Mobile Applications for Participation at the Shopping Mall: Content Analysis and Usability for Persons with Physical Disabilities and Communication or Cognitive Limitations
The aim of this exploratory study was to determine the important features in content and usability of existing mobile applications evaluating environmental barriers and facilitators (EBF) to participation for persons with physical disabilities presenting mild communication or cognitive limitations....
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doaj-2dc9849053374b78b28f32d35f98b05c2020-11-24T23:14:22ZengMDPI AGInternational Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health1660-46012014-12-011112127771279410.3390/ijerph111212777ijerph111212777Mobile Applications for Participation at the Shopping Mall: Content Analysis and Usability for Persons with Physical Disabilities and Communication or Cognitive LimitationsClaudine Auger0Emilie Leduc1Delphine Labbé2Cassioppée Guay3Brigitte Fillion4Carolina Bottari5Bonnie Swaine6Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal—Lucie-Bruneau Rehabilitation Center (CRIR-CRLB), 2275 Avenue Laurier East, Montreal, QC H2H 2N8, CanadaCenter for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal—Lucie-Bruneau Rehabilitation Center (CRIR-CRLB), 2275 Avenue Laurier East, Montreal, QC H2H 2N8, CanadaCenter for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal—Lucie-Bruneau Rehabilitation Center (CRIR-CRLB), 2275 Avenue Laurier East, Montreal, QC H2H 2N8, CanadaCenter for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal—Lucie-Bruneau Rehabilitation Center (CRIR-CRLB), 2275 Avenue Laurier East, Montreal, QC H2H 2N8, CanadaCenter for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal—Lucie-Bruneau Rehabilitation Center (CRIR-CRLB), 2275 Avenue Laurier East, Montreal, QC H2H 2N8, CanadaCenter for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal—Lucie-Bruneau Rehabilitation Center (CRIR-CRLB), 2275 Avenue Laurier East, Montreal, QC H2H 2N8, CanadaCenter for Interdisciplinary Research in Rehabilitation of Greater Montreal—Lucie-Bruneau Rehabilitation Center (CRIR-CRLB), 2275 Avenue Laurier East, Montreal, QC H2H 2N8, CanadaThe aim of this exploratory study was to determine the important features in content and usability of existing mobile applications evaluating environmental barriers and facilitators (EBF) to participation for persons with physical disabilities presenting mild communication or cognitive limitations. A rigorous process based on a user-centered design approach led to the identification of two relevant mobile applications to evaluate the EBF. An accessibility expert, the research team as well as five users then tested the mobile applications in a shopping mall. A thematic content analysis of the research team’s and users’ comments established 10 categories of key features that adequately respond to the needs of the clientele targeted in this study. In terms of content, granularity and contextualization of the information provided were considered important. With respect to usability, relevant features were place finding, rating system, presentation of results, compatibility, user-friendliness, aesthetics, credibility of the information as well as connectivity/interactiveness. The research team and the users agreed on some aspects such as aesthetics, but had different perspectives on features such as the rating system or the connectivity/interactiveness of the application. The users proposed new features suggesting that the existing mobile applications did not correspond to all their needs.http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/11/12/12777universal designmobile applicationsparticipationuser-centered designevaluation |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Claudine Auger Emilie Leduc Delphine Labbé Cassioppée Guay Brigitte Fillion Carolina Bottari Bonnie Swaine |
spellingShingle |
Claudine Auger Emilie Leduc Delphine Labbé Cassioppée Guay Brigitte Fillion Carolina Bottari Bonnie Swaine Mobile Applications for Participation at the Shopping Mall: Content Analysis and Usability for Persons with Physical Disabilities and Communication or Cognitive Limitations International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health universal design mobile applications participation user-centered design evaluation |
author_facet |
Claudine Auger Emilie Leduc Delphine Labbé Cassioppée Guay Brigitte Fillion Carolina Bottari Bonnie Swaine |
author_sort |
Claudine Auger |
title |
Mobile Applications for Participation at the Shopping Mall: Content Analysis and Usability for Persons with Physical Disabilities and Communication or Cognitive Limitations |
title_short |
Mobile Applications for Participation at the Shopping Mall: Content Analysis and Usability for Persons with Physical Disabilities and Communication or Cognitive Limitations |
title_full |
Mobile Applications for Participation at the Shopping Mall: Content Analysis and Usability for Persons with Physical Disabilities and Communication or Cognitive Limitations |
title_fullStr |
Mobile Applications for Participation at the Shopping Mall: Content Analysis and Usability for Persons with Physical Disabilities and Communication or Cognitive Limitations |
title_full_unstemmed |
Mobile Applications for Participation at the Shopping Mall: Content Analysis and Usability for Persons with Physical Disabilities and Communication or Cognitive Limitations |
title_sort |
mobile applications for participation at the shopping mall: content analysis and usability for persons with physical disabilities and communication or cognitive limitations |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health |
issn |
1660-4601 |
publishDate |
2014-12-01 |
description |
The aim of this exploratory study was to determine the important features in content and usability of existing mobile applications evaluating environmental barriers and facilitators (EBF) to participation for persons with physical disabilities presenting mild communication or cognitive limitations. A rigorous process based on a user-centered design approach led to the identification of two relevant mobile applications to evaluate the EBF. An accessibility expert, the research team as well as five users then tested the mobile applications in a shopping mall. A thematic content analysis of the research team’s and users’ comments established 10 categories of key features that adequately respond to the needs of the clientele targeted in this study. In terms of content, granularity and contextualization of the information provided were considered important. With respect to usability, relevant features were place finding, rating system, presentation of results, compatibility, user-friendliness, aesthetics, credibility of the information as well as connectivity/interactiveness. The research team and the users agreed on some aspects such as aesthetics, but had different perspectives on features such as the rating system or the connectivity/interactiveness of the application. The users proposed new features suggesting that the existing mobile applications did not correspond to all their needs. |
topic |
universal design mobile applications participation user-centered design evaluation |
url |
http://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/11/12/12777 |
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