Develop Better Technology

3. VISION CONNECT – A NEW APPLICATION FOR BLIND PEOPLE

A. The Need for a New Application

B. The Value Proposition

C. Improving the Quality and Efficacy of Social Interaction

D. Identification of User/Customer Segments

E. Rollout Plan and Monetization of the Service

F. Open Questions

4. CONCLUSIONS

5. BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. ABSTRACT This report analyzes various mobile technologies intended to assist the blind/visually impaired with daily tasks. Various interviews were conducted to gather essential user experience data – this data was used to generate insights into the preferences of blind individuals and the most desirable functionalities of these technologies. Our research is motivated by the discovery of a competitor mobile application with a similar use case to the one outlined by this team in a prior proposal.

In the prior proposal, we contemplated a mobile application that uses live

video streaming to connect the blind user with an assistant. This assistant helps facilitate the lifestyle tasks of blind people through appointments using GoPro-style video technology. The competitor application, Be My Eyes, accomplishes a similar objective with an iPhone camera and enables visually impaired individuals to complete brief everyday tasks by providing them a secure video connection with a sighted helper. As its name suggests, Be My Eyes is essentially a means by which the blind can “borrow” the sight of a volunteer through the application for a period of time – the same concept underlying our original proposal. By familiarizing ourselves with the functionality and effectiveness of the Be My Eyes app, we were able to draw important conclusions about how blind people interact with technology and assess how these applications can be improved to more effectively address the needs of their users. We also conducted competitive landscape analysis to ensure we had a complete understanding of the solutions currently available and their unique functionalities. Our results helped inform a concept and business model for an improved mobile application that addresses the various issues plaguing existing technologies.

2. CURRENT SITUATION AND AVAILABLE RESOURCES

A. Demographics and Advocacy Organizations According to the World Health Organization (“WHO”), 285 million people worldwide are estimated to be visually impaired. Of these, 39 million are fully blind. It is important to note that the WHO’s definition of visually impaired individuals does not include those whose vision has been corrected by glasses / contacts – these are individuals for whom vision presents real challenges and complicates daily life. An additional challenging demographic trend is that 90% of visually impaired individuals worldwide live in low- income settings. The National Federation of the Blind (“NFB”) tracks these statistics for the United States, and estimates that as of 2013, ~7 million individuals in the U.S. are visually impaired. 30% of Americans suffering from visual impairment live below the poverty line and 40% are unemployed. The NFB has been unsuccessful in quantifying computer / internet usage amongst the blind population and we have had similar difficulties ascertaining the number of blind smartphone users. A back-of-the-envelope analysis results in ~10% smartphone penetration in the blind community. There have been a number of advancements in accessibility features for both iOS and Android, as well as initiatives to develop custom smartphones for use by the blind – we expect this penetration to further increase in the near future. Numerous groups advocate on behalf of the blind, including the aforementioned NFB as well as the American Council of the Blind. Locally, the Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh (“BVRS”) works to empower the blind and enable them to lead independent lives – the BVRS was very helpful in arranging interviews for our research.

B. Social Interaction between Blind and Sighted Individuals Through interviews with blind people facilitated by the Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Services of Pittsburgh and with individuals encountered elsewhere, we have learned that blind people do not want to rely on sighted assistants for help. Blind users tend to find sighted assistance to be burdensome and often unhelpful, not to mention challenging from a selfesteem perspective. This is supported by a New York Times article (Why Do We Fear the Blind?, New York Times, January 4, 2014) which addresses sighted individuals and their fear and misunderstanding of the blind. The article suggests that blind people find it difficult to interact with sighted people due to this lack of understanding, further engraining a desire for independence. In the context of solutions like Be My Eyes, this leads to ineffective and sometimes awkward interactions through the app, despite the best intentions of the sighted assistants – these interactions further motivate blind individuals to seek solutions that preserve their independence. A blind woman, Neala Dawson, claimed that, “God gave you a pair of eyes, if you can’t help me at least you can find someone who can search for someone to help me”. It is commonly and widely accepted amongst people in the blind community that sighted people can be ignorant and even prejudiced with respect to their disability.

