An Evaluation of SingleTapBraille keyboard: A Text Entry Method that Utilizes Braille Patterns on Touchscreen Devices

This paper provides an evaluation of the SingleTapBraille keyboard, designed to assist people with no or low vision in using touchscreen smartphones. This application allows blind users to input characters based on braille patterns. To assess SingleTapBraille, this study compares its performance with that of the commonly used QWERTY keyboard. We conducted an evaluation study with 7 blind participants to examine the performance of both keyboards on Android platforms. Overall, participants were able to quickly adjust to SingleTapBraille and type on touchscreen devices using their knowledge of Braille patterns within fifteen to twenty minutes of introduction to the system. The SingleTapBraille keyboard was better than the QWERTY keyboard in terms of both speed and accuracy, indicating that SingleTapBraille represents an improvement over existing alternatives in making touchscreen keyboards more accessible for blind users. Based on the evaluation results and the feedback of our participants, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of previous keyboards that have been used by participants, as well as those of SingleTapBraille. In doing so, we consider possible design improvements for the future development of accessible keyboards for blind users.