A voice application customized for visually impaired people was launched by China Association of the Blind and Meituan just in time for the 35th White Cane Safety Day earlier this week on October 15, 2019. This App can complete processing of entire takeout orders by means of “voice interaction”.
Now, visually impaired people mainly rely on screen reading software to order takeout on mobile phones. However, the page design and operation of some websites is simply not convenient enough. For example, elements found throughout complicated floating layers in such application interfaces are generally difficult to be recognized and controlled by voice interaction, and furthermore the button position is difficult to indicate via voice, thus resulting in challenges to visually impaired dish selection.
While, this app, however, is designed to make the screen more user-friendly, with a single display of information on the page. What’s more is that it is equipped with a voice broadcast function that is 6 times faster than normal speech speeds, and this voice search function helps to solve problems of input and search inconvenience that were hard to crack . In addition, it also features a large voice button , and high-frequency operation instructions, such as “change address, read again, place orders” and so on.
Li Qingzhong, President of China Association of the Blind, said that there are 17 million visually impaired people in China. Travelling and information access are two major obstacles for them, solving problems such as barrier-free access to information is a particularly important challenge to solve for visually impaired people. Helping disabled people overcome the digital divide through new technology and product innovation will bring them the same right to enjoy the benefits of technology.
Source: People’s Daily