C. Currently Available Technologies Traditionally the blind have had to rely on canes, seeing-eye dogs and the kindness of friends / strangers to tackle the challenges encountered in everyday life. In recent years, a number of technologies have emerged to augment and in some cases replace these traditional means. The majority of these technologies leverage the smartphone due to the integration of cameras and

portability, both of which enable the key functionalities of these solutions. Currently available technologies include Be My Eyes and its competitors - Tap Tap See, Talking Goggles, and the KNFB Reader.

Be My Eyes is an iPhone application that utilizes a video call for the user to interact with a sighted helper for a brief session. Unlike many of its competitors, Be My Eyes incorporates live human interaction as a key component. The blind user can interact directly with a sighted individual and perhaps benefit from a more personal connection as opposed to more selfcontained technology-centered solutions that do not have a live human component. Be My Eyes is designed for quick interactions lasting only a couple of minutes. The application is free and consists of two main user flows – sighted assistants and blind users. Sighted assistants are individuals who have volunteered to be “on-call” to assist the blind users. The application takes advantage of VoiceOver, an iPhone feature which enables visually impaired users to use the iPhone via a synthetic speech and touch-based interface. Blind users request assistance and are paired with a suitable sighted assistant – generally one who speaks their native language. The camera on the smart phone is held up to the environment that the blind user wants help making sense of – through a voice connection, the sighted assistant can describe the video feed to the blind user. The application uses the Tokbox video platform, a one-way video interaction system that creates a sense of privacy so that a person’s face isn’t revealed. The application currently faces a large disparity in the number of blind users vs. sighted helpers. Currently it has 306k sighted helpers vs. 23.9k blind users. These volunteers are not trained to help blind people making the interaction between blind people and helpers difficult. We determined the ratio between the number of blind iPhone users and the number

of blind iPhone users on the Be My Eyes application. We believe that the number of blind people that use iPhones is low and that may be the reason why only 10% of the blind iPhone user population was aware of and downloaded the Be My Eyes application. Because of its slow response time, Be My Eyes may be more suitable for bigger projects, e.g. cooking.

Other applications – Tap Tap See, Talking Goggles, and the KNFB Reader – use optical character recognition or crowdsourcing to identify and provide feedback about the object being viewed. The phone can then play back audio information for the text/image being viewed.

Tap Tap See is a top competitor and it uses a combination of OCR, automatic image recognition, and human helpers. It eschews the use of a live connection with an assistant and instead utilizes volunteers to provide a textual explanation of images submitted to the database. The application can read this feedback out loud to the blind user. Tap Tap See’s business model relies on the use of a subscription fee to cover internal development and recruiting costs. The users are willing to pay $0.10 per answer. The number of users for Tap Tap See is not known though its higher success rate is due to its quicker response time compared to Be My Eyes. Unlike Be My Eyes the blind user does not have to wait for several minutes to establish a connection with a helper and then get help. The user can gain the help they need right away. This application is quick and effective and thus makes the interaction more seamless.

The Talking Goggles application uses Optical Character Recognition (OCR) to analyze provided images. Talking Goggles provides a quick alternative to a social interaction based approach. One of the key issues with Talking Goggles is that it is not designed specifically for use by blind individuals and some blind users have expressed difficulty using it.

The KNFB Reader is another OCR-based application which is relatively expensive due to its advanced technology relative to Talking Goggles. It is also specifically tailored to the needs of the blind and print-impaired, unlike Talking Goggles. One key distinguishing factor is that the KNFB application does not focus on helping blind people accomplish lifestyle tasks, rather, it facilitates their access to print materials. The KNFB reader can take a variety of text sources such as receipts, mail, articles, class handouts and memos and use a combination of OCR and text-to-speech to make these accessible to blind people. Ray Kurzweil, Director of Engineering at Google, believes it can replace a “sighted adviser” and was heavily involved in the development of this application.

