User Requirements

Target User Definition

Demographics:
- All age groups
- Limited mobility
- Leaves their home at least occasionally
Technical skills:
- Ability to use navigation apps
Goals:
- Able to go outside their home and navigate to different places reliably
- Minimize the effort and stress of each journey
- Maximize their independence
Special considerations:
- Type of mobility aid used: manual wheelchair, powered wheelchair, manual non-wheelchair aid (ie crutch, walker)
- Frequency of mobility aid usage: ambulatory, non-ambulatory

Prototype Functions

Key Function	Feature(s)	User Need(s) Addressed	Problem(s) Solved
Accessibility profile	Prototype opens with a questionnaire about access and route-planning needs, including type of mobility device/disability System would choose the route that best matches the user’s accessibility profile	Planning a route can be stressful when the responsibility falls on the user to find all of the information they need Current navigation apps do not take into account user mobility for planning routes	There will be less cognitive load on the user when they are planning a route, since the app will remember their preferences and needs
Elevation map	Topographic map, visualization of slope, heatmap using colors Elevation graph for a suggested route Knowledge of current route; display a slope cross-section	Many individuals with mobility limitations, particularly manual wheelchair users, have limited ability to go up steep hills and slopes, so it is important to know where slopes are so they can be avoided or breaks can be planned	Users will be able to easily see elevation changes and plan routes that avoid problematic elevation
Virtual preview of location	360 degree photographs of entrances to buildings, elevators/ramps, accessible bathrooms, and other important information	The availability of accessible entrances can be unpredictable, causing stress and possible major barriers	Seeing the actual set-up of a location before going there would be very helpful for verifying accessibility before going
Route selection screen	When the user is planning a route, there will be an intuitive route-choosing screen that allows them to see relevant info and choose the best route for them	It is common to need to take detours to get to accessible entrances, which is confusing without good directions	Users would be able to easily choose the route that works best for them
Trip planning	Requires accessibility information to be part of a location on maps Allows all users to provide input/updates to accessibility information (ie similar to reporting an accident while driving) Allows users to input their personal mobility capabilities and limitations into their profile Uses the mobility information as input to calculate the suggested path and time to make the journey Considers weather in real time while making the path suggestion (ie while there is snow, do not suggest slopes > X degrees if the user utilizes a wheelchair) Suggests break points throughout the journey, depending on the user’s personal mobility capabilities, and suggested path (ie a break after a section of steep slope, if the user is a manual wheelchair user)	Familiar locations: utilize existing knowledge of the preferred path Unfamiliar locations: get accessibility information about the location from friends, community, navigation apps, or the location itself Plan for the time required to make the journey Plan for the effort required to make the journey	Accessibility information can be out of date, incomplete, inconsistent, or non-existent Time estimates provided by navigation tools do not consider accessibility & mobility capabilities of the user Path suggestion and time estimates provided by navigation tools do not consider the impact of weather (ie snow on a steep slope) It is difficult to plan for needing to take a different path if the planned path has issues
Real-time navigation (outdoors)	Allows all users to provide input/updates to accessibility information (ie similar to reporting an accident while driving) Allows users to provide input to why the path needed to be diverted, to inform future route planning (ie there are stairs, or the path required too much energy) Allows users to request a new path suggestion, based on the above input	Follow the planned path, being aware of obstacles (both environmental and people) and potential hazards (ie cracked sidewalks, potholes) Find a workaround when planned path info is incorrect, unexpected obstacles occur, or path is too much energy Rest as needed	Certain weather considerations will drastically increase the hazards of existing planned pathways Meeding to deviate from the planned path increases stress, energy required, and the time required for the journey It can be difficult to figure out what the best workaround is, in real time
Real-time navigation (indoors)	Includes accessibility information (ie ramps, accessible doors, elevators) Includes operating hours for accessible features Includes in-building navigation and maps Considers accessibility of building areas from different entrances Includes traffic of the building in real time (ie similar to restaurant traffic)	Get inside the building: find and use a ramp, find and open the accessible door Navigate inside the building to the final destination: find and use the elevator as needed	Ramps and accessible doors can be difficult to locate or in inconvenient locations Doors at accessible entrances can be locked at certain hours

UI Considerations

UI consideration/element	Justification
Compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines will be a priority for the user interface. We will use the WCAG mobile guidelines as a reference: WCAG mobile	Since expanding accessibility is a core reason we are doing this project, we want to make sure that our app also embodies that by being as accessible as possible.
Accessibility profile settings will be a visible UI element on the home screen, so that the profile is easily viewable and alterable, present on screen at all times.	We want to allow for changing accessibility needs and be flexible in the application’s design.
The UI will include an intuitive reporting system for inaccessible routes or broken accessibility tools.	Many participants mentioned the importance of crowd-sourcing accessibility information, so this could be incorporated into the prototype.
The UI will align with the information structure of other commonly used navigation apps like Google Maps and Waze.	Most navigation applications work similarly, so most users with prior experience will already have a mental model for navigation apps that we can take advantage of to make the app more approachable.
The UI will include options to control the app handsfree with voice, or one-handed.	Users may need to use one or both hands to operate their mobility device, so the option to speak or use one hand may be beneficial to some users.
The UI will be kept relatively simple, prioritizing accessibility information and other route information that is important to the user. The map will have dedicated icons for elevators, accessible entrances, accessible parking, ramps, etc. that will always be visible (unless turned off)	Participants mentioned that navigation apps are often very busy, making it difficult to find the desired options. Prioritizing important information only would reduce this issue.

User-Centered Requirements

Requirement	Justification based on data
Route-planning should be flexible, taking into account the many unexpected barriers and breakdowns that can require a change in plans.	As shown in the journey map, participants in the contextual inquiry often faced barriers that caused them to take detours or find other workarounds.
Real-time, relevant information should be available about routes, because users repeatedly expressed the importance and difficulty of getting up-to-date information.	Several participants in both the contextual inquiry and online survey mentioned the importance of current information so that they can plan accordingly.
Navigation must include both indoor and outdoor route-planning.	Many participants reported difficulty finding elevators and accessible entrances, especially because navigation apps usually give you zero information once you arrive at a location.