ABSTRACT
The universal navigator (or uNav) is a physical input device concept which can be attached to a touchscreen such as that used on a self-service kiosk, and enables users who cannot see or reach the screen to activate the onscreen options. This is of increasing importance as there is a trend to use touch screens in self-service products (Penn et al., 2004, Digital Trends, 2011), along with ageing populations in many countries (UKONS, 2010, Zaidi, 2008). It has the potential to provide significant accessibility advantages to those with low visual acuity, reduced upper body mobility, and also low manual dexterity as it enables consumers to navigate any onscreen option using a tactually discernible, physically compact device with associated private audio feedback (i.e. through earphones rather than speakers). It consists of four direction keys laid out in a diamond shape, arranged around a central select button (Figure 1). The left and right buttons cycle through each on-screen option in turn, with the up/down buttons jumping to the next block of on-screen options (e.g. next row of an on-screen keyboard). An audio jack and volume button are also provided, as auditory feedback is essential for people who are blind or partially sighted. The uNav is a concept device and is currently not in development.