While this application costs $100, it is highly

sophisticated and can address a broader set of use cases than competing OCR solutions. A good use case for this is in restaurants, which often do not provide braille menus for blind patrons.

Clearly, Be My Eyes is not the only successful application within this competitive market and it faces a challenge to stay relevant, given the pace of innovation in this field. It is; however, a game-changer for the blind users it benefits and study of this application can provide key insights into the interactions between blind and sighted individuals. These insights have the potential to inform the development of better applications for the blind.

D. Current Initiatives to Develop Better Technology As mentioned before, the Be My Eyes Application is a novel approach to helping the blind through social interaction; however, as a non-profit organization it lacks the resources to invest in significant refinement and development. Further, it takes several minutes to initiate the interaction between the blind user and the helper. Be My Eyes also faces competition from technologies such as OCR-based applications that do not rely on a live helper and are therefore more reliable from an availability perspective and speed perspective. Blind people rely on advancements in technology that empower them and help maintain their independence.

As discussed in Digital Trends magazine, various new technologies are

undergoing development that can help further assist the blind. Dr. Stephen Hicks form the University of Oxford is carrying out user testing and development of his revolutionary Smart Specs. These glasses process data to highlight certain elements of the surroundings, allowing poorly sighted individuals to better discern people and obstacles (Simon Hill, Digital Trends) as they navigate. It is important to note that this innovation is not usable by the completely blind. A new Finger-Reader technology has arisen that can detect text on paper and reads back the words your finger crosses on the page. Currently, the concept is merely a prototype but has the opportunity to become a useful device for translation or to help the visually impaired read printed materials. Smart Glasses and Finger Reader represent an exciting set of new developments in that they are more integrated and intuitive approaches than OCR and social interaction-based solutions. While these new technologies empower the visually impaired and promote their independence, it is unclear whether such solutions can fully eliminate the need for sighted helpers.

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3: VISION CONNECT – A NEW APPLICATION FOR BLIND PEOPLE

A. The Need for a New Application There are many key issues brought to light through our research of the blind and their interaction with assistance technologies.

These include, fear/disappointment in social

interaction between blind and sighted individuals, issues with speed and connectivity and the need for a solution to empower by promoting independence. These issues will all need to be addressed by a state-of-the-art interface for the blind. We believe that a targeted application that can provide quick interaction with a sighted helper in certain situations (speed of an OCR-type application with the functionality of the Be My Eyes application) can be very useful for blind people and can help them become more self-sufficient and independent. The application should also provide trained helpers who can better understand the need of the blind people and help foster friendships between helpers and the blind.

B. The Value Proposition Our proposed application, Vision Connect, is significantly different from currently available services for the blind and is focused on improving interaction and integrating blind users with the larger community. It uses live streaming to set up a connection between a blind user and a trusted assistant who is trained in interactions with blind people. This focus on qualified individuals will help blind people gain a sense of trust and security and help alleviate/eliminate fear and prejudice on the part of a blind user in need of assistance. When a user is in need of assistance, they can tap into the Vision Connect interface that allows them

to be connected to a helper who works to assist them with specific tasks that they are unable to complete on their own. The assistant can help them with certain specific tasks, navigation, as well as serve as a guide.

Vision Connect provides answers to two key questions: 1. How can we assist visually impaired individuals perform lifestyle tasks? and 2. How can we create a mutually beneficial arrangement that can lead to long lasting/ socially beneficial interactions? Vision Connect can guide and assist blind users with tasks that were difficult for them before. Once they are matched with a reliable assistant they can develop a safe and reliable connection with them and schedule appointments with the specific assistant. For small / random tasks that require more immediate attention, they will retain the ability to be paired with a random, but still qualified, assistant.

