The Utah Transit Authority (UTA) recognized that their mobile ticketing and planning app needed to be fully accessible for users with visual impairments in order to provide equal access to public transportation. When developing the UTA Access app, they conducted extensive user research and usability testing with organizations for the blind to understand the unique challenges visually impaired commuters face.
A major priority was to make all content and functionality accessible without requiring sight. This started at the most basic level of app design. The UTA Access development team decided on a simple, clean interface without unnecessary graphics or images that would be meaningless for screen readers. They settled on a basic light color scheme with high color contrasts tested using accessibility evaluation tools.
All text was implemented using semantic HTML for optimal screen reader support. Font sizes, styles, and spacing were carefully designed to be nicely readable by text-to-speech software at different zoom levels. Navigation was kept straightforward using clearly labeled tabs and simple lists rather than multi-level drop downs that could get confusing.
Forms and inputs were optimized for accessibility. Labels were programmatically associated to describe each field appropriately. Text fields and buttons had large touch targets tested to work reliably with finger gestures. Select boxes were expanded to full lists to avoid confusing screen readers. Error states were announced verbally to inform users of validation issues.
Perhaps most importantly, the entire app was built to be operable without visual cues. All functionality and actions were available through standard iOS gestures detectable by VoiceOver like taps, swipes, and pinches rather than relying on visual interactions. Navigation, menus, maps, buttons all worked seamlessly by touch alone.
Detailed audio and haptic feedback was implemented at each step to guide non-visual use. Form entries announced content as fingers moved over text. Options in lists spoke when selected. Errors vocalized issues found. Map interactions utilized precision haptics to locate stops by feel. These cues provided an equivalent experience to what sighted users see visually.
Maps and trip planning posed unique challenges given their visual nature, so significant effort went into ensuring these key features still worked for the blind. Public transit routes and locations were exposed programmatically as text rather than images alone so screen readers could understand the map as a network. Zoom and pan functions had clickable text overlays to control the view without seeing. Pinch gestures triggered distance measurement between points read aloud.
Stops, stations, and transportation options on maps were all discoverable through clearly labeled text bubbles that popped up with proximity. Users could navigate these details through standard gestures without needing to interpret visual markers. Routes for trip planning auto-populated with full descriptions of each leg such as “Walk north on Main St for 3 blocks then board the Red Line train heading east.”
Fare payment was made as accessible as possible given financial transaction requirements. Cards could be purchased, loaded, and managed through logical, linear flows. Users entered data through expansive text entry rather than cryptic buttons. Card numbers and expiration dates were annunciated back for confirmation. Transaction status updated with voice descriptions of completion or issues.
The UTA Access app met and exceeded accessibility standards and guidelines by anticipating how visually impaired users truly experience mobile apps through non-visual means alone. It empowered this underserved community with completely independent multi-modal trip planning and fare management on par with sighted travelers through optimized design, feedback techniques, and innovation in making mapping functionality accessible without vision. User testing proved it successfully eliminated participation barriers and allowed equal transportation access for the blind.
Through rigorous user research, established best practices in accessible design and development, attention to technical details, and creative solutions, the UTA Access app addressed the transportation needs of visually impaired riders in a truly meaningful and equitable way. It serves as an excellent example for other public transit agencies on inclusively delivering essential mobility services through mobile platforms for all users regardless of ability.