Guidelines to Design Smartphone Applications for People with Intellectual Disability: A Practical Experience

Abstract

Applications for smartphones have a great potential to facilitate the lives of people with intellectual disability. In fact, it is possible to design specific applications adapted to their needs. But even in this case, users may experience accessibility issues with some structural elements of smartphones. In this study, we have identified these elements through a 2-month test period with some people with intellectual disability. They used a simple smartphone application that met some needs identified by their caregivers. Through this practical experience, problems with the notification bar and the home, back, menu, search, volume and power buttons have been detected. Potential solutions to overcome these issues have also been proposed. © Springer International Publishing Switzerland 2013.