While Vision Connect’s core value proposition is access to a well-trained sighted assistant, it has the ability to use OCR technology for simpler tasks or when helpers are unavailable, allowing the blind user the control and freedom to be independent when necessary and the ability to take advantage of technological advancements. Perhaps in the future technology will advance to the point where human interaction is not necessary in these applications – in the interim, Vision Connect offers the best of both worlds.

C. Improving the Quality and Efficacy of Social Interaction

While blind users may not prefer social interaction with sighted individuals, the social interaction within Vision Connect is only with students/adults trained for rehabilitation

services – this provides a more secure and trusted connection. Interviews were conducted at the Department of Rehabilitation Science and Technology Center, and three students were enthusiastic about the idea of working to help blind people.

Since the helpers in our

application are trained, they are able to interact appropriately with the blind people and the blind people will know that they are being assisted by someone who is aware of their issues and is eager to help. The professional nature of the assistants goes a long way to increase the comfort level of the blind user. Each user can submit a request for a helper (after reviewing their profiles) and then set up their first appointment with the helper. This appointment will help the user openly discuss the type of help they will need and then set up a timeframe, such as weekly appointments, where they can obtain the help they need. Vision Connect can help blind people interact and even form a friendship with their sighted helper.

After the use of the service, ratings are requested through the app. This allows for better operator training and continued improvement of the service. The application will be designed to facilitate accessibility settings/features, using larger icons and voice-activated commands. Customer service and quality control are essential to an application such as Vision Connect – each helper should act professionally in assisting the user and be able to empathize with them and comprehend their specific needs. Assistants that behave unprofessionally or who are ineffective in addressing their clients’ problems (primarily ascertained through ratings) will be removed from the app. Customers can prioritize which helpers assist them, based on their ratings. Vision Connect will need to undergo extensive user testing and stay competitive with other advanced technologies on the market in order to succeed; however, it has the potential

to provide efficacious and long lasting interactions between sighted and visually impaired individuals.

D. Identification of User/Customer Segments Unless covered by insurance, the primary users of Vision Connect will be middle to highincome families that are able to pay their assistants at least $10/hr. Lower income individuals would require a subsidy or insurance coverage. The potential user base is fairly large. There are 3.4 million Americans who are 40+ that are either blind or visually impaired. Eleven percent of Americans aged 20+ have diabetes that can eventually lead to visual impairment. It is important to note that the users must be able to provide personal and medical information, contact list, and a clear description of type of help needed to allow the assistant to serve them. According to a test plan for surveys directed at all income demographics, we believe that 70%-100% will provide basic information, 40%- 80% will offer their contact list, 0%-30% will be hesitant to provide any personal and medical information. The personal and medical information is necessary to provide a more targeted service. The users; however, will need to develop some comfort level with the service and the service providers before they will provide this personal information.

E. Rollout Plan and Monetization of the Service

As shown in the Figure below, our system will be subscription-based, with users paying a recurring fee for the service, which is used to compensate the sighted assistants. As Be My Eyes is a non-profit application, it may be unable to invest sufficiently in improvements â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the

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recurring revenue generation opportunity of Vision Connect will ensure our solution generates funds that can be used to invest in timely improvements and updates.

Figure: Revenue Model for Vision Connect The PEST Trends Model is an effective approach to analyzing the business model for Vision Connect. Politically, the cost for a service like Vision Connect can be subsidized by grants from blind organizations and communities, state and federal programs, as well as through medical insurance. The Vision Health Initiative can be an important partner in launching this application. Economically, Blind Users in the top 15% of household income will have the financial flexibility to afford an application like this one and may not need to rely on the help of the government or a subsidy. This application is similar in costs to ridesharing services like Uber. These users are expected to be financially independent or college educated. Social Trends will need to be taken into consideration as well. Assistants will either need to be trained or already possess certification. Appropriate provisions will need to be made for individuals who are unable to afford the service. The Technical segment will take into consideration the need for a smart phone that has voice over in accessibility settings as well as the successful development of the application.

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Raising of awareness and marketing for Vision Connect will primarily occur through advertisement on TV at Blind Rehabilitation Centers.

There are also major radio

stations/podcasts that are widely used by blind users, as well as YouTube – these all represent potential marketing channels. Advertisements on major online websites are commonly targeted at blind people and could round out the advertising efforts for Vision Direct. To further encourage adoption, Vision Connect will offer a Free One Week Trial. A blind user can then assess whether the application is suitable and beneficial to their needs. Once the trial period is over they will have the opportunity to select a Monthly Subscription plan or yearly subscription plan.

The plans will be segmented as follows: Monthly Subscription-

$49.95/month, while a yearly subscription plan is only $499.95/year. These cost breakpoints are supported by our market analysis.

F. Open Questions

There are a few key open questions. It is important to determine whether insurance carriers will cover this service. Interviews will need to be conducted with insurers (Blue Cross & Blue Shield, United Health Care, Aetna, Medicaid) to understand what conditions they would subsidize. Currently, we anticipate 20-75% of the service will be subsidized through medical and vision plans depending on need and the income level of the user. Another important hypothesis is that qualified assistants will be willing to work at $10/hour base pay, plus performance bonuses – this wage is certainly not high enough to represent full-time work so we will need to ensure that these individuals also see a value proposition in helping the blind.

4. CONCLUSIONS Through research and interviews, it has become evident that Vision Connect has the potential to be a successful application for the blind. While addressing problems faced by competitors such as lack of trust and need for independency, it is flexible in light of the ongoing and developing market of blind technology. Vision Connect has a vision to enhance blind peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives while securing their trust when interacting with trained assistants. The application will be the only one of its kind to integrate OCR and sighted assistance, offering users the advantages of each depending on the unique situation. Vision Connect is an extension of Be My Eyes in the sense that it takes a more thoughtful and structured approach to social interaction by ensuring assistants are well qualified to help their blind clients. Since the blind user has access to a history of the assistants they have used, they can request help from the ones they feel most compatible and secure with. Some factors that may prevent the users from a successful connection are a disrupted and poor network as well as ineffective/inappropriate communication. It is critical to prevent a negative user experience with the service from the outset. A negative experience can hinder one from wanting to continue using the application or canceling the subscription plans, causing loss in revenue and negative reviews. Vision Connect will need to find a team of developers and rely on outside funding to cover initial development costs. We are confident in our go-to-market and pricing strategy, as families of blind users have reviewed the costs/subscription plans and the approach has been encouraged/supported by Spiro Pipakis of the Blind and Vision Rehabilitation Service of Pittsburgh. Vision Connect will need to undergo prototyping and wire framing in order to gain more feedback through user testing; however, we are very optimistic about its potential to transform the lives of the visually impaired. Â

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6. BIBLIOGRAPHY

1. Be My Eyes - Lend Your Eyes to the Blind <http://www.bemyeyes.org/> 2. Blindness Statistics, National Federation of the Blind. <https://nfb.org/blindness-statistics> 3. Hill, Simon. 5 Amazing Gadgets that are helping the Blind See. <http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/blind-technologies/> 4. Holton, Bill. AccessWorld Magazine- Technology News for People who are Blind or Visually Impaired. <https://www.afb.org/afbpress/pub.asp?DocID=aw160202> 5. KNFB Reader app: A new smartphone application that helps the blind see. <http://tech.firstpost.com/news-analysis/knfb-reader-app-a-new-smartphone-app-thathelps-the-blind-see-235017.html> 6. Mahoney, Rosemary. Why Do We Fear the Blind?. New York Times, January 4, 2014. <http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/05/opinion/sunday/why-do-we-fear-theblind.html?_r=0> 7. Talking Goggles – A Camera With Speecs, < https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/talking-‐goggles-‐camera-‐ speech/id602999586?mt=8> 8. Tap Tap See - Blind and Visually Impaired Camera, < http://www.taptapseeapp.com/>